Characteristics of the RNA synthesized in vitro by the normal human small lymphocyte and the changes induced by phytohemagglutinin stimulation.

These studies demonstrate that the circulating human small lymphocyte synthesizes ribonucleic acid (RNA) of high molecular weight which is not primarily a ribosomal precursor and which is, in part, complementary to human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The stimulation of these lymphocytes by PHA brings a cell population in which few ribosomes are synthesized to a functional condition in which a large amount of these particles are produced. This increase in the synthesis of ribosomal RNA is one of the earliest and most relevant effects of PHA on the RNA metabolism of small lymphocytes.