Translational Step Inhibited in vivo by Aflatoxin B 1 in Rat‐Liver Polysomes

Aflatoxin B 1 strongly inhibits protein synthesis in rat liver cells. We previously demonstrated that this inhibition could be divided into two steps: up to 5h aflatoxin blocks protein synthesis directly and specifically at the polysome level; beyond 7h protein synthesis inhibition appears chiefly as a consequence of transcription impairment due to drug action. This paper confirms the foregoing results and represents an attempt to localize the translational step inhibited in vivo by aflatoxin B 1 . We used the simulation study developed by Li, Kisilevsky, Wasan and Hammond, 1972 ( Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 272 , 451–462) to determine precisely the site inhibited in vivo after drug intoxication. This analysis is based on two parameters: the kinetics of polysome labeling to follow the nascent peptide synthesis, and the kinetics of supernatant labeling to follow the completed protein synthesis. Up to 5h after dosing, aflatoxin specifically inhibits the elongation and/or termination steps during protein synthesis; after longer periods of time inhibition occurs essentially at the initiation step. When the intracellular concentration of aflatoxin is too high, particularly 2h after dosing, each step of protein synthesis is blocked. Polypeptide synthesis by the postmitochondrial supernatants isolated from aflatoxin‐treated animals is impaired in the same proportion as protein synthesis in vivo . The damage caused by aflatoxin is mostly observed on microsomes. However, purified polysomes isolated from aflatoxin‐treated rats synthesize proteins in vitro to the same extent as those from controls. These results suggest that aflatoxin metabolite(s) are bound to polysomes with noncovalent bonds. These active metabolites are probably lost during polysome isolation procedures. Finally, relationships between protein metabolism and aflatoxin carcinogenesis are discussed.