Abstract
IT is generally recognized that the role of DNA in protein synthesis is to provide a template for the transcription of messenger RNA which in turn translates the genetic code into amino-acid sequences. Holland and McCarthy1–3 and Naora4,5 have reported a direct stimulation of labelled amino-acid incorporation in vitro by denatured DNA with ribosomal systems of E. coli and calf thymus nuclei. This stimulatory effect on amino-acid incorporation by DNA does not involve enhanced RNA synthesis1,2,4 and is apparently catalysed by the pH 5 fraction (ref. 4). Such an effect implies that single stranded DNA may participate in the processes of protein synthesis as a direct template and messenger. In order to investigate this phenomenon further and to test the possible effect of histone on the ribosomal incorporation system, investigations were carried out using materials prepared from the calf thymus. This report presents the results showing that the ammo-acid incorporation of calf thymus ribosomal system is markedly stimulated by native but not by heat denatured DNA, and is inhibited by histone, particularly the lysine-rich histone fraction.
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WANG, T. Effect of Deoxyribonucleic Acid and Histone on the Nuclear Ribosomal Incorporation System. Nature 212, 928–930 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/212928a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/212928a0
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