Nucleocytoplasmic transport of RNA. The effect of 3'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate on RNA release from isolated nuclei.

The addition of 3'-deoxyadenosine (cordycepin) to cells in culture results in the inhibition of the appearance of mRNA in the cytoplasm through a mechanism thought to involve the inhibition of polyadenylate synthesis. I studied the effect of 3'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate, the physiologically active form of 3'-deoxyadenosine, on RNA release from isolated nuclei. Nuclei were isolated from baby-hamster kidney (BHK) fibroblasts that had been given a short pulse of radioactive uridine or adenosine in the presence of a low concentration of actinomycin D before harvest. RNA release from the isolated nuclei under the appropriate incubation conditions was time-, temperature- and ATP-dependent. 3'-Deoxyadenosine triphosphate inhibited RNA release from the isolated nuclei. However, RNA that was restricted to the nuclei during incubation with the drug could be chased out of the nuclei if the incubation medium was replaced with medium containing only ATP. The chased poly(A)+ (polyadenylated) RNA had shortened poly(A) tracts, indicating that poly(A)+ RNA with shortened poly(A) tracts can be transported out of the nucleus. An experiment was designed to test the effect of 3'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate on the release of poly(A)+ RNA at drug concentrations which caused 33 or 64% inhibition of RNA release. The release of poly(A)+ RNA and poly(A)- RNA (not polyadenylated) was equally inhibited by the drug. Thus, although 3'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate does inhibit release of RNA from the nucleus, it would appear that the drug does so through a mechanism independent of the inhibition of polyadenylation. The process that is inhibited must be one that is common to both poly(A)+ and poly(A)- RNA. The possibility that 3'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate inhibits a reaction at the nuclear membrane or nuclear pore complex is considered.