Protein breakdown in Bacillus cereus

Abstract

Protein turnover was studied in growing and non-growing cell suspensions of Bacillus cereus. The average rate of protein breakdown in growing cells was about 1.4%/hour. In non-growing cells the rate of both protein synthesis and protein breakdown was about 7%/hour. Chlor-amphenicol inhibited both synthesis and degradation of protein in non-growing B. cereus cells. Very little cell lysis occurred and it therefore appears that protein turnover is very largely an intracellular process.