scholarly journals A HEAT-SENSITIVE CELLULAR FUNCTION LOCATED IN THE NUCLEOLUS

1967 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Simard ◽  
W. Bernhard

Striking nucleolar lesions occur in cultured cells after exposure to supranormal temperatures. These lesions appear at 42°C and consist of a loss of the granular ribonucleoprotein (RNP) component and intranucleolar chromatin, and a disappearance of the nucleolar reticulum. The material remaining in the morphologically homogeneous nucleolus is a large amount of closely packed fibrillar RNP. The lesions remain identical as temperature increases to 45°C. These alterations are reversible when the cells are returned to 37°C and are associated with the reappearance of an exaggerated amount of intranucleolar chromatin and granular RNP. High-resolution radioautography indicates that after thermic shock nucleolar RNA synthesis is inhibited whereas extranucleolar sites are preserved: it also suggests that the granular RNP is reconverted to fibrillar RNP probably by simple unraveling. The results prove the existence of heat-sensitive cellular functions in the nucleolus which deal with the DNA-dependent RNA synthesis. The precise site of action is assumed to involve hydrogen bonds, resulting in configurational changes in nucleolar RNP and affecting the stability of the DNA molecule. The subsequent events in nucleolar RNA synthesis are discussed in light of the morphologic and biochemical effects of actinomycin D on the nucleolus.

1973 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Phillips ◽  
Stephanie Gordon Phillips

The reconstruction of the nucleolus after mitosis was analyzed by electron microscopy in cultured mammalian (L929) cells in which nucleolar RNA synthesis was inhibited for a 3 h period either after or before mitosis. When synchronized mitotic cells were plated into a concentration of actinomycin D sufficient to block nucleolar RNA synthesis preferentially, nucleoli were formed at telophase as usual. 3 h after mitosis, these nucleoli had fibrillar and particulate components and possessed the segregated appearance characteristic of nucleoli of actinomycin D-treated cells. Cells in which actinomycin D was present for the last 3 h preceding mitosis did not form nucleoli by 3 h after mitosis though small fibrillar prenucleolar bodies were detectable at this time. These bodies subsequently grew in size and eventually acquired a particulate component. It took about a full cell cycle before nucleoli of these cells were completely normal in appearance. Thus, nucleolar RNA synthesis after mitosis is not necessary for organization of nucleoli after mitosis. However, inhibition of nucleolar RNA synthesis before mitosis renders the cell incapable of forming nucleoli immediately after mitosis. If cells are permitted to resume RNA synthesis after mitosis, they eventually regain nucleoli of normal morphology.


1967 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. H. de Man ◽  
N. J. A. Noorduyn

Nucleolar partition induced by actinomycin D was used to demonstrate some aspects of nucleolar RNA synthesis and release in mouse hepatic cells, with light and electron microscopic radioautography. The effect of the drug on RNA synthesis and nucleolar morphology was studied when actinomycin D treatment preceded labeling with tritiated orotic acid. Nucleolar partition, consisting of a segegration into granular and fibrillar parts was visible if a dosage of 25 µg of actinomycin D was used, but nucleolar RNA was still synthesized. After a dosage of 400 µg of actinomycin D, nucleolar RNA synthesis was completely stopped If labeling with tritiated orotic acid preceded treatment with 400 µg of actinomycin D, labeled nucleolar RNA was present 15 min after actinomycin D treatment while high resolution radioautography showed an association of silver grains with the granular component. At 30 min after actinomicyn D treatment all labeling was lost. Since labeling was associated with the granular component the progressive loss of label as a result of actinomycin D treatment indicated a release of nucleolar granules. The correlation between this release and the loss of 28S RNA from actinomycin D treated nucleoli as described in the literature is discussed.


