Abstract
AMINO-ACIDS are thought to control the rate of RNA synthesis in bacteria1. In a series of preliminary experiments we showed that amino-acids strongly influence the rate of uptake of labelled RNA precursors in synchronized Tetrahymena, a eukaryotic ciliated protozoan2. It was especially interesting to examine the nature of the RNA synthesized in these conditions for two reasons: (a) synchronized Tetrahymena can divide without net RNA synthesis2 and (b) there is considerable evidence suggesting that template RNA must be synthesized between the end of the synchronizing treatment and the first synchronous division3. Because evidence has been accumulating from both bacterial and mammalian cell systems to indicate that neither isotope uptake4 nor hybridization5 techniques can accurately measure the rate of mRNA synthesis, other means of assaying its rate of synthesis in various circumstances would be useful. The precision of timing of synchronous division in Tetrahymena6 therefore appeared to offer a unique assay for mRNA synthesis. Our results suggest that the complete absence of amino-acids in the media does not significantly affect the rate of division-related mRNA synthesis in Tetrahymena.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Maaloe, O., and Kjeldgaard, N., The Control of Macromolecular Synthesis (Benjamin and Co., New York, 1966).
Byfield, J., and Scherbaum, O. H., Exp. Cell Res., 49, 202 (1968).
Byfleld, J., and Scherbaum, O. H., J. Cell. Physiol., 70, 265 (1967).
Nierlich, D. P., Science, 158 1186 (1967).
Birnboim, H. C., Pene, J. J., and Darnell, J. E., Proc. US Nat. Acad. Sci., 58, 320 (1967).
Scherbaum, O. H., and Zeuthen, E., Exp. Cell Res., 6, 221 (1954).
Hamburger, K., and Zeuthen, E., Exp. Cell Res., 13, 443 (1957).
Kirby, K. S., Biochem. J., 96, 266 (1965).
Byfield, J., and Scherbaum, O. H., Anal. Biochem., 17, 434 (1966).
Lazarus, L. H., Levy, M., and Scherbaum, O. H., Exp. Cell Res., 36, 672 (1964).
Kumar, A., and Gorovsky, M., J. Cell Biol., 35, 74A (1967).
Byfleld, J., and Scherbaum, O. H., Proc. US Nat. Acad. Sci., 57, 602 (1967).
Scherbaum, O. H., Exp. Cell Res., 13, 24 (1957).
Moner, J. G., Exp. Cell Res., 45, 618 (1967).
Friesen, J. D., J. Mol. Biol., 20, 559 (1966).
Edlin, G., and Maaloe, O., J. Mol. Biol., 15, 438 (1966).
Vaughn, jun., M. H., Soeiro, R., Warner, J. R., and Darnell, jun., J. E., Proc. US Nat. Acad. Sci., 58, 1527 (1967).
Sypherd, P. S., and Fansler, B. S., J. Bact., 93, 920 (1967).
Dubin, D. T., and Elkort, A. T., J. Mol. Biol., 10, 508 (1965).
Kono, M., Otaka, E., and Osawa, S., Biochem. Biophys. Acta, 91, 612 (1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BYFIELD, J., SCHERBAUM, O. Non-coordinate Synthesis of Division-related mRNA. Nature 218, 1271–1273 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/2181271a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2181271a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.