Altered methionyl-tRNA synthetase in a Spirulina platensis mutant resistant to ethionine.

Compared with the parental strain, a Spirulina platensis mutant that is resistant to ethionine incorporated methionine into protein at a reduced rate, whereas ethionine incorporation was practically nil. The methionyl-tRNA synthetase present in crude extracts from the resistant strain showed a reduced affinity for methionine and ethionine.