The control of ribonucleic acid synthesis in bacteria. The synthesis and stability of ribonucleic acids in relaxed and stringent amino acid auxotrophs of Escherichia coli

The biosynthesis and stability of various RNA fractions was studied in RC(str) and RC(rel) multiple amino acid auxotrophs of Escherichia coli. In conditions of amino acid deprivation, RC(str) mutants were labelled with exogenous nucleotide bases at less than 1% of the rate found in cultures growing normally in supplemented media. Studies by DNA-RNA hybridization and by other methods showed that, during a period of amino acid withdrawal, not more than 60-70% of the labelled RNA formed in RC(str) mutants had the characteristics of mRNA. Evidence was obtained for some degradation of newly formed 16S and 23S rRNA species to heterogeneous material of lower molecular weight. This led to overestimations of the mRNA content of rapidly labelled RNA from such methods as simple examination of sucrose-density-gradient profiles. In RC(rel) strains the absolute and relative rates of synthesis of the various RNA fractions were not greatly affected. However, the stability of about half of the mRNA fraction was increased in RC(rel) strains during amino acid starvation, giving kinetics of mRNA labelling and turnover that were identical with those found in either RC(str) or RC(rel) strains inhibited by high concentrations of chloramphenicol. Coincidence hybridization techniques showed that the mRNA content of amino acid-starved RC(str) auxotrophs was unchanged from that found in normally growing cells. In contrast, RC(rel) strains deprived of amino acids increased their mRNA content about threefold. In such cultures the mRNA content of accumulating newly formed RNA was a constant 16% by wt.     

A new approach to the analysis of hybridization of bacterial nucleic acids. Analysis of ribosomal ribonucleic acids of Bacillus subtilis

A new graphical analytical technique is described for the hybridization of bacterial RNA with denatured homologous DNA immobilized on cellulose nitrate membrane filters. To a constant amount of DNA, various amounts of bacterial RNA were added and the percentage of input RNA bound was plotted against the DNA/RNA weight ratio in a given experiment. When RNA samples were used that hybridize to denatured DNA as a single species, the resulting curves (RNA-hybridization-efficiency curves) could be analysed to show the percentage of the DNA capable of specifically binding the RNA and could also be used to detect the presence of minor RNA contaminants in a purified specimen. The method could also estimate the relative amounts of two species of RNA in a mixture when these were hybridized independently to different DNA cistrons or cistron groups. As an example of RNA that can be studied in this way, the 16s and 23s ribosomal RNA species of Bacillus subtilis were chosen. These each behave in DNA-RNA hybridization as a single species and bind independently to different groups of DNA cistrons. The results obtained from hybridization-efficiency curves were compared with those obtained by the more usual method of saturating the specific DNA regions with excess of ribosomal RNA (hybridization-saturation curves). It was confirmed by both approaches that 0.15 (+/-0.02)% of B. subtilis DNA would hybridize with 16s ribosomal RNA, 0.30 (+/-0.02)% would hybridize with 23s ribosomal RNA, and 0.46 (+/-0.02)% would hybridize with (16s+23s) ribosomal RNA. This agreement suggested that mass-action equilibria between hybridized and free RNA had a negligible effect on the hybridization curves over the range of DNA and RNA concentrations employed.     

Characterization of rapidly labelled ribonucleic acid in Escherichia coli by deoxyribonucleic acid–ribonucleic acid hybridization

