Effect of Urea on the Synthesis of Polynucleotides with Crude Bacterial Extracts

Abstract

A CRUDE bacterial extract is normally not capable of catalysing a net synthesis of poly-A from ADP¹, If, however, the myokinase-like enzymes are blocked by the addition of ATP one observes a considerable net synthesis of polynucleotides with crude extracts of Azotobacter vinelandii, as we have found recently^2,3. In this way the degradation of ADP, which leads to nucleosides and nucleobases via AMP, is inhibited. A complete inhibition of the adenylate kinase occurs if the ratio of ATP/ADP is 1 : 1 or higher; at lower ratios only an incomplete inhibition of the adenylate kinase and correspondingly a lower net synthesis of polynucleotide is observed. The amount of poly-A decreases after several hours because of phosphorolysis (Fig. 1).