The Effect of Protein Deprivation on the Amounts of Soluble and Ribosomal RNA in Rat Skeletal Muscle

Abstract

The amounts of sRNA and rRNA in the muscle of hind limbs and liver were measured in the rats fed on protein free diet for 28 days.
The amounts of sRNA and rRNA in both tissues were decreased exponentially by protein deprivation, and in the muscle a daily fractional loss of sRNA was clearly less than that of rRNA. Thus during the experimental period the amount of sRNA fell unparallel with that of rRNA. This result suggests that synthesis and degradation of both RNAs may be separately controlled by diet.
sRNA content in muscle and liver of rats fed on the 20% casein containing diet were about 27% and 14% of total RNA (sRNA plus rRNA), respectively.