title: Size, complexity and abundance of a specific poly(A)-containing RNA of liver from male Xenopus induced to vitellogenin synthesis by estrogen.
abstract: Estrogen treatment of Xenopus males leads to the appearance of a new species of poly (A)-containing RNA in the liver, at a stage when large amounts of the estrogen-induced yolk precursor protein, vitellogenin, is produced. This estrogen-induced RNA sediments at 28 S and migrates on gels in aqueous solution with an apparent molecular weight of 2.0 X 10(6). Contour length measurements under denaturing conditions in the electron microscope reveal a molecular weight of 2.34 X 10(6) compared to the mouse 28-S rRNA. Labeling experiments show that the estrogen-induced RNA has a stability than the average liver poly(A)-containing RNA and represents 10-20% of the poly(a)-containing RNA in the cytoplasm after 24 h of labeling. Hybridization of complementary DNA, synthesized on the isolated estrogen-induced RNA, with its template suggests a complexity corresponding to a single species of poly(A)-containing RNA of such a high molecular weight. Hybridization of the complementary DNA with cytoplasmic poly (A)-containing RNA from estrogen-treated Xenopus males and control toads show that the estrogen-induced RNA constitutes 12-15% of all cytoplasmic poly(A)-containing RNA, and is at least 2000-fold less abundant in untreated males. Size, complexity and abundance of the estrogen-induced RNA are characteristics expected for a mRNA coding for vitellogenin.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011061:Poly A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014981:Xenopus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D008074:Lipoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014819:Vitellogenins; D011061:Poly A; D004958:Estradiol; D004247:DNA