Relationship between synthesis of ribosomes and RNA polymerase in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

The relationship between RNA polymerase synthesis and ribosome synthesis has been investigated in Bacillus subtilis growing at different rates. The amount of polymerase was determined by quantitation of polymerase subunits on polyacrylamide gels, while ribosome synthesis was estimated from accumulation of total RNA. The ratio of ribosome to RNA polymerase synthesis was 5:1 at slower growth rates and increased with growth rate. Bacillus subtilis was estimated to contain between 10-and 2-fold excess of RNA polymerase depending on its growth rate.