Specific nuclear binding of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-binding protein complex with subsequent poly(A) RNA synthesis in embryonic chick cartilage.

We used embryonic chick pelvic cartilage as a model to study the mechanism by which cyclic AMP increases RNA synthesis. Isolated nuclei were incubated with [32P]-8-azidoadenosine 3,5'-monophosphate ([32P]N3cAMP) with no resultant specific nuclear binding. However, in the presence of cytosol proteins, nuclear binding of [32P]N3cAMP was demonstrable that was specific, time dependent, and dependent on a heat-labile cytosol factor. The possible biological significance of the nuclear binding of the cyclic AMP-protein complex was identified by incubating isolating nuclei with either cyclic AMP or cytosol cyclic AMP-binding proteins prepared by batch elution DEAE cellulose chromatography (DEAE peak cytosol protein), or both, in the presence of cold nucleotides and [3H]uridine 5'-triphosphate. Poly(A) RNA production occurred only in nuclei incubated with cyclic AMP and the DEAE peak cytosol protein preparation. Actinomycin D inhibited the incorporation of [3H]uridine 5'-monophosphate into poly(A) RNA. The newly synthesized poly(A) RNA had a sedimentation constant of 23S. Characterization of the cytosol cyclic AMP binding proteins using [32P]N3-cAMP with photoaffinity labeling three major cAMP-binding complexes (41,000, 51,000, and 55,000 daltons). The 51,000 and 55,000 dalton cyclic AMP binding proteins were further purified by DNA-cellulose chromatography. In the presence of cyclic AMP they stimulated poly(A) RNA synthesis in isolated nuclei. The 51,000-dalton cyclic AMP-binding protein was the predominant one that bound to the nuclei. While cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinsae activity was present in the cytosol and DEAE peak cytosol proteins, it was not present in the DNA-cellulose-bound, cyclic AMP-binding proteins. We conclude that one possible mechanism by which cyclic AMP increases RNA synthesis is by complexing to a 51,000-dalton cytosol cyclic AMP-binding protein and being subsequently translocated to the nucleus, where it is specifically bound and associated with induction of poly(A) RNA synthesis.