Transcripts of three mitochondrial genes in the RNA of sea urchin eggs and embryos

cDNA clones representing mitochondrial 16 S rRNA, and mRNAs for cytochrome oxidase I and an unidentified reading frame were used to measure the prevalence and stability of these transcripts in gastrula stage embryos. The 16 S rRNA is the most prevalent embryo poly(A) RNA, and is synthesized about four times more rapidly than is the mRNA for cytochrome oxidase. The relative prevalence of the two mRNAs is largely determined by their turnover rates.