Control by Phytochrome of Cytoplasmic Precursor rRNA Synthesis in the Cotyledons of Mustard Seedlings.

The influence of phytochrome (high irradiance reaction; operationally, continuous far red light) on the incorporation of [(3)H]uridine into the cytoplasmic 2.5 megadalton precursor rRNA in the cotyledons of mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seedlings has been investigated. After irradiating 36-hour-old etiolated seedlings with 12 hours of far red light, the rate of incorporation is stimulated about 2-fold, leading to 50% labeling of the precursor rRNA pool about 15 minutes after the tracer has reached the nucleotide precursor pool. In the dark control, there is a significantly smaller pool of precursor rRNA which is half-saturated with label only after about 27 minutes. Since neither the specific radioactivity of the UTP pool nor the processing of the precursor rRNA demonstrate a corresponding light-dependent change, it is concluded that phytochrome mediates an increase of the transcription of the rRNA genes. This gene activation accounts for the increased accumulation of mature cytoplasmic rRNA during the course of photomorphogenesis of the cotyledons.