1. Rapidly labelled RNA from Escherichia coli K 12 was characterized by hybridization to denatured E. coli DNA on cellulose nitrate membrane filters. The experiments were designed to show that, if sufficient denatured DNA is offered in a single challenge, practically all the rapidly labelled RNA will hybridize. With the technique employed, 75-80% hybridization efficiency could be obtained as a maximum. Even if an excess of DNA sites were offered, this value could not be improved upon in any single challenge of rapidly labelled RNA with denatured E. coli DNA. 2. It was confirmed that the hybridization technique can separate the rapidly labelled RNA into two fractions. One of these (30% of the total) was efficiently hybridized with the low DNA/RNA ratio (10:1, w/w) used in tests. The other fraction (70% of the total) was hybridized to DNA at low efficiencies with the DNA/RNA ratio 10:1, and was hybridized progressively more effectively as the amount of denatured DNA was increased. A practical maximum of 80% hybridization of all the rapidly labelled RNA was first achieved at a DNA/RNA ratio 210:1 (+/-10:1). This fraction was fully representative of the rapidly labelled RNA with regard to kind and relative amount of materials hybridized. 3. In competition experiments, where additions were made of unlabelled RNA prepared from E. coli DNA, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (EC 2.7.7.6) and nucleoside 5'-triphosphates, the rapidly labelled RNA fraction hybridized at a low (10:1) DNA/RNA ratio was shown to be competitive with a product from genes other than those responsible for ribosomal RNA synthesis and thus was presumably messenger RNA. At higher DNA/rapidly labelled RNA ratios (200:1), competition with added unlabelled E. coli ribosomal RNA (without messenger RNA contaminants) lowered the hybridization of the rapidly labelled RNA from its 80% maximum to 23%. This proportion of rapidly labelled RNA was not competitive with E. coli ribosomal RNA even when the latter was in large excess. The ribosomal RNA would also not compete with the 23% rapidly labelled RNA bound to DNA at low DNA/RNA ratios. It was thus demonstrated that the major part of E. coli rapidly labelled RNA (70%) is ribosomal RNA, presumably a precursor to the RNA in mature ribosomes. 4. These studies have shown that, when earlier workers used low DNA/RNA ratios (about 10:1) in the assay of messenger RNA in bacterial rapidly labelled RNA, a reasonable estimate of this fraction was achieved. Criticisms that individual messenger RNA species may be synthesized from single DNA sites in E. coli at rates that lead to low efficiencies of messenger RNA binding at low DNA/RNA ratios are refuted. In accordance with earlier results, estimations of the messenger RNA content of E. coli in both rapidly labelled and randomly labelled RNA show that this fraction is 1.8-1.9% of the total RNA. This shows that, if any messenger RNA of relatively long life exists in E. coli, it does not contribute a measurable weight to that of rapidly labelled messenger RNA.     

Asymmetric template function of microbial deoxyribonucleic acids: transcription of ribosomal and soluble ribonucleic acids

In Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, 16 and 23S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) hybridize exclusively with the heavy (H) strand of methylated albuminkieselguhr (MAK)-fractionated complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strands. All the soluble RNA (4S RNA) in B. subtilis and 66 to 75% of the 4S RNA in E. coli also hybridize with the H strand. Interspecific hybridization shows that E. coli 23S rRNA also binds selectively to the DNA H strand of Salmonella typhimurium. The hybridization peak for all three cellular RNA components is specifically located in the late-eluting region of the absorbance profile of the DNA H strand. The early-eluting region of the light (L) strand preferentially inhibits the hybridization between the peak region of the H strand and 23S rRNA. These regions are considered to represent the transcribing sequences and their complements for 23S rRNA in the separated H and L strands of DNA, respectively.     

Organization of transfer and ribosomal ribonucleic acid genes in Bacillus subtilis.

The structural relationship between the transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) and the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes of Bacillus subtilis has been studied by restriction endonuclease analysis of total chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and characterization of DNA fragments cloned in Escherichia coli. The DNA sequences encoding rRNA and tRNA were assayed by hybridization to radioactive RNA. The results support the conclusion that the tRNA genes are interspersed between and closely linked to the rRNA genes of B. subtilis. They probably do not appear between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes as in E. coli.     

