Early stimulation of RNA synthesis by erythropoietin in cultures of erythroid precursor cells.

The effect of erythropoietin on cultured erythroid precursor cells from 13-day mouse-fetal livers was examined. Within 1 hr, erythropoietin causes a 2- to 3-fold stimulation of uridine incorporation into RNA by these cells. The types of RNA preferentially stimulated by erythropoietin during the first hour of exposure of the cells to the hormone include ribosomal RNAs and their precursors, as well as 4-5S RNA. No unique RNA species, not present in control cells, could be detected by sucrose gradient sedimentation or gel electrophoresis. Inhibition of protein synthesis for up to 1 hr does not abolish the stimulatory effect of erythropoietin on RNA synthesis, suggesting that the effect of the hormone on RNA synthesis is not mediated by a newly synthesized protein.