EFFECT OF OESTRADIOL-17β ON CLEAVAGE, NUCLEIC ACID METABOLISM AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN SEA URCHIN, STRONGYLOCENTROTUS PURPURATUS, EMBRYOS

Abstract
SUMMARY: Oestradiol-17β at a concentration of 3 × 10−3 m inhibits cleavage in sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) embryos. This inhibition is accompanied by a reduction in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis and little change in ribonucleic acid (RNA). The effects of oestradiol-17β upon the incorporation of glycine-1-14C and glycine-2-14C into the purines of DNA and RNA and the incorporation of glycine-2-14C into serine were studied. The incorporation of glycine-1-14C and glycine-2-14C into RNA was reduced, but the incorporation of glycine-2-14C into DNA was increased considerably over that of the controls. The incorporation of glycine-2-14C into serine was also accelerated by oestradiol. A possible explanation of the action of oestradiol-17β is offered. The moderate effect upon RNA is not surprising because there is little or no synthesis of this compound from the time of fertilization to blastulation under normal conditions.

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