1971 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 649-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert G. Johnson ◽  
Arthur G. Johnson

Incubation of antigen with normal mouse peritoneal exudate cells in vitro and subsequent reinjection of the washed cells into syngeneic mice resulted in increased antibody titers as compared to mice injected with antigen alone. Several of the variables influencing this system were studied with and without the stimulus of complex homoribopolynucleotides (poly A:U or poly I:C) as adjuvants to determine the cellular site of action of the latter. It was found that addition of poly A:U or poly I:C caused a further rise in circulating antibody levels which correlated with increased RNA synthesis, suggesting that the macrophage was one cell affected by this adjuvant. Actinomycin D was found to inhibit the rise in titer induced by PEC and this inhibition could be overcome by poly A:U. Injection of the polynucleotides 18 hr before antigen resulted in depression of circulating antibody levels, and poly A:U or poly I:C injected 18 hr before harvesting PEC and incubation with antigen also inhibited the capacity of the PEC to increase antibody levels. A 4S RNA-rich fraction was purified after treatment with phenol of PEC exposed to antigen in vitro, and under the stimulus of poly A:U this RNA was capable of inducing specific antibody titers and rosette-forming cells on injection into mice. Antigen contamination of Pronase-treated RNA, active biologically, was below 10–11 g as determined isotopically.


1973 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 495-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G. von Tigerstrom

The stability of rapidly labelled RNA in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells under in vitro conditions was investigated. [2-14C]Uridine was effectively incorporated into RNA and 90% of the acid-insoluble isotope was associated with the nucleus after 30 min labelling. When RNA synthesis was inhibited by actinomycin D or when [14C]uridine was chased with [12C]uridine at this time, a rapid degradation of approximately 50% of the labelled RNA could be observed. The rates of degradation, the extent of degradation under certain incubation conditions, and the classes of RNA from which the isotope was released were almost identical when the two chase techniques were compared. The concentration of uridine used during the chase did not inhibit RNA synthesis significantly as judged from incorporation of [8-14C]guanine. The results indicated that the degradation of the newly synthesized RNA in Ehrlich ascites cells occurred naturally and was not induced by actinomycin D.


Author(s):  
Mihir Parikh

It is well known that the resolution of bio-molecules in a high resolution electron microscope depends not just on the physical resolving power of the instrument, but also on the stability of these molecules under the electron beam. Experimentally, the damage to the bio-molecules is commo ly monitored by the decrease in the intensity of the diffraction pattern, or more quantitatively by the decrease in the peaks of an energy loss spectrum. In the latter case the exposure, EC, to decrease the peak intensity from IO to I’O can be related to the molecular dissociation cross-section, σD, by EC = ℓn(IO /I’O) /ℓD. Qu ntitative data on damage cross-sections are just being reported, However, the microscopist needs to know the explicit dependence of damage on: (1) the molecular properties, (2) the density and characteristics of the molecular film and that of the support film, if any, (3) the temperature of the molecular film and (4) certain characteristics of the electron microscope used


Author(s):  
Awtar Krishan ◽  
Dora Hsu

Cells exposed to antitumor plant alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine sulfate have large proteinacious crystals and complexes of ribosomes, helical polyribosomes and electron-dense granular material (ribosomal complexes) in their cytoplasm, Binding of H3-colchicine by the in vivo crystals shows that they contain microtubular proteins. Association of ribosomal complexes with the crystals suggests that these structures may be interrelated.In the present study cultured human leukemic lymphoblasts (CCRF-CEM), were incubated with protein and RNA-synthesis inhibitors, p. fluorophenylalanine, puromycin, cycloheximide or actinomycin-D before the addition of crystal-inducing doses of vinblastine to the culture medium. None of these compounds could completely prevent the formation of the ribosomal complexes or the crystals. However, in cells pre-incubated with puromycin, cycloheximide, or actinomycin-D, a reduction in the number and size of the ribosomal complexes was seen. Large helical polyribosomes were absent in the ribosomal complexes of cells treated with puromycin, while in cells exposed to cycloheximide, there was an apparent reduction in the number of ribosomes associated with the ribosomal complexes (Fig. 2).


