Streptomycin sensitivity of ribosomes isolated from a streptomycin-producing Streptomyces griseus

The streptomycin sensitivity of ribosomes derived from a streptomycin-producing Streptomyces griseus was examined in a polyuridylic acid directed 14C-phenylalanine incorporating system. In order to get reproducible results it is essential to use cell-free extracts which do not inactivate streptomycin. This condition can be fulfilled by the combination of washed ribosomes of the streptomycin-producing strain and the 110 000 g supernatant of the streptomycin-nonproducing variant of S. griseus, because the streptomycin-phosphorylating activity can be washed out from ribosomes of younger streptomycin-producing cultures, and the streptomycin-nonproducing S. griseus does not have any streptomycin-inactivating capacity. In this amino acid polymerizing system the ribosomes of the streptomycin-producing strain were as sensitive to streptomycin as the ribosomes of the nonproducing variant or of Escherichia coli.