ISSN:
1365-3083
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Transplantable rat yolk sac tumor cells produce α-fetoprotein (AFP) and their ability to synthesize AFP is maintained for generations in female rats. However, when they are transplanted in male rats, the AFP production decreases markedly.To examine this sex dependency in AFP production, experiments at cellular and subcellular levels were carried out. In cell incubation studies, yolk sac tumor cells maintained in female rat (YST-F cells) synthesized more AFP than yolk sac tumor cells maintained in male rat (YST-M cells). Using cytosol RNAs prepared from YST-F and YST-M cells, AFP production was studied in cell-free protein synthesizing system derived from wheat germ.In this system, cytosol RNA from both YST-F and YST-M cells directed AFP synthesis. But the amount of AFP synthesized was smaller in the presence of RNA from YST-M cells. From these results, it was suggested that the reduced AFP synthesis by YST-M cells is, at least partly, due to a quantitative decrease in their cytosol messenger RNA coded for AFP.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3083.1978.tb03918.x
