Rapid increase in poly(A) (+) mRNA content following inhibition of protein synthesis.

Abstract

AbstractWhen resting 3T6 cells undergo a serum‐induced transition to the growing state, the cytoplasmic content of ribosomal, transfer and messenger RNA increase as the cells prepare for DNA synthesis. The normal linear increase in mRNA content occurs even when the production of ribosomes is blocked. In this paper we determine the effect of inhibiting protein synthesis on the increase in poly(A) (+) mRNA content. Resting cells were serum stimulated in the presence of cycloheximide or puromycin at levels which inhibit protein synthesis by greater than 95%. Cytoplasmic poly(A) (+) mRNA content was determined at various times thereafter. We found that mRNA content increased five to ten times more rapidly in drug treated cells than in control cells stimulated in the absence of inhibitors. mRNA content increased 50–70% by one hour, and 60–90% by two hours following stimulation in the presence of inhibitor, and remained more or less constant thereafter. In contrast, mRNA content increased linearly in control stimulated cultures and did not double until about 15 hours after stimulation. The rapid increase in mRNA content is most likely the result of inhibition of protein synthesis rather than a secondary effect of the drug since the same observations were made in growth stimulated cells if protein synthesis was blocked with either puromycin or cycloheximide.A similar effect was also observed with resting 3T6, exponentially growing 3T6 and growing HeLa cells following exposure to cycloheximide, although the magnitude of the increase was less than that observed with growth stimulated cells. Puromycin had negligible effect on mRNA content in resting or exponentially growing cells.The rapid increase in cytoplasmic poly(A) (+) mRNA content was not due to rapid unbalanced export of nuclear poly(A) (+) RNA into the cytoplasm since there was no decrease in nuclear poly(A) content following serum stimulation in the presence of cycloheximide.