Effect of elevated temperatures on protein synthesis in Escherichia coli

Upon a temperature shift from 30 C to 42 to 44 C, Escherichia coli experiences a transient slowdown in rate of optical density increase, uridine incorporation, and amino acid incorporation. The data show that the primary target for thermal inactivation is a molecule(s) required for the initiation of protein synthesis. The effect on ribonucleic acid synthesis is a secondary effect.