Superresolution imaging of ribosomes and RNA polymerase in live Escherichia coli cells.

ABSTRACT: Quantitative spatial distributions of ribosomes (S2-YFP) and RNA polymerase (RNAP; β'-yGFP) in live Escherichia coli are measured by superresolution fluorescence microscopy. In moderate growth conditions, nucleoid-ribosome segregation is strong, and RNAP localizes to the nucleoid lobes. The mean copy numbers per cell are 4600 RNAPs and 55,000 ribosomes. Only 10-15% of the ribosomes lie within the densest part of the nucleoid lobes, and at most 4% of the RNAPs lie in the two ribosome-rich endcaps. The predominant observed diffusion coefficient of ribosomes is D(ribo) = 0.04 µm(2) s(-1), attributed to free mRNA being translated by one or more 70S ribosomes. We find no clear evidence of subdiffusion, as would arise from tethering of ribosomes to the DNA. The degree of DNA-ribosome segregation

SUBMITTER: Bakshi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3383343 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature