Effect of biotin on ribonucleic acid synthesis.

A single injection of biotin to biotin-deficient rats produces a two-fold increase in the incorporation, both in vivo and in vitro of precursors into nucleic acids as early as 2 h after the biotin treatment. The specific activity of the precursor pool is not affected by biotin. Analysis of the polysome profile at various times following biotin treatment and a kinetic study of the effect of excess poly(U) on the incorporation of phenylalanine by cell-free amino acid incorporation experiments indicate a marked decrease in messenger-free ribosomes in rat liver after biotin administration.