Inhibition of protein synthesis by spermine in growing cells of Staphylococcus aureus.

Friedman, Mischa E. (Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel), and Uriel Bachrach. Inhibition of protein synthesis by spermine in growing cells of Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 92:49-55. 1966.-Staphylococcus aureus SFL 9725 incorporated valine-C(14) into cellular protein. This incorporation was inhibited by spermine when the pH of the culture was adjusted to 7.8, and the inhibition was antagonized partially by Mg(++). The incorporation of C(14)-labeled leucine, phenylalanine, lysine, arginine, and possibly glutamic acid was inhibited to a much greater extent than that of alanine, glycine, or threonine. The uptake of spermine-C(14) by S. aureus cells was rapid. More than 50% of the radioactivity resided in the soluble extract. The protein fraction of the soluble extract contained 99% of the recovered label, whereas the ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid fractions contained little or no spermine-C(14).