Stimulation of rna transcription by juvenile hormone in degenerating silk glands

Abstract

RNA transcription in the silk glands of the wax moth, Galleria mellonella, decreases during cocoon spinning and particularly later in pharate pupae, when the glands begin to degenerate. Application of juvenile hormone to insects at these developmental stages enhances synthesis of polyadenylated RNA 4–6 times and to a lesser extent synthesis of total RNA. The newly formed poly(A)RNA appears identical with that from the normally fully functioning and silk-producing glands: it contains the same predominant poly (A) RNA class and is equally readily translated in the wheat-germ cell-free system. These results indicate that the hormone restores the function of silk glands at the transcriptional level.