Rifampicin-induced protein synthesis: A pre-requisite for increased expression of the beta beta' operon in Escherichia coli.

In a rifS/rifR heterodiploid strain of E. coli, a 4 minute pulse of rifampicin can induce a prolonged (greater than 60 min) increase in the rate of synthesis of the RNA polymerase subunits, beta and beta'. The application of a constraint on the fidelity of protein synthesis during, but not after, the rifampicin pulse partially arrests the development of this capacity for subunit synthesis. I discuss the implications of these findings in relation to the control of the BB' operon in E. coli.