Messenger RNA in the Ungerminated Pollen Grain: A Direct Demonstration of its Presence

Abstract
The presence of presynthesized messenger RNAs in the mature, dehydrated pollen grains of Tradescantia paludosa L. has been demonstrated by translation of total RNA and poly (A)+ RNA in a wheat germ cell-free system, and a comparison of in vitro and in vivo synthesized proteins by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The mRNAs are capped at their 5'-termini with a guanosine 5' phosphate moiety which is methylated.