[A cell-free system of protein synthesis from maize seedlings]

Cell-free translation of exogenous mRNA in extracts from dry pea primary axes

Extracts from the primary axes of dry pea (Pisum sativum L.) seeds are able to perform an initiation-dependent translation of exogenous mRNA. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the products synthesized under direction of alfalfa mosaic virus RNA (AMV-RNA) and tobacco mosaic virus RNA (TMV-RNA) shows that the fidelity of translation in this pea system is at least as high as in a wheat embryo cell-free protein synthesizing system. The endogenous messengers are also efficiently translated in extracts from the primary axes of pea seeds. The direct translation of these messengers in a homologous cell-free system may be of interest for a study of the products coded for by the long-lived messengers present in this plant.

Isolation of two protein factors from maize involved in poly U-dependent polyphenylalanine synthesis by maize ribosomes

Two protein factors, isolated from S-100 of maize shoots, were found to be required not only for a "Mg(2+) shift" for poly U-dependent polymerization of phenylalanine, but also for polyphenylalanine synthesis. They seem to be crude preparations of EF-1 and EF-2. The poly U-directed amino acid incorporation by washed ribosomes was completely dependent upon these factors.