Figure 5.

Effect of dsRNA on mRNA stability. (A) Stability of 10 nm Pp-Luc mRNA or Rr-Luc mRNA incubated in lysate with either buffer or 505-bp Pp-dsRNA (10 nm). Samples were deproteinized after the indicated times and the ³²P-radiolabeled mRNAs were then resolved by denaturing gel electrophoresis. The band marked with an asterisk likely results from radioactivity being swept ahead of the abundant ribosomal RNA in the lysate. (B) Quantitation of the data in A. (Circles) Pp-Luc mRNA; (boxes) Rr-Luc mRNA; (filled symbols) buffer incubation; (open symbols) incubation with Pp-dsRNA. (C) Stability of Rr-Luc mRNA incubated with Rr-dsRNA or Pp-dsRNA. (█) buffer; (□) Pp-dsRNA (10 nm); (○) Rr-dsRNA (10 nm). (D) Dependence on dsRNA length. The stability of the Pp-Luc mRNA was assessed after incubation in lysate in the presence of buffer or dsRNAs of different lengths. (█) Buffer; (○) 49-bp dsRNA (10 nm); (▿) 149-bp dsRNA (10 nm); (▵) 505-bp dsRNA (10 nm); (⋄) 997-bp dsRNA (10 nm). Reactions were incubated under standard conditions (see Materials and Methods).