Labelling of Proteins by Isolated Rat Liver Nuclei

Abstract

Rat liver nuclei, isolated in hypertonic sucrose solution and washed with Triton X-100, incorporate radioactive amino acids into hot trichloroacetic acid insoluble materials.Optical and biochemical evidence of nuclear purity is presented. The temperature-dependent incorporation continued for 20–30 min, and was proportional to the concentrations of both nuclear protein between 0.5–1.5 mg/ml, and radioactive amino acid. The radioactive product was degraded by pronase, and a number of inhibitors reduced incorporation, but only if present at [Formula: see text]. Proteins extracted from labelled nuclei and microsomes and examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 7.2 exhibited different patterns of radioactivity. This provides further support for the concept of protein synthesis intrinsic to rat liver nuclei.A teleological argument for the function of nuclear protein synthesis is discussed.