Rapid detection, identification, and enumeration of Escherichia coli cells in municipal water by chemiluminescent in situ hybridization

A new chemiluminescent in situ hybridization (CISH) method provides simultaneous detection, identification, and enumeration of culturable Escherichia coli cells in 100 ml of municipal water within one working day. Following filtration and 5 h of growth on tryptic soy agar at 35 degrees C, individual microcolonies of E. coli were detected directly on a 47-mm-diameter membrane filter using soybean peroxidase-labeled peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes targeting a species-specific sequence in E. coli 16S rRNA. Within each microcolony, hybridized, peroxidase-labeled PNA probe and chemiluminescent substrate generated light which was subsequently captured on film. Thus, each spot of light represented one microcolony of E. coli. Following probe selection based on 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence alignments and sample matrix interference, the sensitivity and specificity of the probe Eco16S07C were determined by dot hybridization to RNA of eight bacterial species. Only the rRNA of E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were detected by Eco16S07C with the latter mismatch hybridization being eliminated by a PNA blocker probe targeting P. aeruginosa 16S rRNA. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of E. coli by PNA CISH were then determined using 8 E. coli strains and 17 other bacterial species, including closely related species. No bacterial strains other than E. coli and Shigella spp. were detected, which is in accordance with 16S rDNA sequence information. Furthermore, the enumeration of microcolonies of E. coli represented by spots of light correlated 92 to 95% with visible colonies following overnight incubation. PNA CISH employs traditional membrane filtration and culturing techniques while providing the added sensitivity and specificity of PNA probes in order to yield faster and more definitive results.     

Molecular hybridization between rat liver deoxyribonucleic acid and complementary ribonucleic acid

RNA (cRNA) was synthesized in vitro on a template of rat liver DNA and its hybridization with rat liver DNA was studied by using the nitrocellulose-filter method. Sonication of the DNA diminished its apparent capacity to hybridize with RNA by about 50%. This is not due to cross-linkage of DNA molecules, because it could be shown that less than 2% of the sonicated DNA was cross-linked. The effect is due instead to the small size of the sonicated DNA molecules. Below a single-stranded molecular weight of 5×10⁵ the DNA showed a progressive loss of capacity to hybridize with decrease in molecular weight. Evidence is presented suggesting that the apparently diminished capacity of the DNA to hybridize is due to loss of hybridized DNA from the membrane filters. When cRNA at concentrations of up to 25μg/ml is annealed with sonicated total DNA, an apparent hybridization saturation value is found at which about 2.5% of the DNA is hybridized with RNA. Increasing the cRNA concentration tenfold brought about the hybridization of a second component of the DNA approximately equal in amount to the first. The renaturation of rat liver DNA was studied by measuring the fall in the extinction at 260nm and two different components of renaturation were observed within the reiterated fraction of DNA. By hybridizing cRNA with different fractions of rat DNA the two components of the hybridization curve are shown to correspond to the two components of the renaturation curve. The conclusion is drawn that at a cRNA concentration of 250μg/ml most of the reiterated fraction of rat liver DNA is hybridized after annealing for 16h under standard conditions (0.30m-sodium chloride–30mm-sodium citrate at 65°C). Even with such a high cRNA concentration little or no hybridization of the slowly renaturing DNA fraction occurs. It is suggested that the most highly reiterated DNA component is poorly transcribed in vitro.     

Development and evaluation of two novel oligonucleotide probes based on 16S rRNA sequence for the identification of Salmonella in foods

DNA sequence in the V3 to V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene of Salmonella enteritidis was determined. By comparison of this sequence with those of Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris obtained from GenBank/EMBL database, three oligonucleotides termed as 16S I, 16S II and 16S III were synthesized. Hybridization of these oligonucleotides with 325 Salmonella isolates and some non- Salmonella isolates including the Salmonella closely related species of the family of Enterobacteriaceae showed that 16S II could not be used as a Salmonella specific-probe. 16S I and 16S III hybridized with all the Salmonella isolates tested, the former also hybridizing with Citrobacter spp. and the latter hybridizing with Klebsiella pneumoniae as well as Serratia marcescens. Since enrichment of the target cells in food samples was usually required prior to the DNA hybridization assay, the interference from those non- Salmonella isolates could be prevented by enrichment by culturing in lactose-combined tetrathionate (CTET) broth followed by Gram-negative (GN) broth at 37°C and/or 43°C. Such a culture step could inhibit the growth of Klebsiella spp., Ser. marcescens and/or Citrobacter spp. and allowed the specific detection of Salmonella .     

The synthesis of chloroplast high-molecular-weight ribosomal ribonucleic acid in spinach.

