Acceleration of ribosome formation in rat liver in response to hydrocortisone.

The amount of nuclear pre-rRNA (precursor to rRNA) and rRNA species and their labelling in vivo with [14C]orotate were determined in hormone-deficient and treated rats. On the basis of the data obtained, the rates of synthesis and processing of pre-rRNA in the two groups of animals were compared. It is shown that the rate of nucleolar RNA synthesis is increased twice, its half-life is reduced about 1.4 times and the endonuclease processing of primary pre-rRNA is channeled through the shortest maturation pathway. Thus, an accelerated ribosome formation takes place in response to hydrocortisone. The overproduced ribosomes are not retained in the nucleoplasm and are immediately transferred to the cytoplasm.