The Regulation of RNA Synthesis in Bacteria

Abstract

The chapter discusses the regulation of RNA synthesis in bacteria. The regulation of RNA synthesis in bacterial cells has been explained in this chapter. Formation of these macromolecules seems to be geared in a precise and unique manner to the over-all protein-synthesizing potential of a cell in its particular environment. The synthesis of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) is a variable fraction of a cells total biosynthetic activity, depending on the growth rate, so that the concentration of rRNA in a cell is a simple linear function of the over-all rate of protein synthesis during steady state growth. The conclusion that the constancy of the rate of protein synthesis calculated per unit of rRNA is the prime physiological function of this integration. The regulation seems to be achieved, by a reversible inhibition of the RNA-forming machinery of the cell, and most of the available evidence is consistent, with a model, in which amino acids reverse this inhibition, perhaps by combining with their respective sRNA. The shortcomings and limitations of the techniques most frequently is used in studying the regulation of macromolecule synthesis and pointed out the need for a different approach to this study is discussed in this chapter. The method shows promise of becoming an important tool for analyzing cellular regulatory devices.