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Ribonucleic Acids in Spore Germination of Ustilago maydis. F. K. Lin, Research Assistant, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois; F. L. Davies(2), R. K. Tripathi(3), K. Raghu(4), and D. Gottlieb(5). (2)Former Research Associate, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, (3)Former Assistant Professor, U.P. Agricultural University, U.P. India; (4)(5)Research Associate and Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, (2)Present address: University of Reading, Reading, England; Phytopathology 61:645-648. Accepted for publication 4 January 1971. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-61-645.

Nongerminated teliospores of Ustilago maydis, as well as spores germinated at various periods from 0 to 16 hr, contained the following species of ribonucleic acid (RNA): cytoplasmic heavy, 25 S; cytoplasmic light, 18 S; mitochondrial heavy, 23 S; and mitochondrial light, 16 S. There was also a RNA which probably was a mixture of 5 S and 4 S, indicating the presence of transfer RNA (tRNA). Incubating the spores for 2 hr or longer resulted in the formation of a RNA that was heavier than 25 S. An extremely light RNA could be separated from other species of RNA in total RNA extracts by using a 7.5% polyacrylamide gel. The presence of functional tRNA in nongerminated spores was also demonstrated by the ability of isolated tRNA to accept amino acids. The addition of 160 µg/ml streptomycin to the germination media was needed to stop bacterial growth and thus prevent the inclusion of its RNA in the fungal extract.