Precursor relationship of phenylalanine transfer ribonucleic acid from Escherichia coli treated with chloramphenicol or starved for iron, methionine, or cysteine.

When treated with chloramphenicol, Escherichia coli 15T minus produces two new species (IV and V) of transfer ribonucleic acid specific for phenylalanine in addition to the major normal species (II) and two minor normal species (I and III), which are seen as distinct components upon fractionation by chromatography on columns of benzoylated diethylaminoethyl-cellulose. Species IV is produced when cells are grown in iron-deficient medium and is, therefore, probably deficient in the 2-methylthio modification of N-6-(delta-2-isopentenyl) adenosine. A new minor species (Va) also appears under those conditions. All of the new components elute earlier than the major normal species. Addition of chloramphenicol to iron-deficient cells leads to the production of species V, and that production is blocked by rifampin, as is the production of species IV. Thus, species IV and V appear to be transcriptional products. Although E. coli 15T minus appears to be rel plus, starvation for methionine or cysteine leads to the accumulation of species IV (without addition of chloramphenicol); rifampin blocks the accumulation. Species V is still produced on addition of chloramphenicol to starved cultures. Starvation for arginine or tryptophan does not alter the chromatographic profile from the normal case. Treatment with permanganate indicates that species II and IV contain isopentenyladenosine but that species V does not. Species V appears to be deficient in both isopentenyl and methylthio modifications of adenosine and perhaps at least one other modification, because removing the isopentenyl moiety from adenosine does not convert species IV into species V, but converts it into species Va. A precursor relationship among species V, VI, and II is suggested by following the chromatographic profile of phenylalanine transfer ribonucleic acid during recovery of E. coli from treatment with chloramphenicol; the various species increase and decrease in a sequential manner.