Abstract
1. It has been demonstrated by ion exchange chromatography that the cell nucleus contains mononucleotides of adenine, guanine, cytosine, uracil, together with diphosphopyridine nucleotide, and several uridine diphosphate derivatives; the adenine nucleotides predominating in amount. Nucleotide components in the cell nucleus are in close agreement both quantitatively and qualitatively with those found in the cytoplasm. 2. In calf thymus sucrose nuclei, nucleotide monophosphates can be phosphorylated to the energy-rich triphosphate form without participation of cytoplasmic components. As to the nature of the phosphorylation, it has been shown that there exist certain differences as well as resemblances between nuclei and mitochondria. A distinctive feature of nuclear phosphorylation is that only intranuclear monophosphates seem to be phosphorylated. The process is completely inhibited by cyanide, azide, and dinitrophenol. However, certain reagents which block oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria, namely dicumarol, Janus green B, methylene blue, and calcium ions, have no effect on phosphorylation within the nucleus. 3. The bulk of mononucleotides is preserved within thymus nuclei after their isolation in sucrose. Nucleotides are surprisingly well retained by nuclei in a sucrose medium whether or not electrolytes are present and in buffers ranging from pH 3 to 10; under all conditions sucrose is required for retention. 4. Dilute acetate in sucrose releases nucleotides from the nucleus below pH 5.1. As to the effective pH of acetate, there is a sharp boundary between pH 5.1 and pH 5.9. At pH 5.9, and above, acetate does not remove nucleotides from the nucleus. The effects of propionate, formate, and monochloroacetate on the nuclei are the same as that of acetate. 5. When nuclei are exposed to a wide variety of conditions a close correlation is found between the retention in the nucleus of nucleotides and of potassium. This suggests that both substances are part of a common complex in the cell nucleus. 6. It has been shown that upon removal of nucleotides and potassium from calf thymus sucrose nuclei by acetate, the ability to incorporate C14-alanine into nuclear protein is greatly impaired.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.2 MB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- ALLFREY V. G., MIRSKY A. E., OSAWA S. Protein synthesis in isolated cell nuclei. J Gen Physiol. 1957 Jan 20;40(3):451–490. doi: 10.1085/jgp.40.3.451. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- ALLFREY V. G., MIRSKY A. E. Protein synthesis in isolated cell nuclei. Nature. 1955 Dec 3;176(4492):1042–1049. doi: 10.1038/1761042a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- ALLFREY V., STERN H., MIRSKY A. E., SAETREN H. The isolation of cell nuclei in non-aqueous media. J Gen Physiol. 1952 Jan;35(3):529–554. doi: 10.1085/jgp.35.3.529. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- CHANCE B., WILLIAMS G. R. Kinetics of cytochrome b5 in rat liver microsomes. J Biol Chem. 1954 Aug;209(2):945–951. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- EDMONDS M. P., LEPAGE G. A. The incorporation of glycine-2-C14 into acid soluble nucleotide purines. Cancer Res. 1955 Feb;15(2):93–99. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HOGEBOOM G. H., SCHNEIDER W. C., STRIEBICH M. J. Cytochemical studies. V. On the isolation and biochemical properties of liver cell nuclei. J Biol Chem. 1952 May;196(1):111–120. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- JUDAH J. D., WILLIAMS-ASHMAN H. G. The inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation. Biochem J. 1951 Jan;48(1):33–42. doi: 10.1042/bj0480033. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KAY E. R., DAVIDSON J. N. Acid-soluble nucleotide derivatives in cell nuclei isolated in a non-aqueous medium. Experientia. 1955 Nov 15;11(11):439–440. doi: 10.1007/BF02172547. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LOOMIS W. F., LIPMANN F. Inhibition of phosphorylation by azide in kidney homogenate. J Biol Chem. 1949 May;179(1):503–503. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MARTIUS C., NITZ-LITZOW D. Uber den Wirkungsmechanismus des Dicumarols und verwandter Verbindungen. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1953 Sep-Oct;12(1-2):134–140. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(53)90132-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- NAORA H., TAKEDA S. Occurrence of labile phosphate in rat liver nuclei. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1954 Mar;13(3):360–364. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(54)90342-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- POTTER V. R., REIF A. E. Inhibition of an electron transport component by antimycin A. J Biol Chem. 1952 Jan;194(1):287–297. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- RIS H., MIRSKY A. E. The state of the chromosomes in the interphase nucleus. J Gen Physiol. 1949 Mar 20;32(4):489–502. doi: 10.1085/jgp.32.4.489. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- STERN H., TIMONEN S. The position of the cell nucleus in pathways of hydrogen transfer: cytochrome C, flavoproteins, glutathione, and ascorbic acid. J Gen Physiol. 1954 Sep 20;38(1):41–52. doi: 10.1085/jgp.38.1.41. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- STRITTMATTER C. F., BALL E. G. The intracellular distribution of cytochrome components and of oxidative enzyme activity in rat liver. J Cell Physiol. 1954 Feb;43(1):57–78. doi: 10.1002/jcp.1030430105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]