Short-lived messenger RNA in HeLa cells and its impace on the kinetics of accumulation of cytoplasmic polyadenylate.

Accumulation of [3H]adenine in the acid-soluble pool and in nuclear and cytoplasmic poly(A) of HeLa cells shows that the nuclear poly(A) rises along a curve similar to that of the acid-soluble pool. By use of a [3H]guanosine pulse-chase experiment in adenine-grown cells, at least 35-50% of the pulse-labeled mRNA was found to have a half-life of about 1-2 hr. A mathematical model involving nuclear poly(A) synthesis and conservative transport to the cytoplasm has been derived from the new information about mRNA with a short half-life. This model predicts curves similar to those found for nuclear and cytoplasmic accumulation of poly(A). Thus, there is no necessity on kinetic grounds to invoke either nuclear turnover or cytoplasmic synthesis of poly(A).