Nucleic Acid and Protein Changes in Wheat Leaf Nuclei during Rust Infection.

Microspectrophotometric measurements of DNA, RNA, histone, and total protein in the nuclei of mesophyll cells of Little Club wheat leaves were made at intervals after infection with the stem rust fungus. No change in host DNA was found within 6 days after inoculation, but there were decreases in histones and marked increases in RNA and acidic proteins as early as 2 days after inoculation.