Temperature Controlled Growth Rates and Ribonucleic Acid Characteristics in Mimosa. Epicotyl Tissue.

Clhaniges in RNA metabolismii during nornmal growth have been reported (2. 6, 9,11, 15). Since RNA plays a vital role in enzyme synthesis, varying enivironmental conditions and growth rates should be reflected in the RNA metabolism through these enzyme systems. Environmental effects. which are correlated with growth rate (8), have been shown to affect solmie RNA characteristics (5, 13, 18, 19). Soluble RNA is the fraction believed to be responisible for transferring amino acids to the site of protein synthesis and would therefore be a logical RNA fraction to reflect growth differences (13). The sRNA fraction consists of maniy different types of molecules which are each capable of accepting certaini types of amiiino acids. Further, the base comlpositionis of these differenit sRN.A molecuiles vary (10). The experiimienlts reported here attemiipt to correlate a ranlge of teml)erature conltrolled growth rates in a higher plant with a ranige of sRNA base comiil)ositions. Quanititative miieasures of sRN\A as related to growth rates are also reported. The data l)rovide evidenice that sRNA base compositions are correlated with growth rates, while qualntity of sRNA is not related.