Differential effects of actinomycin D on nucleic acid and protein synthesis in rat liver

Abstract

Levels of actinomycin D which block up to 90% of RNA synthesis in liver inhibit protein synthesis by 40%. A 50% inhibition of RNA synthesis is accompanied by less than a 5% inhibition of protein synthesis. These results indicate that the effects of actinomycin D on protein synthesis may be only partially related to the antibiotic effects on RNA synthesis.