Illuminated suspensions of chloroplasts isolated from young spinach leaves show incorporation of [3H]uridine into several species of RNA. One such RNA species of Mr 2.7 x 10(6) shows sequence homology with both the chloroplast 23-S rRNA (Mr = 1.05 x 10(6)) and 16-S rRNA (Mr = 0.56 x 10(6)), as judged by DNA/RNA competition hybridization. Leaves labelled in vivo with [32P]orthophosphate in the presence of chloramphenicol accumulate labelled RNAs of Mr 1.28 x 10(6), 0.71/0.75 x 10(6) and 0.47 x 10(6). The 1.28 x 10(6)-Mr RNA shows 80.5% sequence homology with the 1.05 x 10(6)-Mr rRNA and the 0.71/0.75 x 10(6)-Mr RNA mixture shows 76% sequence homology with the 0.56 x 10(6)-Mr rRNA. We conclude that the pathway of rRNA maturation in spinach chloroplasts is similar to that of Escherichia coli.     

Isolation of Euglena gracilis chloroplast 5S ribosomal RNA and mapping the 5S rRNA gene on chloroplast DNA.

Ribosomal RNA (5S) from Euglena gracilis chloroplasts was isolated by preparative electrophoresis, labeled in vitro with 125I, and hybridized to restriction nuclease fragments from chloroplast DNA or cloned chloroplast DNA segments. Euglena chloroplast 5S rRNA is encoded in the chloroplast genome. The coding region of 5S rRNA has been positioned within the 5.6 kilobase pair (kbp) repeat which also codes for 16S and 23S rRNA. There are three 5S rRNA genes on the 130-kbp genome. The order of RNAs within a single repeat is 16S-23S-5S. The organization and size of the Euglena chloroplast ribosomal repeat is very similar to the ribosomal RNA operons of Escherichia coli.     

Mycobacteria possess a surprisingly small number of ribosomal RNA genes in relation to the size of their genome

DNAs from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. intracellulare, M. phlei and M. smegmatis were digested by restriction enzymes and hybridized with three probes consisting of the 5' (16S rRNA), the middle (16S and 23S rRNA), and the 3' (23S and 5S rRNA) portions of the Escherichia coli rrnB operon. The resulting hybridization patterns indicate that slow-growing Mycobacteria species (i.e., M. tuberculosis and M. intracellulare), with genome size 3.13 - 4.29 X 10(9) daltons, appear to possess only one rRNA operon, whereas fast-growing species (i.e., M. phlei and M. smegmatis), with genome size 4.30 - 5.20 X 10(9) daltons, appear to possess two rRNA operons.     

Phylogeny-function analysis of (meta)genomic libraries: screening for expression of ribosomal RNA genes by large-insert library fluorescent in situ hybridization (LIL-FISH)

We assessed the utility of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) in the screening of clone libraries of (meta)genomic or environmental DNA for the presence and expression of bacterial ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. To establish proof-of-principle, we constructed a fosmid-based library in Escherichia coli of large-sized genomic DNA fragments of the mycophagous soil bacterium Collimonas fungivorans, and hybridized 768 library clones with the Collimonas-specific fluorescent probe CTE998-1015. Critical to the success of this approach (which we refer to as large-insert library FISH or LIL-FISH) was the ability to induce fosmid copy number, the exponential growth status of library clones in the FISH assay and the use of a simple pooling strategy to reduce the number of hybridizations. Twelve out of 768 E. coli clones were suspected to harbour and express Collimonas 16S rRNA genes based on their hybridization to CTE998-1015. This was confirmed by the finding that all 12 clones were also identified in an independent polymerase chain reaction-based screening of the same 768 clones using a primer set for the specific detection of Collimonas 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Fosmids isolated from these clones were grouped by restriction analysis into two distinct contigs, confirming that C. fungivorans harbours at least two 16S rRNA genes. For one contig, representing 1-2% of the genome, the nucleotide sequence was determined, providing us with a narrow but informative view of Collimonas genome structure and content.     

