Molecular modifications associated with Aging of globin messenger RNA in vitro.

Abstract

Using polyacrylamide gel elution-electrophoresis in aqueous medium, highly purified rabbit globin mRNA can be fractionated into several populations of molecules differing by their mean poly(A) content. Both alpha and beta globin mRNA are heterogenous with respect to their electrophoretic mobilities. With the conditions used no separation of alpha and beta globin mRNA occurs during electrophoresis. From the specific radioactivity distribution in the different mRNA fractions one can conclude that the polyadenylate sequence at the 3' end of globin mRNA molecules becomes shorter with aging. This shortening occurs on alpha as well as beta, globin mRNAs and the extent of heterogeneity in poly(A) content is similar for both globin mRNAs. Furthermore, using two different methods of mRNA fractionation (polyacrylamide gel elution-electrophoresis and elution of poly (U)-Sepharose-bound mRNA at increasing temperatures) it is shown that old mRNA molecules differ from relatively young messages in their ability to direct cell-free globin synthesis. Modifications reducing template activity in vitro thus seem to take place during globin mRNA aging.