Differential stability of zein mRNA in developing corn kernel.

The lifetime of the zein mRNA in a developing corn (Zea mays L.) kernel under genome transcription blockade with actinomycin D (in vivo) and in a cell-free system (in vitro) was studied. After a 10 h blockade of gene transcription with actinomycin D, only 55% of 19 kDa zein mRNA and 40% of 22 kDa mRNA were detected in a developing kernel of normal corn. In that of the opaque-2 mutant 80% of 19 kDa zein mRNA remained. To examine the relative stability of poly(A)-containing mRNA, cell-free systems from rabbit reticulocyte lysate and wheat-germ extract were used. In both cases only 40% of 19 kDa zein mRNA and 60% of 22 kDa zein mRNA decayed during a 30 min incubation. Differential mRNA degradation of poly(A)-containing zein mRNA was observed on affinity chromatography; poly(A)-containing 19 kDa zein mRNA from normal corn partially decayed by elution from poly(U)-Sepharose whereas that from opaque-2 remained stable. These data suggest that differential mRNA stability is an important factor in the regulation of the zein gene expression in a developing corn kernel.