Post-transcriptional regulation of ribosome formation in the nucleus of regenerating rat liver

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Kinetic experiments on RNA labelling in vivo with [14C]orotate were performed with normal and 12h-regenerating rat liver. The specific radioactivities of nucleolar, nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic rRNA species were analysed by computer according to the models of rRNA processing and nucleo-cytoplasmic migration given previously [Dudov, Dabeva, Hadjiolov & Todorov, Biochem. J. (1978) 171, 375-383]. The rates of formation and the half-lives of the individual pre-rRNA and rRNA species were determined in both normal and regenerating liver. The results show clearly that the formation of ribosomes in regenerating rat liver is post-transcriptionally activated: (a) the half-lives of all the nucleolar pre-rRNA and rRNA species are decreased by 30% on average; (b) the pre-rRNA processing is directed through the shortest maturation pathway: 45 S leads to 32 S + 18 S leads to 28 S; (c) the nucleo-cytoplasmic transfer of ribosomes is accelerated. As a consequence, the time for formation and appearance of ribosomes in the cytoplasm is shortened 1.5-fold for the large and 2-fold for the small subparticle. A new scheme for endonuclease cleavage of 45 S pre-rRNA is proposed, which explains the alterations in pre-rRNA processing in regenerating liver. Its validity for pre-rRNA processing in other eukaryotes is discussed. It is concluded that: (i) the control sites in the intranucleolar formation of 28 S and 18 S rRNA are the immediate precursor of 28 S rRNA, 32 S pre-rRNA, and the primary pre-rRNA, 45 S pre-rRNA, respectively; (ii) the limiting step in the post-transcriptional stages of ribosome biogenesis is the pre-rRNA maturation.