1973 ◽  
Vol 134 (4) ◽  
pp. 1103-1113 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Betteridge ◽  
M. Wallis

The effect of insulin on the incorporation of radioactive leucine into growth hormone was investigated by using rat anterior pituitary glands incubated in vitro. A 50% stimulation over control values was observed at insulin concentrations above 2μm (280munits/ml). The effect was specific for growth hormone biosynthesis, over the range 1–5μm-insulin (140–700munits/ml). Lower more physiological concentrations had no significant effect in this system. Above 10μm (1.4 units/ml) total protein synthesis was also increased. The stimulation of growth hormone synthesis could be partially blocked by the addition of actinomycin D, suggesting that RNA synthesis was involved. Insulin was found to stimulate the rate of glucose utilization in a similar way to growth hormone synthesis. 2-Deoxyglucose and phloridzin, which both prevented insulin from stimulating glucose utilization, also prevented the effect of insulin on growth hormone synthesis. If glucose was replaced by fructose in the medium, the effect of insulin on growth hormone synthesis was decreased. We conclude that the rate of utilization of glucose may be an important step in mediating the effect of insulin on growth hormone synthesis.


1965 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 545-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Di Marco ◽  
R. Silvestrini ◽  
S. Di Marco ◽  
T. Dasdia

The effect has been studied of Actinomycin D, Daunomycin (Da.), and Da. N acetyl derivative on mitotic activity and on the nucleic acid synthesis of in vitro HeLa cell cultures. The experiments were carried out by means of the radioautographic technique using stripping films. The relative uptake of thymidine-H3 and uridine-H3 was determined by means of the reduced silver grain count present in the nuclei of controls and treated cells. The mitotic activity and thymidine incorporation were noticeably reduced by Daunomycin and Actinomycin, whereas both processes appeared less affected by Da. N acetyl derivative. As regards nuclear RNA synthesis, all three antibiotics at low doses chiefly inhibit nucleolar RNA synthesis. On the other hand, whilst Actinomycin at higher doses causes an almost total inhibition of the synthesis of the whole nuclear RNA, in Daunomycin- and Da. N acetyl derivative-treated cells extranucleolar RNA synthesis is less susceptible to inhibition.


1974 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 977-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
David K. Horowitz ◽  
Peter J. Russell

Sexual differentiation in male strains of the aquatic fungus Achlya ambisexualis Raper is induced by antheridiol, a sexual steroid hormone secreted by female strains. Antheridiol-induced initiation of the morphologically distinct antheridial branches in male Achlya is completely prevented when DNA-dependent RNA synthesis is inhibited by actinomycin D. In addition antheridial branch elongation is inhibited to a degree proportional to the concentration of actinomycin D added. Thus, evidence indicates that RNA synthesis is required for antheridiol-induced initiation of antheridial branching and that continued RNA synthesis is required for elongation of antheridial branches.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 4602-4610
Author(s):  
U Bond ◽  
M J Schlesinger

A chicken genomic library was screened to obtain genomic clones for ubiquitin genes. Two genes that differ in their genomic location and organization were identified. One gene, designated Ub I, contains four copies of the protein-coding sequence arranged in tandem, while the second gene, Ub II, contains three. The origin of the two major mRNAs that are induced after heat shock in chicken embryo fibroblasts was determined by generating DNA probes from the 5'-and 3'-noncoding regions of the two genes. Both mRNAs are transcribed from Ub I, the larger being the unspliced precursor of the smaller. A 674-base-pair intron was located within the 5'-noncoding region of Ub I. The second gene, Ub II, does not appear to code for an RNA species in normal or heat-shocked chicken embryo fibroblasts. The expression of ubiquitin mRNA during heat shock and recovery was examined. Addition of actinomycin D before heat shock completely abolished the response of ubiquitin mRNA to the stress. Analysis of the stability of the mRNA during recovery revealed that the mRNA accumulated during the heat shock is rapidly degraded with a half-life of approximately 1.5 h, suggesting a specialized but transient role for ubiquitin during heat shock.


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