Growth conditions and inactivation of the uridylylation cycle of the glutamine synthetase regulatory system in permeabilized cells of E. coli.

The specific inactivation of the uridylylation cycle of glutamine synthetase regulatory system occurring when E. coliW grown with limited nitrogen supply is subjected to permeabilization by Lubrol WX, is not strictly related to the nitrogen starvation at cell harvesting. Evidences indicating that the sensitivity of uridylylremoving-uridylyltransferase enzyme complex to detergent treatment is affected by both rate of growth and cellular yield of the culture, are presented.