In order to examine the relation of protein synthesis to the onset of growth, changes in ribosome content and activity were compared in aged, metabolically active Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosusL.) slices incubated in water or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid+kinetin. In water, cells do not grow or divide and rRNA and protein levels remain constant. The percentage membrane-bound (mb) ribosomes drops from 25 to 16 during 24h. At the same time the proportion of ribosomes active in protein synthesis in both free and mb populations declines from about 69 to 54. In auxin+kinetin, cell expansion occurs and is accompanied by a 3-fold increase in rRNA and a 50 increase in total protein content. The percentage mb ribosomes remains at 25 throughout 48 h of growth. During the first 24h of growth 70 of ribosomes in both free and mb populations are active; this value declines to near water levels at 48 h. Considering the large increase in total ribosomes the number of synthetically active ribosomes is substantially increased during growth. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) does not inhibit hormone induced growth but does depress total rRNA content by about one-third. It also reduces 3Huridine incorporation into ribosomes by 70 and the newly made ribosomes are mostly inactive in protein synthesis. On the other hand, the inhibitor does not significantly affect the proportion of total ribosomes active in protein synthesis and only partially reduces protein accumulation during the second 24 h of growth. It is suggested that while ribosome production is reduced in 5-FU, ribosome turnover is also retarded resulting in retention of near normal capacity for protein synthesis and growth.
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