CHANGES IN CHICK OVIDUCT RIBONUCLEIC ACID FOLLOWING HORMONAL STIMULATION

Oviducts of immature chicks have been induced to differentiate by the in vivo administration of diethylstilbestrol or diethylstilbestrol plus progesterone. Nuclear and cytoplasmic ribonucleic acid preparations obtained from these oviducts were compared with similar preparations from oviducts of untreated chicks using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. No evidence was found in the cytoplasmic ribonucleic acid preparations for the production of new or unusual ribonucleic acid species concurrent with the diethylstilbestrol or diethylstilbestrol plus progesterone administration. Newly synthesized nuclear ribonucleic acid (labeled in vitro) from oviducts of diethylstilbestrol anddiethylstilbestrol plus progesterone treated chicks showed a higher percentage of high molecular weight species than did nuclear ribonucleic acid from oviducts of untreated chicks. However, the mostpronounced effect of the hormone treatment was a large increase in nuclear transfer ribonucleic acid and a definite but smaller increase in cytoplasmic transfer ribonucleic acid. This result was confirmed by assay of the amino acid acceptor activity of total nuclear and total cytoplasmic ribonucleic acid. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.