Rich culture medium for the radiochemical labeling of proteins and nucleic acids

Yeast extract was treated with tyrosine decarboxylase and used to prepare a rich, complex medium virtually free of tyrosine. The medium supported maximal growth rates for Escherichia coli prototrophs, as well as for defined and undefined auxotrophs. It has made possible the efficient radiochemical labeling of cells growing optimally in complex medium and the characterization of mutants with undefined requirements. Similarly prepared media may be useful for the study of fastidious organisms and organisms for which no defined medium has been described.