Nucleic acids research
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Nucleic acids research · Jun 1987
Enzymatic amplification of translation inhibition of rabbit beta-globin mRNA mediated by anti-messenger oligodeoxynucleotides covalently linked to intercalating agents.
The effects of anti-messenger oligodeoxynucleotides, covalently linked to an intercalating agent, on translation of rabbit beta-globin mRNA, were investigated both in wheat germ extract and in microinjected Xenopus oocytes. A specific inhibition of beta-globin synthesis was observed in both expression systems with a modified 11-mer covalently linked to an acridine derivative. In injected oocytes a more efficient block was observed with this modified oligonucleotide than with its unsubstituted homolog. ⋯ RNaseH was also present, although to a lesser extent, in the oocyte cytoplasm. This anti-messenger DNA-induced degradation of target mRNA resulted in amplified efficiency of hybrid-arrested translation. This additional mechanism might provide anti-sense DNAs with an advantage over anti-sense RNAs.
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Nucleic acids research · Aug 1977
Variation of DNA polymerases-alpha, -beta. and -gamma during perinatal tissue growth and differentiation.
The activities of the three known DNA polymerases-alpha, beta-, and -gamma were determined in rat brain neurons, cardiac muscle and spleen, and were correlated with the rate of cell proliferation during perinatal development. In neurons and cardiac muscle, which stop dividing before birth, DNA polymerase-alpha activity drops sharply from a high level with the approach of term and disappears at approximately two weeks postnatal age. ⋯ DNA polymerase-beta and -gamma activities show essentially no correlation with the rate of cell division. Thus, these enzymes are probably responsible for repair type processes rather than for DNA replecation.