Regulation of Hemoglobin Synthesis in the Blood Islands of Chick Blastodiscs. Tentative Identification of the Stimulatory Transfer RNA as a Minor Alanine-Specific Species

Abstract

Transfer RNA, isolated from adult chicken liver and from the membranes associated with the 5- to 6-day embryo, stimulated hemoglobin formation by de-embryonated chick blastodiscs explanted at the 5-somite stage onto medium containing a high concentration of actinomycin D. Preparations acylated specifically with alanine retained this biological activity when oxidized with periodate. The activity of preparations charged with amino acid mixtures lacking alanine was destroyed by periodate treatment.A minor species, representing less than 1% of the total, was largely resolved from the bulk of the alanine-specific tRNAs of chick liver by serial chromatography on benzoylated DEAE-cellulose. The isolated fraction contained the component which stimulated hemoglobin formation by blastodiscs explanted onto medium containing a high concentration of actinomycin.