Studies on poly(A) sequences associated with regenerating liver RNA

Accumulation of polyadenylated mRNA during liver regeneration

Cytoplasmic and polysomal polyadenylated mRNA [poly(A)+-mRNA] increased by 120% prior to the onset of DNA synthesis during the regeneration of rat liver following partial hepatectomy. Despite this large change in cytoplasmic mRNA and an approximately 50% increase in total nuclear RNA, the amount of polyadenylated nuclear RNA increased by only 15--20% during this time. Neither the average size of nuclear or of cytoplasmic polyadenylated mRNA nor the length of their poly(adenylic acid) [poly(A)] tracts changed during liver regeneration. Polysomal poly-(A)+-mRNA increased proportionately more and at a faster rate than rRNA during the first day following partial hepatectomy. Normal livers contained a substantial proportion of cytoplasmic poly(A)+-mRNA not associated with polysomes but this proportion was not altered in 3-h regenerating liver. Thus, in regenerating liver, most preexisting cytoplasmic mRNA does not appear to be recruited into polysomes prior to the substantial increase in the amount of cytoplasmic poly(A)+-mRNA.

The action of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene on the synthesis of ribosomal and poly (A)-RNA in normal and regenerating liver

Polyribosomal RNA prepared from normal and regenerating liver was chromatographed on poly(U)-Sepharose to obtain rRNA and poly(A)-RNA. Under the conditions employed for labeling the RNA with [5-3H]orotic acid, poly (A)-RNA from regenerating liver represented 1--3% of the total RNA content, and 14--18% of the total radioactivity in polyribosomal RNA at varying times after partial hepatectomy. The specific activity of poly (A)-RNA was elevated by 50% and 30% only at 2 h and 6 h after partial hepatectomy, respectively. Ribosomal RNA synthesis increased 2.5--4 fold at 2--20 h after operation. Treatment of normal or partially hepatectomized rats with N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene showed a differential dose-dependent effect on rRNA and poly (A)-RNA synthesis with rRNA synthesis being more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of the carcinogen. No change in the poly(A) content was apparent as a result of N-hydroxy-2-acetylaminofluorene treatment.

A specific polyadenylase from Escherichia coli K12

A polyadenylase, degrading specifically poly(A) sequences was isolated from Escherichia coli K12. The enzyme was purified about 850 times to practically electrophoretic homogeneity. It was free of poly(A) polymerase activity, as well as of the well known E. coli RNAases I and II. It is stimulated by bivalent cations like Mg2+ and Mn2+ and splits poly(A) to 3'-AMP and therefore it can be considered as an exonuclease. The enzyme does not degrade any other ribohomopolymer or RNA.

The polyadenylic sequences in the ribonucleic acid of the fern Anemia phyllitidis

The vegetative prothalli (1-3 weeks old) of Anemia were incubated for 24 h in [(14)C]adenine. The RNA was phenol extracted from whole cells and the poly (A) sequences were isolated by nuclease digestion followed by poly (U)-sepharose chromatography. About 2-3% of the total radioactivity was retained on the column. The base composition of the nuclease resistant RNA was: C, 1.4; G, 3.6; A, 93.3; and U, 1.7. It is concluded that Anemia RNA contains poly adenylate sequences.

The action of cordycepin on nascent nuclear RNA and poly(A) synthesis in regenerating liver

Following a 5 min pulse of [5- 3H]orotic acid via the protal vein, the specific radioactivity of non-poly(A)heterogeneous nuclear RNA (HnRNA) reaches a peak at 12 h after partial hepatectomy. In contrast, poly(A)-HnRNA was maximally elevated only at 2 h after operation. After intraportal injection of cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) 1 min before [5-3H]orotic acid, a dose-dependent inhibition of nuclear HnRNA and rRNA occurred. Fractionation of HnRNA on poly(U)-Sepharose following 20 mg/kg of cordycepin revealed that a 65% reduction occurred in the labeling of poly(A)-HnRNA while non-polyactivity of UTP in control and cordycepin-treated animals indicated no significant alterations in these parameters. Assessment of poly(A) size using poly(A)-HnRNA annealed with oligo(dT)10 as template primer for Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I, showed that 20 mg/kg of cordycepin inhibited nuclear polyadenylylation by 43%; no alteration in the binding of poly(A)-HnRNA to Millipore filters occurred at this dose of cordycepin. These results indicate that cordycepin is a non-selective inhibitor of nuclear RNA and poly(A)synthesis in regenerating rat liver.