Regulation of mammalian protein synthesis in vivo. Simulated transport of nuclear ribonucleoprotein complexes to the cytoplasm after cycloheximide treatment.

By studies in vivo with purified nuclei from rat liver, it was shown that a non-lethal dose of cycloheximide causes a decrease in the content of total nuclear ribonucleoprotein complexes by 2h after treatment. Analysis of the complex by sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation substantiated this observation for the faster-sedimenting complex, but showed an increase in the content of a smaller complex. Radioisotope incorporation studies showed that the overall decrease in nuclear ribonucleoprotein content was not due to a decreased synthesis, but rather to an increased transport to the cytoplasm. The results of a double-radioisotope technique support the conclusion that, during the inhibitory phase of protein synthesis brough on by cycloheximdie, gene transcription continues and the gene product is transported to the cytoplasm for subsequent translation.