[mRNA breakdown in tumor cells in vivo under cycloheximide protein synthesis inhibition].

Amoung of prelabelled mRNA was unaltered in Zajhdel ascites hepatoma of rat cells within 3.5-4 hrs under conditions of treatment with actinomycin D. Due to combined effect of actinomycin D and cycloheximide the content of mRNA in the hepatoma cells was rapidly decreased. Degradation of mRNA occurred in membrane-bound polyribosomes, free polyribosomes and in cytoplasmic mRNP-particles /informosomes/ as a result of the effect of cycloheximide. Simultaneously with these phenomena, distinct increase in activity of acid and alkaline RNAases was observed in cytoplasma of the hepatoma cells; activity of endoRNAase from membrane-bound and free polyribosomes of the hepatoma was also markedly increased. Cycloheximide did not affect the activity of polynucleotide phosphorylase in polyribosomes of the hepatoma cells. Labile proteins, responsible for inhibition of RNAses appeart to participate in regulation of mRNA stability in malignant cells.