scholarly journals The effect of aflatoxin B1 on normal and cortisol-stimulated rat liver ribonucleic acid synthesis

1972 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
pp. 619-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Neal
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rat Liver ◽  
Aflatoxin B1 ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Enzymic Activity ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Receptor Sites ◽  
Rna Polymerase Activity

1. Aflatoxin B1, administered in vivo, inhibits the incorporation of [14C]orotic acid in vivo into rat liver nuclei, and also inhibits both Mg2+- and Mn2+-dependent RNA polymerase activities in nuclei assayed in vitro. 2. Aflatoxin B1 inhibits the cortisol-induced increase in incorporation of [14C]leucine in vivo, but does not affect the control value of this activity. 3. Aflatoxin B1 administered in vivo inhibits the increase in nuclear Mg2+-dependent RNA polymerase activity, assayed in vitro, which results from the treatment with cortisol. 4. Adrenalectomy causes a decrease in Mg2+-dependent RNA polymerase activity. The effect on this enzymic activity of adrenalectomy plus treatment with aflatoxin B1 is no greater than that of treatment with aflatoxin B1 alone. 5. These results suggest that the inhibition of cortisol-stimulated biochemical pathways by aflatoxin B1 is due to an inhibition of cortisol-stimulated RNA synthesis. 6. The cytoplasmic action of aflatoxin is thought to be due to a competition for receptor sites on the endoplasmic reticulum between steroid hormones and aflatoxin B1. No evidence was obtained for a similar competition for nuclear receptor sites between [3H]cortisol and aflatoxin B1. 7. No differences were observed between the activities of RNA polymerase preparations solubilized from control or aflatoxin-inhibited nuclei. 8. No differences in ‘melting’ profiles were observed between DNA and chromatin preparations isolated from control nuclei or from aflatoxin-inhibited nuclei. 9. It is suggested that aflatoxin B1 exerts its effect on RNA polymerase by decreasing the template capacity of the chromatin and that the aflatoxin ‘target’ area of the chromatin includes that region which is stimulated by cortisol. This process, however, does not involve inhibiting the movement of cortisol from the outside of the hepatic cell to the nuclear chromatin.

In vitro transcription of RNA in nuclei, nucleoli and chromatin from physarum polycephalum

1977 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 267-279
Author(s):  
K.E. Davies ◽  
I.O. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Physarum Polycephalum ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
In Vitro Transcription ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Controlled Conditions ◽  
Rna Polymerase Activity ◽  
Alpha Amanitin

Methods for isolating nuclei, nucleoli and chromatin from Physarum polycephalum which retain high levels of endogenous RNA polymerase activity are described. Under carefully controlled conditions with respect to mono- and divalent cation concentrations RNA synthesis in nuclei displayed linear kinetics for at least 30 min and the RNA products had a similar size distribution to nuclear RNA synthesis observed in vivo. Chromatin showed 60% of the nuclear transcriptional activity but no conditions were found where faithful transcription of the template occurred. Isolated nucleoli were 5-fold more active than nuclei and the endogenous RNA polymerase activity was insensitive to alpha-amanitin. Under carefully controlled conditions, the nucleoli appeared to support the accurate transcription, re-initiation and processing of rRNA chains in vitro.

scholarly journals The action of α-amanitin in vivo on the synthesis and maturation of mouse liver ribonucleic acids

1974 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asen A. Hadjiolov ◽  
Mariana D. Dabeva ◽  
Vladimir V. Mackedonski
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
5S Rrna ◽  
Gene Products ◽  
Ribonucleic Acids ◽  
Rrna Maturation ◽  
Rna Polymerase Activity ◽  
Nucleolar Rna

