Techniques of in vitro RNA synthesis with isolated nucleoli

Activated ribosomal RNA synthesis in regenerated rat liver upon inhibition of protein synthesis

Cycloheximide (Cyh), administered at a dose of 5 mg/kg body wt blocks protein synthesis in normal rat liver (NRL) and regenerating rat liver (RRL). The rate of synthesis of 45S pre-rRNA in RRL, studied after RNA labelling in vivo is activated 2.8 times. Pre-r RNA synthesis in RRL is more sensitive to the stopped translation, but never falls down to the level in NRL. The major contribution to the rDNA transcription activation in RRL comes from the 20-fold increase in the number of pol I molecules engaged in the transcription, the elongation rate being 1.4-fold accelerated. Cyh quenches partially the enhanced rDNA transcription in RRL: the number of pol I molecules and their elongation rate are about 1.7-fold and 1.5-fold higher, respectively, than the corresponding values in NRL after Cyh treatment. The results show that two different mechanisms control the number and the rate of initiation and elongation of RNA polymerase I in rat liver; one of them depends on continuous protein synthesis and can be inactivated by Cyh, the other is Cyh resistant.

Transcriptional control of ribosome production in regenerating rat liver

Kinetic experiments of labelling in vivo with [14C]orotate of cellular free UMP and/or UTP, nucleolar, nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic rRNA in normal and 12 h-regenerating rat liver were performed. The specific-radioactivity curves obtained were analysed by computer and the rates of synthesis of precursor rRNA (45S pre-rRNA) and cytoplasmic 28S and 18S rRNA calculated. (a) The rates of synthesis of 45S pre-rRNA in normal and regenerating rat liver are 1400 and 3700 molecules/min per nucleus respectively; (b) the average rates of formation of mature 28S and 18S rRNA are identical with the rates of synthesis of 45S pre-rRNA in both normal and regenerating rat liver. Thus the synthesis of rRNA in 12h-regenerating rat liver is activated 2.7-fold. The analysis of rRNA synthesis in isolated nucleoli also shows a 2.7-fold stimulation of transcription in regenerating liver. It is concluded that all the 45S pre-rRNA molecules synthesized are processed and transferred as 28S and 18S rRNA in the cytoplasm, i.e. degradation (wastage) of newly synthesized ribosomes in the nucleus does not occur in both normal and regenerating rat liver. Thus the enhanced production of ribosomes in regenerating rat liver is regulated only at the transcriptional level.