Isolation and translation of plant messenger RNA [ribonucleic acid, Lemna gibba]

A fraction of the RNA species isolated from Lemna gibba G-3 consists of molecules with attached sequences of polyadenylic acid. This polyadenylic acid-containing fraction, separated from total RNA by adsorption onto oligothymidylic acid-cellulose, was shown to be mRNA by its ability to serve as template in a cell-free translation system derived from wheat germ. The products of translation were characterized by electrophoresis. This method permitted the comparison of mRNA from plants grown under different light conditions. Such plants were shown to possess qualitative and quantitative differences in their mRNA complements.