Nucleic Acids Research, 1978, Vol. 5, No. 11 4463-4478
© 1978
Articles |
RNA synthesis in isolated nuclei of lactating mammary cells in presence of unmodified and mercury-labeled CTP
Tumor Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Nebraska 201 Lyman Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
Received July 17, 1978.
Isolated nuclei of lactating mouse mammary gland were capable of supporting DNA-dependent RNA synthesis in vitro in presence of unmodified and mercurated CTP (Hg-CTP) at high ionic condition at 25°C. In presence of unmodified CTP, [3H]UMP incorporation into RNA increased linearly upto 180 min. The kinetic pattern of the reaction and the rate of RNA synthesis were essentially similar when CTP was replaced by Hg-CTP. Both in unmodified and Hg-CTP containing reactions, 7080% of RNA synthesis was inhibited by
-amanitin. Presence of poly(A) in a small portion of the in vitro synthesized messenger-like RNA was detectable by oligo(dT) cellulose chromatography. Both poly(A)+ and poly(A) RNAs sedimented with a clear peak around 15S region in a formamide-sucrose denaturing gradient. The Hg-RNA after separation from endogenous nuclear RNA by SH-agarose affinity column chromatography also sedimented around 15S region in a formamide-sucrose gradient. The Hg-RNA synthesized in the isolated mammary cell nuclei in vitro should now permit monitoring hormonal regulation of specific gene (casein) transcription in the mammary cells by molecular hybridization of the Hg-RNA with cDNA to casein mRNA.