Regulation of ribosome synthesis during compensatory renal hypertrophy in mice

Ribosomal synthesis was studied at the transcriptional and translational levels to investigate the mechanisms of ribosome accretion during compensatory renal hypertrophy. As measured by in vitro transcriptional runoff comparisons 6-48 h after surgery, nuclei from the kidney remaining after contralateral nephrectomy show an increase of up to 150% in the rate of synthesis of ribosomal precursor RNA. The rate of rDNA transcription is 40-50% greater than control values as early as 6 h after nephrectomy; by 48 h, the rate returns to normal. In contrast to the stimulated transcription of rDNA and accretion of rRNA, the steady-state levels and the cytoplasmic distribution of ribosomal protein mRNAs S16 and L10 remain unchanged during induced renal growth. Thus coordinate production of adequate protein for increased assembly of ribosomes during induced renal growth appears to be accomplished by increasingly efficient translation of existing ribosomal protein mRNAs or by post-translational stabilization of ribosomal proteins. The rate of rDNA transcription may be regulated by accelerating the transcription of already functioning genes or, more likely, by recruiting transcription units that are transcriptionally inactive in the normal kidney.