Ribonucleic Acid Biosynthesis of Human Cells during Amino Acid Deprivation

Abstract

Abstract When the pool of a single amino acid was lowered, and when deacylated transfer RNA was allowed to accumulate in HeLa cells, the synthesis of RNA was inhibited. Cycloheximide stimulated RNA synthesis of cells deprived of one amino acid. Inhibition of protein synthesis per se was not required for this stimulation since puromycin did not stimulate RNA synthesis under conditions of deficiency of a single amino acid, whereas anisomycin, which acts like cycloheximide, did. The data suggest a control system in human cells similar to those described already in microbial cells for amino acid control of RNA synthesis.