Translatability of mRNA from brain of infant rabbits exposed chronically to aluminium

1. Polysomes were isolated from the brain of infant rabbits at 22 days of age. The animals received s.c. injections 3 times weekly of aluminium (Al) maltolate (3 mg Al/kg body wt) or Al lactate (16 mg Al/kg body wt) from 5 days of age. 2. The polysomes were used to direct the incorporation of [14C]leucine into peptides in a brain protein synthesizing system and exhibited a decreased activity when obtained from aluminum exposed infants. 3. The mRNA obtained from the polysomes was used to direct the incorporation of [35S]methionine into peptides in an mRNA dependent rabbit reticulocyte lysate. The translatability of the mRNA derived from aluminum exposed infant brains was significantly lower than that of preparations from control infant rabbits. 4. Al bound to maltolate, a ligand soluble in lipids as well as water, was considerably more detrimental to brain protein synthesis than Al bound to lactate.