Translation kinetics in cultured mouse hepatoma cells

The synthesis of albumin in the liver has been shown to correlate with the availability of essential amino acids in the diet. We have investigated this phenomenon in the highly differentiated mouse hepatoma cell line, Hepa. Cells were grown for three days in complete medium with daily changes. The cells were then incubated for 22 h in media containing varying concentrations of individual essential amino acids. The deficient media were then changed; 1.5 h later the cells were labeled for 0.5 h with [ 3 H]leucine. Albumin was immunoprecipitated and total protein was acid‐precipitated from postribosomal supernatants of detergent‐solubilized cells. With the exception of isoleucine, the relative rates of albumin synthesis decreased as a function of amino acid concentration from 4.3% in complete medium to 2.5% in totally deficient media. This specific reduction in albumin synthesis was confirmed by analysis of labeled Hepa proteins displayed on sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gels. Essential amino acid limitation reduced total protein synthesis by 50%. This is the result of a decrease in the translation efficiency of total mRNA from 5 to 3 polypeptides/message min −1 and is consistent with a reduction in the initiation rate. In contrast, the 70% decrease in albumin synthesis was a result of a reduced number of functional albumin messages/cell. The translation efficiency of these albumin messages remained unchanged at 1.