RNA-SYNTHESIS IN STARVED DECILIATED TETRAHYMENA-PYRIFORMIS

Tetrahymena pyriformis which has been starved for 20 h by incubation in buffer, and then deciliated, can regenerate its cilia in about 90 min while still in suspension in non‐nutrient medium. The process of reciliation is accompanied by protein synthesis which begins a few minutes after deciliation and by synthesis of ribosomal and messenger RNAs during a period extending from about 1 h to about 3 h after deciliation. Although net synthesis of RNA remains at a very low level until 1 h after deciliation, a qualitative change in the translatable poly(A)‐containing messenger RNA content of deciliated cells, and in particular, formation of β‐tubulin mRNA can be detected almost immediately after deciliation. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved