Biopolymers and cell. 1995; 11 (2): 69 - 75

RELATIVE CONTENT AND TRANSCRIPTIONAL ACTIVITY OF LIVER CHROMATIN FRACTIONS OF RATS OF DIFFERENT AGES

T. G. Mozzhukhina, A. Ya. Litoshenko

The repressed (RC), transcriptionally active (AC), and matrix-bound (MC) chromatin fractions were isolated from liver cell nuclei of young, adult and old rats. It was shown that relative content of RC increased and that of AC decreased during aging. This decrease was accompanied by a rise of the protein/DNA ratio. Nevertheless, the inten¬sive and extensive transcriptional activity indexes decreased with aging in all chroma-tin fractions. As a result the total RNA synthesis diminished, with a relative contribu¬tion to this synthesis of AC being decrease and of RC being increase.