α-Amanitin acts in vitro and in vivo as a selective inhibitor of nucleoplasmic RNA polymerases. Treatment of mice with low doses of α-amanitin causes the following changes in the synthesis, maturation and nucleocytoplasmic transfer of liver RNA species. 1. The synthesis of the nuclear precursor of mRNA is strongly inhibited and all electrophoretic components are randomly affected. The labelling of cytoplasmic mRNA is blocked. These effects may be correlated with the rapid and lasting inhibition of nucleoplasmic RNA polymerase. 2. The synthesis and maturation of the nuclear precursor of rRNA is inhibited within 30min. (a) The initial effect is a strong (about 80%) inhibition of the early steps of 45S precursor rRNA maturation. (b) The synthesis of 45S precursor rRNA is also inhibited and the effect increases from about 30% at 30min to more than 70% at 150min. (c) The labelling of nuclear and cytoplasmic 28S and 18S rRNA is almost completely blocked. The labelling of nuclear 5S rRNA is inhibited by about 50%, but that of cytoplasmic 5S rRNA is blocked. (d) The action of α-amanitin on the synthesis of precursor rRNA cannot be correlated with the slight gradual decrease of nucleolar RNA polymerase activity (only 10–20% inhibition at 150min). (e) The inhibition of precursor rRNA maturation and synthesis precedes the ultrastructural lesions of the nucleolus detected by standard electron microscopy. 3. The synthesis of nuclear 4.6S precursor of tRNA is not affected by α-amanitin. However, the labelling of nuclear and cytoplasmic tRNA is decreased by about 50%, which indicates an inhibition of precursor tRNA maturation. The results of this study suggest that the synthesis and maturation of the precursor of rRNA and the maturation of the precursor of tRNA are under the control of nucleoplasmic gene products. The regulator molecules may be either RNA or proteins with exceedingly fast turnover.

RNA polymerase activity in virions from Ustilago maydis

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 188-194
Author(s):  
B S Ben-Tzvi ◽  
Y Koltin ◽  
M Mevarech ◽  
A Tamarkin
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Viral Genome ◽  
Ustilago Maydis ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Reaction Products ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Rna Transcripts ◽  
Rna Polymerase Activity

RNA polymerase activity is associated with the double-stranded RNA virions of Ustilago maydis. The reaction products of the polymerase activity are single-stranded RNA molecules. The RNA molecules synthesized are homologous to the three classes of double-stranded RNA molecules that typify the viral genome. The single-stranded RNA synthesized is released from the virions. The molecular weight of the single-stranded RNA transcripts is about half the size of the double-stranded RNA segments, and thus, it appears that in the in vitro reaction, full-length transcripts can be obtained.

scholarly journals Thermolabile L-A virus-like particles from pet18 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 404-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Fujimura ◽  
R B Wickner
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Nonpermissive Temperature ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase ◽  
Virus Like Particles ◽  
Rna Polymerase Activity ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

pet18 mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae confer on the cell the inability to maintain either L-A or M double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) at the nonpermissive temperature. In in vitro experiments, we examined the effects of pet18 mutations on the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity associated with virus-like particles (VLPs). pet18 mutations caused thermolabile RNA polymerase activity of L-A VLPs, and this thermolability was found to be due to the instability of the L-A VLP structure. The pet18 mutations did not affect RNA polymerase activity of M VLPs. Furthermore, the temperature sensitivity of wild-type L-A RNA polymerase differed substantially from that of M RNA polymerase. From these results, and from other genetic and biochemical lines of evidence which suggest that replication of M dsRNA requires the presence of L-A dsRNA, we propose that the primary effect of the pet18 mutation is on the L-A VLP structure and that the inability of pet18 mutants to maintain M dsRNA comes from the loss of L-A dsRNA.

scholarly journals RNA polymerase activity in virions from Ustilago maydis.

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 188-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
B S Ben-Tzvi ◽  
Y Koltin ◽  
M Mevarech ◽  
A Tamarkin
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Viral Genome ◽  
Ustilago Maydis ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Reaction Products ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Rna Molecules ◽  
Rna Transcripts ◽  
Rna Polymerase Activity

RNA polymerase activity is associated with the double-stranded RNA virions of Ustilago maydis. The reaction products of the polymerase activity are single-stranded RNA molecules. The RNA molecules synthesized are homologous to the three classes of double-stranded RNA molecules that typify the viral genome. The single-stranded RNA synthesized is released from the virions. The molecular weight of the single-stranded RNA transcripts is about half the size of the double-stranded RNA segments, and thus, it appears that in the in vitro reaction, full-length transcripts can be obtained.

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