Enzyme synthesis in synchronous cultures of bacteria

Enzyme activity was studied as a function of the cell division cycle in synchronized populations of Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris. The timing of ribonuclease during synchronous growth begins and doubles at a specific time during the cell division cycle. The momentary increase in the flow of information, ribonuclease activity, was found to differ in E. coli compared to that observed in P. vulgaris. Cell division is correlated with cell mass as measured by wet weight and ribonuclease activity. The increase in cell mass and periodicity of ribonuclease seems to be one of a probable number of decisive events in the sequence of biochemical reactions leading to cell division.