Abstract
A method for estimating the rates of synthesis and degradation of cyclic cAMP in E. coli during balanced growth was developed. This method showed that an E. coli CRP- mutant 5333 (deficient for cAMP receptor protein) synthesizes cAMP about 25 times faster than does its CRP+ parent 1100. This accounts for the abnormally high intracellular and extracellular cAMP accumulation in 5333.