Red Light-Independent Instability of Oat Phytochrome mRNA in Vivo.
Phytochrome A (phyA) mRNA abundance decreased rapidly in total RNA samples isolated from 4-day-old etiolated oat seedlings following a red light pulse. Putative in vivo phyA mRNA degradation products were detectable both before and after red light treatment. Cordycepin-treated coleoptiles were unable to accumulate the chlorophyll a/b-binding protein mRNA in response to red light, indicating that cordycepin effectively inhibited mRNA synthesis. In cordycepin-treated coleoptiles, phyA mRNA rapidly decreased in abundance, consistent with the hypothesis that phyA mRNA is inherently unstable, rather than being destabilized after red light treatment of etiolated oat seedlings.
Seeley
K. A.
KA
Department of Botany, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011.
Byrne
D. H.
DH
Colbert
J. T.
JT