Ref ID : 478
Henning Gaude; [On the function of the ciliate's giant chromosomes: Identification of RNA-Polymerase in the polytene chromosomes of the macronuclear anlage from Stylonychia mytilus]. Arch.Protistenk 124:252-258, 1981
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In freeze-dried squash-preparations of Stylonychia mytilus macronuclei from vegetative animals as well as macronuclear Anlagen from young exconjugants synthetize RNA when incubated in a medium containing 3H-UTP and the other three nucleosid- triphosphates. Micronuclei do not show any RNA synthesis. In contrast to RNA-polymerase-activity in macronuclei the enzyme activity of the giant-chromosome stage of macronuclear Anlagen can be inhibited completely by 5 ug/ml alpha-Amanitin and so is identified as RNA-polymerase II. First enzyme activity is detectable in the macronuclear Anlagen of 20-25 hours old. Exconjugants and is more intensive in this stage than in the older ones which have large polytene chromosomes. It is discussed that the technique used in this investigation probably allows the conclusion that living exconjugants contain active RNA-polymerase. So the giant chromosomes of Stylonychia do not only function in preparing the macronuclear genome but additional should be busy in transcription.