Ribosomal RNA in the Axoplasm of the Squid Giant Axon
Ribosomal RNA in the Axoplasm of the Squid Giant Axon
复制标题
鱿鱼巨轴突轴浆中的核糖体 RNA
DOI:
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发表时间:
1980
影响因子:
4.7
通讯作者:
G. Lazzarini
中科院分区:
文献类型:
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作者:
A. Giuditta;Aroldo Cupellot;G. Lazzarini
The demonstration that isolated giant axons of the squid are capable of an active synthesis of axoplasmic proteins (Fischer and Litvak, 1967; Giuditta et al., 1968) has provided direct evidence that axoplasmic flow cannot be considered the only source of axonal proteins, at least in this system. Indeed, despite the experimental advantages offered by its large size, the occurrence of a flow of proteins has not been verified in the squid giant axon. In cephalopods, a centrifugal process of transport taking place at two main rates ( 1 c d d a y and 1 c d h , approx.) has been recently shown in octopus optic fibres (Cimarra and Giuditta, 1979). One of the main problems raised by the occurrence of protein synthesis in the axon concerns the cellular site of this process. In principle, this might be ascribed to the axon itself or to the periaxonal glial cells. In the latter case newly synthesized molecules would have to be transferred from their glial synthetic site to the giant axon, as it occurs when radioactive albumin is added to the external medium (Giuditta et al., 1971). This possibility has been proposed to explain data obtained with isolated axons (Lasek et al., 1974; Gainer et al., 1977; Lasek et al., 1977). Perhaps the most cogent reason to disregard the possibility of an axonal system of protein synthesis remains the substantial lack of evidence for axonal ribosomes, which have seldom been observed in adult fibres (Zelena, 1972). In accord with these observations, 4s RNA has been identified as the prevalent if not exclusive species in the axoplasm of giant axons of Loligo p e a k (Lasek et al., 1973). Our own attempts to distinguish between a glial and an axonal site of protein synthesis in isolated squid giant axons (Giuditta, unpublished datu) have convinced us of the inadequacy of kinetic and chase experiments in discriminating a glial origin from a possible synthetic site present in the axolemma or in the outermost axoplasmic regions. The latter structures remain with the glial layer in the sheath which is left after extrusion of the axoplasm and their contribution to the synthesis of sheath proteins cannot be identified in biochemical analyses. In addition, as axonal and glial membranes are closely apposed, even autoradiographic studies might not yield discriminating results unless carried out at the level of the electron microscope. In the attempt to approach the problem from a different perspective we have considered that the occurrence of an axonal system of protein synthesis would have implied the presence in the axoplasm of the soluble factors associated with this activity. .While these factors have indeed been detected (Giuditta et al., 1977), the demonstration of an axonal system of protein synthesis requires the additional evidence of functioning ribosomes. We report in this paper that axoplasmic RNA isolated from giant axons of Loligo vulgaris contains small amounts of ribosomal RNA in addition to the prevailing 4s species. RNA species trailing on the 4 s peak appear to be also present.