Storage and metabolism of poly(adenylic acid)-mRNA in germinating cotton seeds.

When the RNA from both the nucleus and polysomes of germinated cotton seeds were fractionated on poly(U)-cellulose columns it was found that both contained poly(A)-RNA. In ungerminated seeds most of the poly(A)-RNA is located in the nucleus of the cell. 3'-Deoxyadenosine was found to inhibit the synthesis of both nuclear and polysomal poly(A) by 75% in germinated seeds, but had little or no effect on protein synthesis during the first 6 hr of germination. After this time 3'-deoxyadenosine had a pronounced inhibitory effect on protein synthesis presumably due to the inhibition of poly(A) addition to newly synthesized mRNA.