Polyadenylate-deficient analogues of poly(A)-containing mRNA sequences in cultured AKR mouse embryo cells.

Five to six percent (by mass) of AKR-2B mouse embryo cell polysomal RNA consists of messenger RNA sequences which may exist in polyadenylated form. In the steady state, however, only 30--40% of these molecules are retained by extensive passage over oligo(dT)-cellulose, the remainder being present in the form of poly(A)-deficient analogues. Within experimental limits, these poly(A)-deficient analogues contain representatives of all poly(A)-containing mRNA sequences in these cells. An analysis of the kinetics of hybridization of cDNA probes enriched for either abundant or rare poly(A)-containing mRNA sequences suggests that the frequency distributions of poly(A)-containing and poly(A)-deficient analogues are dissimilar, and that a relationship exists between the intracellular frequency of a given mRNA sequence and the number of poly(A)-deficient analogues of that sequence. High frequency sequences appear to be enriched in the poly(A)-containing fraction, while low frequency sequences are predominately associated with the poly(A)-deficient fraction, thus, poly(A) may play a role in the regulation of mRNA frequency in the cytoplasm.

alpha-Amanitin and 5-fluorouridine inhibition of serum-stimulated DNA synthesis in quiescent AKR-2B mouse embryo cells.

AKR-2B mouse embryo cells undergoing the serum-stimulated transition from a quiescent to a proliferating state exhibit an increase in the rate of hnRNA synthesis which appears to be mediated through an increase in the actual number of RNA polymerase II molecules. alpha-Amanitin, administered early in the prereplication interval following stimulation, effectively inhibits hnRNA synthesis, polysomal mRNA accumulation, polyribosome formation, and subsequent DNA synthesis, and cell division. Unexpectedly, alpha-amanitin treatment also produces almost complete inhibition of the synthesis of 45S rRNA precursor and the increase in accumulation of cytoplasmic rRNA following serum stimulation. In order to determine whether the inhibition of new ribosomal synthesis might in itself be sufficient to prevent serum-stimulated DNA synthesis, the effects of 5-fluorouridine (5-FU), a specific inhibitor of 45S rRNA processing, were investigated. If added within eight hours following serum stimulation, 5-FU was found to completely inhibit subsequent DNA synthesis. These results suggest that quiescent AKR-2B cells do not contain a sufficient excess of ribosomes to support the synthesis of proteins which are required for DNA synthesis in response to serum growth factors. Furthermore, an early polymerase II mediated synthesis of mRNA(s) coding for some factor(s) necessary for ribosomal gene transcription may be an essential step in the serum-stimulated synthesis of new ribosomes.