Soluble ribonucleic acid and glycoprotein biosynthesis in the mouse liver

Abstract

The specific activity of subcellular fractions of liver was determined at varying intervals after the intraperitoneal injection of [1-¹⁴C]glucosamine in mice. The deoxycholate-soluble portion of microsomal particulates was the most active. During the course of [¹⁴C]glucosamine incorporation into microsomal fraction in vivo, by way of uridine diphosphate-N-acetylglucosamine, the soluble ribonucleic acids isolated from the high-speed supernatant fraction were not labeled. Soluble ribonucleic acids from ribosomes were unlabeled also. Attempts to incorporate [¹⁴C]glucosamine into ribonucleic acids in vitro were also unsuccessful. A possible mechanism of carbohydrate addition to polypeptide chains is discussed.