[Argentophilic proteins in hepatocyte nucleoli and ribosomal gene transcription]

The rate of rRNA synthesis increased in hepatocytes within 14 h after partial hepatectomy. The increase, 1.7-fold on the average, was similar in diploid, tetraploid and octaploid nuclei. Under these conditions, the content and area of argentophilic (Ag-) nucleolar proteins were increased, although they varied between individual animals and nuclei of the same cell population. The changes of transcription and Ag proteins were not proportional. Thus, the Ag stain may characterize only the trend in activity of the ribosomal genes but not their exact state in hepatocytes.