TY - JOUR A1 - Scheer, Ulrich A1 - Hügle, Barbara A1 - Hazan, Rachel A1 - Rose, Kathleen M. T1 - Drug-induced dispersal of transcribed rRNA genes and transcriptional products: Immunolocalization and silver staining of different nucleolar components in rat cells treated with 5,6-dichloro-1-Beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole N2 - Upon incubation of cultured rat cells with the adenosine analogue 5,6-dichloro-l-β- D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB), nucleoli reversibly dissociate into their substructures, disperse throughout the nuclear interior, and form nucleolar "necklaces". We have used this experimental system, which does not inhibit transcription of the rRNA genes, to study by immunocytochemistry the distribution of active rRNA genes and their transcriptional products during nucleolar dispersal and recovery to normal morphology. Antibodies to RNA polymerase I allow detection of template-engaged polymerase, and monoclonal antibodies to a ribosomal protein (S 1) of the small ribosomal subunit permit localization of nucleolar preribosomal particles. The results show that, under the action of DRB transcribed rRNA, genes spread throughout the nucleoplasm and finally appear in the form of several rows, each containing several (up to 30) granules positive for RNA polymerase land argyrophilic proteins. Nucleolar material containing preribosomal particles also appears in granular structures spread over the nucleoplasm but its distribution is distinct from that of rRNA gene-containing granules. We conclude that, although transcriptional units and preribosomal particles are both redistributed in response to DRB, these entities retain their individuality as functionally defined subunits. We further propose that each RNA polymerase-positive granular unit represents a single transcription unit and that each continuous array of granules ("string of nucleolar beads") reflects the linear distribution of rRNA genes along a nucleolar organizer region. Based on the total number of polymerase I-positive granules we estimate that a minimum of 60 rRNA genes are active during interphase of DRB-treated rat cells. Y1 - 1984 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-33216 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Scheer, Ulrich A1 - Rose, Kathleen M. T1 - Localization of RNA polymerase I in interphase cells and mitotic chromosomes by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry N2 - Rabbit antibodies to RNA polymerase I from a rat hepatoma have been used to localize the enzyme in a variety of cells at the light and electron microscopic level. In interphase cells the immunofluorescence pattern indicated that polymerase I is contained exclusively within the nucleolus. That this fluorescence, which appeared punctated rather than uniform, represented transcriptional complexes of RNA polymerase I and rRNA genes was suggested by the observation that it was enhanced in regenerating liver and in a hepatoma and was markedly diminished in cells treated with actinomycin D. Electron microscopic immunolocalization using gold-coupled second antibodies showed that transcribed rRNA genes are located in, and probably confined to, the fibrillar centers of the nucleolus. In contrast, the surrounding dense fibrillar component, previously thought to be the site of nascent prerRNA, did not contain detectable amounts of polymerase I. During mitosis, polymerase I molecules were detected by immunofluorescence microscopy at the chromosomal nucleolus organizer region, indicating that a considerable quantity of the enzyme remains bound to the rRNA genes. From this we conclude that rRNA genes loaded with polymerase I molecules are transmitted from one cell generation to the next one and that factors other than the polymerase itself are involved in the modulation of transcription of DNA containing rRNA genes during the cell cycle. KW - nucleolus KW - nucleolus organizer KW - fibrillar centers KW - rRNA genes KW - anti-RNA polymerase I antibodies Y1 - 1984 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-33223 ER -