This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Harel, E. Articles by Bogorad, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Harel, E. Articles by Bogorad, L. Agricola Articles by Harel, E. Articles by Bogorad, L.

Articles

Effect of Light on Ribonucleic Acid Metabolism in Greening Maize Leaves ¹

^a The Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

The effect of illumination on the incorporation of labeled precursors into RNA of dark-grown maize (Zea mays) leaves was studied using either ³²P-phosphate or double labeling with ¹⁴C- and ³H-uridine. In the dark, label was preferentially incorporated into etioplast ribosomal RNAs. Incorporation into this fraction and into lower molecular weight fractions was strongly and preferentially stimulated by light during the first 2 hours of illumination. The effect persisted after illumination was terminated. The possibility that light-induced alterations in plastid ribosomal RNA metabolism may not be required for chlorophyll accumulation in maize is discussed.

Sucrose density gradient analyses of ribosomes and of extracted RNA did not reveal light-induced incorporation of label into messenger-like RNA associated with polyribosomes during brief illumination. However, newly produced RNA which seems to be neither ribosomal RNA nor transfer RNA is detectable after illumination for 2.5 hours or longer.

¹ This work was supported in part by a Grant GM-14991 from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences and also in part of the Maria Moors Cabot Foundation of Harvard University.