EVIDENCE FOR A DEFECTIVE PROTEIN SYNTHESIZING SYSTEM IN DORMANT SPORES OF BACILLUS CEREUS

The cell-free amino acid incorporating system from dormant spores of Bacillus cereus is defective. After germination this activity rises to 50% of that of preparations from vegetative cells. This increase is not dependent upon either RNA or protein synthesis, and leads to an incorporating system essentially the same as that found from vegetative cells. Two defects in protein synthesis were found in dormant spores: (a) the absence, or near absence, of transfer enzyme activity, and (b) impaired binding of mRNA-aminoacyl-sRNA by spore ribosomes. The first defect is repaired by activation of the spores and the second by germination. © 1968.