Summary
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1.
A cell-free protein synthesizing system was developed, which is able to incorporate amino acids into protein programmed by polysomes from pollen grains.
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2.
The enzyme system used was a 100,000 g supernatant from rat liver.
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3.
The characteristics of this mixed “plant-animal” system are described
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4.
Ungerminated pollen contains only monosomes which have no incorporation activity in the cell-free system.
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5.
Formation of polysomes starts immediately with the germination accompanied by decrease of the monosomal pool.
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6.
The rapid synthesis of polysomes suggests the presence of a preformed, masked form of messenger-RNA (mmRNA) in the resting pollen grain.
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7.
The instantaneous activation of protein synthesis enables pollen germination to proceed to a stage at which the pollen genome is not yet activated.
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Linskens, H.F., Schrauwen, J.A.M. & Konings, R.N.H. Cell-free protein synthesis with polysomes from germinating Petunia pollen grains. Planta 90, 153–162 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00388043
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00388043