Wachstumsparameter in normalen und durch Actinomycin verlängerten Zellzyklen von Tetrahymena / Growth Parameters in Normal and Actinomycin-induced prolonged Cell Cycles of Tetrahymena

Abstract

Actinomycin in low concentration (0,2 μg/ml — 0,5 μg/ml) prolongs the average duration of the cell cycle of Tetrahymena considerably, but does not inhibit cell division completely. Some parameters of the growing cell have been tested in cell cycles extended in this way and compared to those of normally growing cells. The RNA synthesis of treated cells is reduced to such an extent that the RNA content per cell decreases during the prolonged cell cycle. Nevertheless cell growth, protein synthesis and DNA replication proceed at almost the same rate as in untreated cells. These findings indicate that the presence of actinomycin does not interfere with RNA fractions necessary for growth but reduce the synthesis of RNA fractions which are essential for cell division. Therefore a longer period is needed for their accumulation.