Chromatin structure and expression of amylase genes in rat pituitary tumor cells

Amylase-coding sequences were detected in the population of cytoplasmic RNA molecules from cultured rat pituitary GH3 cells. The amylase genes in these cells are in a micrococcal nuclease-sensitive, transcriptionally active chromatin conformation. The amount of cytoplasmic amylase mRNA appears to be controlled by small molecules provided by the fetal calf serum component of the culture medium.