Protein Synthesis in a Cell-Free Extract from Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Cell-free Staphylococcus aureus extracts have been prepared which actively incorporate amino acids into protein. The requirements for amino acid incorporation of this preparation were strongly suggestive of de novo protein synthesis, since it showed an absolute requirement for ribosomes, 105,000 × g supernatant fluid, energy source, and magnesium ion. The stability of these extracts was greatly improved by use of dithiothreitol instead of mercaptoethanol as a sulfhydryl protecting reagent. Data were presented to show that the binding of aminoacyl-soluble ribonucleic acid to ribosomes did not require guanosine triphosphate and supernatant enzyme. The major characteristic which distinguishes this system from other cell-free systems is the much higher magnesium concentration required to maintain ribosomes intact and to obtain the maximal incorporation of amino acids. Addition of polyuridylic acid, polyadenylic acid, or polycytidylic acid caused about 60-fold, 30-fold, or 4-fold stimulation of the incorporation of phenylalanine, lysine, or proline, respectively. Studies by density gradient sedimentation indicated that radioactive polyuridylic acid or polyadenylic acid was associated with the monosomes. This complex can actively synthesize polypeptides. On the other hand, the nascent protein synthesized under the direction of endogenous messenger ribonucleic acid was associated with both polysomes and monosomes.