The periodicity of the change in the rate of RNA synthesis, endogenous RNA polymerase activity and DNA availability to acridine orange during the first cell cycle in the root meristematic cells of germinating Pisum sativum L.

Abstract

During the 32 h of germination three stages of the increase in the transcriptional activity of chromatin of pea root meristematic cells occurred. The first two stages of chromatin activation took place during the pre-replicative period of the cell cycle and the third occurred at the S-period. The feature of the first stage, from 3 to 12 h of germination, was a 20–30% increase in the template availability of DNA. At the second stage, from 12 to 24 h, the RNA polymerase II activity being significantly elevated. The increase of the RNA polymerase I activity occurred at the S-period after 24 h of germination. The change patterns of DNA availability in the cells with different amounts of DNA (2C and 4C) are practically the same.