Regulation of ribonucleic acid synthesis in spheroplasts, cold-shocked cells, and toluene-treated cells of Escherichia coli.

The effects on the stringent control of ribosomal ribonculeic acid synthesis of the removal of cell wall, cold-shock treatment of cells, LiCl treatment of toluene-treated cells, and hypotonic treatment of spheroplasts were examined using Escherichia coli rel+ cells. Neither the removal of cell wall with penicillin or lysozyme nor the cold-shock treatment of the cells had an effect on the stringent control. The control mechanism, however, disappeared after the LiCl treatment of the toluene-treated cells, with the release of some protein component(s), possibly from the cytoplasmic membrane. The hypotonic and other treatments of spheroplasts, which disrupt the cytoplasmic membrane, also led to the abolishment of the control mechanism. These results suggested that the operation of the stringent control of ribosomal ribonucleic acid synthesis requires the cytoplasmic membrane, in which some proteins labile with LiCl treatment are embedded.