| Abstract: | The injection of non-homologous cytoplasm into any strain of large free-living amoebae leads to a 60% inhibition of division amongst recipient cells. When the post-microsomal supernatant fraction of Amoeba discoides was injected into A. proteus, this inhibition of division was as high as 95%. The incorporation of tritiated precursors, either 3H]uridine or 3H-amino acids, into these inhibited amoebae was studied at various times after the injection of the inhibitory material using autoradiography. When cells were grown in 3H]uridine, autoradiographs indicated that RNA synthesis had ceased 2 days after the injection of non-homologous material. However, if 3H]uridine was injected into the inhibited cells, some synthesis of RNA could be detected up to 4 days after the injection of inhibitor. These results suggested that uptake of 3H]uridine was impaired and that one site of action of the inhibitory molecules was RNA synthesis for membrane components. Experiments with a variety of 3H-amino acids suggested that protein synthesis continued for at least 9 days after the injection of non-homologous cytoplasm, and that in these cells some informational RNA molecules were long-lived. There seemed to be accumulation of material containing 3H]lysine in the nuclei of control cells taken at random from cultures, and this was seen in the nuclei of inhibited cells 1 day after injection. However, 2 days after the injection of inhibitor, no accumulation of 3H]lysine-containing material was found in the nuclei. |
