Exchange of ribosomal proteins among the ribosomes of Escherichia coli.

Summary The exchange of ribosomal proteins among ribosomes of E. coli has been measured, using a density label technique. As expected most of the proteins do not exhange appreciably. However a substantial fraction of each of proteins S1, S2, S21, L7/L12, L9, L10, L11, L26 and L33 is found to exchange, but exchange of S1, S2, L7/L12, L10, L11 and L26 is found to occur in vitro after lysis of the cells, and therefore it is not possible to say whether or not these proteins also exchange in vivo. In contrast S21, L9 and L33 do not exchange after lysis of the cells and we therefore conclude that these proteins exchange in vivo. The maximum level of exchange of S21, L9 and L33 is attained so rapidly that we were unable to show whether or not it was dependent on protein synthesis.