Biomaterial Database

RNA synthesis in starfish embryos: developmental consequences of its inhibition by formycin. 1989

H Isomura, and N Itoh, and S Ikegami

Department of Applied Biochemistry, Hiroshima University, Japan.

Embryos of the starfish Asterina pectinifera were examined with regard to their ability to undergo the early events of embryonic development in the presence of formycin, an analogue of adenosine and a reported inhibitor of RNA synthesis. It was shown that in normal embryos the pool of ribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates increased during the period of blastula formation. The increase of the UTP pool was blocked nearly completely by 25 micrograms/ml formycin, and that of the CTP pool was inhibited partially by the same concentration of the drug. On the other hand, the pools of ATP and GTP were the same for both control and formycin-treated embryos. The development of embryos cultured in the presence of 25 micrograms/ml formycin stopped at the early blastula stage. Addition of 100 micrograms/ml each of uridine and cytidine to cultures of embryos that had been placed in 25 micrograms/ml formycin at the onset of blastulation allowed gastrulation to occur, suggesting that the developmental arrest produced by formycin is due primarily to the inhibition of pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011685	Purine Nucleotides	Purines attached to a RIBOSE and a phosphate that can polymerize to form DNA and RNA.	Nucleotides, Purine
D011742	Pyrimidine Nucleotides	Pyrimidines with a RIBOSE and phosphate attached that can polymerize to form DNA and RNA.	Nucleotides, Pyrimidine
D001755	Blastocyst	A post-MORULA preimplantation mammalian embryo that develops from a 32-cell stage into a fluid-filled hollow ball of over a hundred cells. A blastocyst has two distinctive tissues. The outer layer of trophoblasts gives rise to extra-embryonic tissues. The inner cell mass gives rise to the embryonic disc and eventual embryo proper.	Embryo, Preimplantation,Blastocysts,Embryos, Preimplantation,Preimplantation Embryo,Preimplantation Embryos
D002455	Cell Division	The fission of a CELL. It includes CYTOKINESIS, when the CYTOPLASM of a cell is divided, and CELL NUCLEUS DIVISION.	M Phase,Cell Division Phase,Cell Divisions,Division Phase, Cell,Division, Cell,Divisions, Cell,M Phases,Phase, Cell Division,Phase, M,Phases, M
D005573	Formycins	Pyrazolopyrimidine ribonucleosides isolated from Nocardia interforma. They are antineoplastic antibiotics with cytostatic properties.
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000903	Antibiotics, Antineoplastic	Chemical substances, produced by microorganisms, inhibiting or preventing the proliferation of neoplasms.	Antineoplastic Antibiotics,Cytotoxic Antibiotics,Antibiotics, Cytotoxic
D012265	Ribonucleotides	Nucleotides in which the purine or pyrimidine base is combined with ribose. (Dorland, 28th ed)	Ribonucleoside Phosphates,Ribonucleotide,Phosphates, Ribonucleoside
D012313	RNA	A polynucleotide consisting essentially of chains with a repeating backbone of phosphate and ribose units to which nitrogenous bases are attached. RNA is unique among biological macromolecules in that it can encode genetic information, serve as an abundant structural component of cells, and also possesses catalytic activity. (Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed)	RNA, Non-Polyadenylated,Ribonucleic Acid,Gene Products, RNA,Non-Polyadenylated RNA,Acid, Ribonucleic,Non Polyadenylated RNA,RNA Gene Products,RNA, Non Polyadenylated
D013215	Starfish	Echinoderms having bodies of usually five radially disposed arms coalescing at the center.	Sea Star,Seastar,Starfishes,Sea Stars,Seastars