The activity of ribosomes whose RNA has been degraded by incubation in the presence or absence of oxidized glutathione

Enhancement of virus growth produced by thiols and disulphides

Several thiols and disulphides have been found able both to shorten the latency phase and to increase the growth of several virus strains in cell cultures.

Interaction of the 5'-ends of 28S RNA in dimerization of hamster ribosomes

Free ribosomes extracted from hamster cells and 28S RNA purified from these ribosomes are known to form dimers. We find that spleen phosphodiesterase inhibits ribosomal dimer formation, but only when a free 5'-hydroxyl end group, produced by the action of alkaline phosphatase, is present. Hence, formation of dimer ribosomes probably involves interaction at or near the phosphorylated 5'-ends of 28S RNA. Dimer RNA molecules show a modal length, when measured on electrom micrographs, of 2.1 mum, which is about double the length of 28S RNA. Electron micrographs of 115S dimer ribosomes often show profiles consistent with our interpretation that in dimers the 28S RNA chains are loosely linked by their 5'-ends.

Binding of rat liver and hepatoma polyribosomes to stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum in vitro. Biological or an artifact?

Exposed thiol groups do not appear to be related to the binding of (32)P-labelled polyribosomes to stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum in vitro. Treating stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum with GSSG did not diminish binding of polyribosomes, suggesting that binding in vitro has no correlation with the inhibition of protein synthesis in vitro reported by Kosower et al. (1971). Thiol reagents, which are known to dissociate ribosomes, did not significantly decrease binding of (32)P-labelled polyribosomes to stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum. Denaturing the protein of (32)P-labelled polyribosomes or stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum of liver or hepatoma with heat, trichloroacetic acid, or HClO(4) did not alter the binding in vitro. Therefore, the practice of measuring the binding of (32)P-labelled polyribosomes to stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum in vitro (Shires et al., 1971b) is an unsuitable indicator of biological significance in the intact cell.