[A micromethod allowing the preparation and translation of messenger ribonucleic acid from adenohypophysis cells in culture].

We have developed a microscaled method for the extraction and translation of mRNA from 2 x 10(5)-2 x 10(6) anterior pituitary cells. This method applied to a fraction of enriched gonadotrophs enabled us to confirm our previous results suggesting that (1) Rat LH subunits were synthesized in a cell-free system as precursors, from separate mRNAs; (2). The relative molecular mass of precursors, as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was 17-17,5 kD for LH alpha and 18,5-19 kD for LH beta. This procedure resulted in a 5-6 fold increase in the proportion of in vitro synthesized precursors in LH subunits.