Stringent control of protein synthesis in E. coli

The effect of ppGpp on the rate of protein synthesis has been determined in vivo. When the stringent response is triggered and then reversed in isogenic strains carrying either spoT^? or spoT⁺, the mutants lower their elevated ppGpp only slowly, whereas wild type cells do so rapidly. Protein synthesis resumes only after a lag in spoT^? cells but almost immediately in spoT⁺ cells. In spoT^?rel^? double mutants, ppGpp does not accumulate under these conditions and protein synthesis resumes immediately. Inhibition of protein synthesis in spoT^?rel⁺ cells therefore appears to be due to elevation of ppGpp levels and not to any other effect of the spoT^? mutation.