DNA hybridization probe for the Pseudomonas fluorescens group

Plasmid pHF360 was constructed from cloned rRNA genes (rDNA) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and used as hybridization probe for the Pseudomonas fluorescens group. The probe was tested by dot and in situ colony hybridizations to chromosomal DNAs from a wide variety of organisms. pHF360 DNA hybridized exclusively to chromosomal DNAs from bacteria representing the P. fluorescens group and separated them clearly from all other bacteria tested in the present study. Determination of the nucleotide sequence of the cloned DNA showed that it is a fragment from a 23S rRNA gene of P. aeruginosa. It was compared with the published 23S RNA sequence from Escherichia coli.     

Asymmetric template function of microbial deoxyribonucleic acids: transcription of messenger ribonucleic acid

In Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, pulse-labeled ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesized during step-down growth hybridized preferentially with the heavy (H) strand of methylated albumin-Kieselguhr-fractionated deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). At high RNA inputs, the ratio of RNA hybridized with the H strand to that hybridized with the light (L) strand was 8.7 for B. subtilis and 2.0 for E. coli. At high DNA inputs, the H/L hybridization ratio increased by a factor of two. This change in the hybridization ratio was attributable to the fraction of the pulse-labeled RNA which is in stable RNA components. The hybridization peak of pulse-labeled RNA was specifically located in the late-eluting region of the absorbance profile of the H strand. This region was considered to represent the most actively transcribing H strand templates.     

The effect of genetic complexity on the time-course of ribonucleic acid–deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization

1. The rate of RNA-DNA hybridization was studied under conditions of RNA excess, with RNA synthesized in vitro. The initial rate of the reaction was proportional to the initial RNA concentration. Throughout the observed course of the reaction there was a linear relationship between the reciprocal of the amount of RNA hybridized/mug. of DNA and the reciprocal of time. The slope of the reciprocal plot was inversely proportional to the initial RNA concentration. 2. A comparison was made of the hybridization of DNA from Escherichia coli and from bacteriophages T4 and lambda with homologous RNA. The initial rate of hybridization was inversely proportional to the genetic complexity of the hybridizing system. The slope of the reciprocal-time plot was directly proportional to genetic complexity. These results are interpreted to indicate that the rate of hybridization reflects the mean concentration of the various unique RNA species in a preparation.     

DNA hybridization probe for the Pseudomonas fluorescens group.

Plasmid pHF360 was constructed from cloned rRNA genes (rDNA) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and used as hybridization probe for the Pseudomonas fluorescens group. The probe was tested by dot and in situ colony hybridizations to chromosomal DNAs from a wide variety of organisms. pHF360 DNA hybridized exclusively to chromosomal DNAs from bacteria representing the P. fluorescens group and separated them clearly from all other bacteria tested in the present study. Determination of the nucleotide sequence of the cloned DNA showed that it is a fragment from a 23S rRNA gene of P. aeruginosa. It was compared with the published 23S RNA sequence from Escherichia coli.     

Waterborne pathogen detection by use of oligonucleotide-based microarrays

A small-oligonucleotide microarray prototype was designed with probes specific for the universal 16S rRNA and cpn60 genes of several pathogens that are usually encountered in wastewaters. In addition to these two targets, wecE-specific oligonucleotide probes were included in the microarray to enhance its discriminating power within the Enterobacteriaceae family. Universal PCR primers were used to amplify variable regions of 16S rRNA, cpn60, and wecE genes directly in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium genomic DNA mixtures (binary); E. coli, S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Yersinia enterocolitica genomic DNA mixtures (ternary); or wastewater total DNA. Amplified products were fluorescently labeled and hybridized on the prototype chip. The detection sensitivity for S. enterica serovar Typhimurium was estimated to be on the order of 0.1% (10(4) S. enterica genomes) of the total DNA for the combination of PCR followed by microarray hybridization. The sensitivity of the prototype could be increased by hybridizing amplicons generated by PCR targeting genes specific for a bacterial subgroup, such as wecE genes, instead of universal taxonomic amplicons. However, there was evidence of PCR bias affecting the detection limits of a given pathogen as increasing amounts of a different pathogen were spiked into the test samples. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using DNA microarrays in the detection of waterborne pathogens within mixed populations but also raise the problem of PCR bias in such experiments.