The disorganization of hepatic cell nucleoli induced by ethionine and its reversal by adenine.

The structure of nuclei and nucleoli of hepatic cells after short-term ethionine administration was investigated with the electron microscope. By 1(1/2) hr after the injection, a distinct alteration occurred in the nucleoli which was characterized by the appearance of electron-opaque masses in the nucleolonema. After 6-8 hr, the nucleoli showed partial fragmentation into small, dense masses. Large aggregates of interchromatinic granules appeared in the nucleoplasm. Condensation of chromatin became prominent in the nucleoplasm particularly along the nuclear membrane. By 12 hr almost complete fragmentation of nucleoli had occurred. The administration of adenine or methionine at 4 hr prevented the development of nucleolar changes. Also, adenine administration at 8 hr after ethionine completely reversed the nucleolar lesion by 12 hr. After methionine administration at 8 hr, many nucleoli showed incomplete reconstruction with many twisted ropelike structures when viewed 4 hr later. Identical structures were found when adenine was given at 8 hr, and animals were sacrificed 2 hr later. On the basis of this observation, the simplified structures of nucleoli found 2 hr after adenine or 4 hr after methionine appeared to be precursors of the nucleolonema. It is suggested that nucleoli show at least two basic reaction patterns to inhibitors of RNA synthesis, one typified by actinomycin D and one by ethionine.