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T S Work

Publications and source records attributed to T S Work.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Protein synthesis by brain-cortes mitochondria. Characterization of a 55S mitochondrial ribosome as the functional unit in protein synthesis by cortex mitochondria and its distinction from a contaminant cytoplasmic protein-synthesizing system.

Homogenates of rat brain cortex were fractionated by conventional methods of velocity sedimentation and separated into a microsomal and a washed mitochondrial fraction. By electron microscopy the mitochondrial fraction was shown to be rich in synaptosomes. The mitochondria-synaptosome fraction synthesized protein in vitro by a route that was partially inhibited by cycloheximide and partly by chloramphenicol. The relative effectiveness of the two inhibitors varied greatly with the medium used. In the mitochondria-synaptosome fraction active 80S cytoplasmic ribosomes and active 55S mitochondrial ribosomes were detected; these were also seen in the electron microscope. Mild osmotic shock of the mitochondria-synaptosome fraction followed by velocity sedimentation in sucrose-EDTA allowed isolation of a mitochondrial fraction free of synaptosomes. Protein synthesis in this fraction was entirely inhibited by chloramphenicol, but was completely resistant to cycloheximide both in a medium promoting oxidative phosphorylation and in ATP-generating medium. Ouabain had no inhibitory effect on protein synthesis in a purified mitochondrial preparation. It is concluded that brain-cortex mitochondria synthesize protein entirely on 55S mitochondrial ribosomes.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

The site of synthesis of mitochondrial proteins in Krebs II ascites-tumour cells.

At 22 degrees in Earle's medium, Krebs cells synthesize proteins. After a brief ;pulse' with [(14)C]valine followed by a ;chase' of [(12)C]valine the radioactivity appears first in microsomes and is transferred after ;chase' to the cell sap. Kinetics of labelling of the mitochondrial protein are different from that of either microsomal or cell-sap protein. When Krebs cells in buffer are mixed with ribonuclease in water the nuclease penetrates the cell membrane. The ribonuclease-treated cells are still viable but have lost most of their cytoplasmic ribosomes (electron micrograph). Such cells still synthesize mitochondrial protein at near normal rate but synthesis of microsomal protein is severely inhibited. The results indicate that some mitochondrial proteins are synthesized independently of the microsome-cell-sap system.

Journal Article↗

The morphological site of synthesis of cytochrome c in mammalian cells (Krebs cells).

In Krebs ascites-tumour cells, cytochrome c is segregated in the mitochondria and the level in microsomes could not be measured. At 22 degrees in glucose-buffer Krebs cells synthesized a spectrum of proteins including cytochrome c. Mild osmotic shock in the presence of ribonuclease had little effect on incorporation of [(14)C]-leucine or [(14)C]valine into mixed mitochondrial protein but strongly inhibited synthesis of non-mitochondrial cytoplasmic proteins. Under these conditions, labelling of cytochrome c was also strongly inhibited. After pulse labelling of Krebs cells at 22 degrees for 10min. the cytcchrome radioactivity found in mitochondria was higher than in microsomes. After addition of unlabelled amino acid as ;chase' there was 137% increase in radioactivity of cytochrome c but only a 3% increase in radioactivity of whole-cell protein. It is concluded that the peptide chain of cytochome c is synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes. Mitochondria therefore do not have the character of self-replicating entities, but are formed by the cooperative function of messenger RNA of cytoplasmic ribosomes and, possibly, of intramitochondrial messenger derived from the mitochondrial DNA.

Journal Article↗

Factors controlling amino acid incorporation by ribosomes from krebs II mouse ascites-tumour cells.

1. A ribosome-cell sap system capable of supporting the incorporation of (14)C-labelled amino acids into protein has been prepared from Krebs II mouse ascites-tumour cells. The requirements of this system for optimum activity and response to added messenger RNA have been investigated. One such system has been obtained for which amino acid incorporation is almost wholly dependent on the addition of suitable messenger RNA. 2. Ribosomes of widely different but predictable activities in the cell-free system have been prepared from Krebs cells pretreated in a variety of ways. The factors in the pretreatment of the cells responsible for these differences have been investigated. 3. The structural and functional properties of these different ribosome preparations and their response to exogenous messenger RNA have been examined and are discussed in the light of modern concepts of the control of protein synthesis.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