The hybridization capacity of ribonucleic acid produced during hormone action

1. Measurements of hybridization with homologous DNA were used to assess the nature of the RNA synthesized during hormone action in several systems. 2. When increasing amounts of pulse-labelled rat liver nuclear RNA were annealed with constant amounts of DNA, saturation was not achieved even with RNA/DNA ratios of up to 180:1, which is taken to indicate great diversity in the species of labelled RNA molecules. In the converse experiment, when the DNA/RNA ratio was varied up to 20:1, a plateau of hybridization was observed, and the non-hybridizing RNA is believed to represent chiefly ribosomal and ribosomal precursor species. 3. In the livers of hypophysectomized and thyroidectomized rats treated with growth hormone and tri-iodothyronine, and in whole Xenopus larvae during induced metamorphosis, the synthesis of non-hybridizing RNA was consistently stimulated more than that of hybridizing RNA. This is interpreted as reflecting preferential synthesis of ribosomal RNA in response to these hormones.