Polyribosome sedimentation pattern and their in vitro protein synthetic ability were investigated in kidneys of mice treated with a single injection of HgCl2. Mercury bichloride, after 1 h, evokes polyribosome disaggregation, the extent of which is logarithmically correlated with the dose in the range of 2.5-20 micromoles/kg. With the dose of 2.5 micromoles/kg the effect occurs in 1 h, it is maximal between 1 h and 3 h. After 6 h polyribosomes are reaggregated. Cycloheximide pretreatment does not prevent the HgCl2 induced disaggregation of kidney polyribosomes. The cell-free system derived from kidneys of HgCl2 treated mice (10 micromoles/kg, 1 h) has a decreased protein synthetic ability. Both, in livers of mice treated with 20 micromoles/kg HgCl2 and in isolated rat's reticulocytes incubated with 20 micro M HgCl2 during 1 h there were no apparent changes in the polyribosome sedimentation patterns.

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