Efficacy of translation in the rickettsia Coxiella burnetii

Abstract

The addition of coliphage Qβ ribonucleic acid to a cell-free translation system obtained from C. burnetii cells caused the formation of monosomes and disomes from ribosomal subunits and resulted in synthesis of viral coat protein. Rickettsial ribosomes and associated translation factors functioned together, with fidelity, efficiency, and a specificity similar to those of free-living gram-negative bacteria.