Partial base-methylation and other structural differences in the 17 S ribosomal RNA of sycamore cells during growth in cell culture.

Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) cytoplasmic rRNA was investigated in rapidly dividing cells, cells starting mitosis after the lag phase of growth (4 days) induced by deconditioning of the culture medium and also in growth-arrested cells from 10 day-old cultures deprived of exogenous auxin (i.e. exponential, early exponential and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)-deprived cultures). rRNA was extracted and purified from mixed 14C-labelled exponential cultures and 3H-labelled early exponential cultures. A 14C-labelled exponential culture and a 3H-labelled 2,4-D-deprived culture were analyzed in the same way. The 17 S rRNA molecules from both early exponential and 2,4-D-deprived cultures displayed a lower electrophoretic mobility on polyacrylamide gels than those from exponential cultures. Alkaline and acid hydrolysates of purified 17 S rRNA labelled on the phosphate groups or the methyl groups were analyzed on ion-exchange resins. There was no change in the extent of ribose methylation of the molecule from the three different cultures. However, the base methylation of the 17 S rRNA was decreased in early exponential cultures and in 2,4-D-deprived cultures. Part of the molecules synthesized in early exponential cultures specifically lacked 7-methylguanine, N6-methyladenine and N6,N6-dimethyladenine. The possible significance of these changes in the 17 S rRNA were discussed.