High-molecular-weight nuclear polyadenylate-containing ribonucleic acid isolated from the lactating guniea-pig mammary gland contains milk-protein messenger ribonucleic acid sequences.

1. Steady-state poly(A)-containing nuclear RNA was isolated from the lactating guinea-pig mammary gland and analysed by sucrose-gradient centrifugation under denaturing conditions. 2. Nucleic acid-hybridization studies demonstrated the presence of small amounts of high-molecular-weight RNA species containing milk-protein mRNA sequences sedimenting at 25S. These were not found in the post-nuclear supernatant, where milk-protein sequences sedimented only between 12S and 15S; these were also the predominant species in the nuclear fraction. 3. The results are consistent with the transcription of milk-protein genes as high-molecular-weight precursor RNA species, 3-4 times as large as the active mRNA species isolated from the post-nuclear fraction.