Ribosome Biogenesis and Nucleolar Ultrastructure in Neuronal and Oligodendroglial Rat Brain Cells

Abstract: The absolute amounts of precursor to ribosomal RNA (pre‐rRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in isolated rat brain neuronal and oligodendroglial nuclei were determined. The amount of the major pre‐rRNA and rRNA species in neuronal nuclei was about twofold higher than in oligodendroglial nuclei. The relative rate of pre‐rRNA synthesis in vivo was 2.3‐ to 2.7‐fold higher in neuronal as compared with oligodendroglial nuclei. This corresponds to a 2.7‐fold higher activity of the “template‐bound” RNA polymerase I in isolated neuronal nuclei, whereas the activity of the “free” enzyme in both neuronal and glial nuclei was almost identical. The higher transcription rates of rRNA genes correlated with the markedly more prominent fibrillar component in neuronal nucleoli. The turnover times of the major pre‐rRNA and rRNA species in neuronal and oligodendroglial nuclei were similar, except for 45S pre‐rRNA, which turned over at an 1.5‐fold slower rate in neuronal nuclei. The relative rates of processing of pre‐rRNA and of nucleocytoplasmic transport of rRNA in neuronal cells were 2.7‐fold higher than in oligodendroglial cells and corresponded to the differences in rRNA gene transcription rates. The established ribosome formation features correlated with an abundant (neurons) or exceedingly scarce (oligodendrocytes) nucleolar granular component. The turnover rate of cytoplasmic ribosomes in rat brain neurons was twofold slower than in oligodendrocytes, largely because of the about fivefold higher amount of ribosomes in the cytoplasm of neurons. We conclude that ribosome formation and turnover in neuronal and oligodendroglial cells are adapted to the protein synthetic levels in these two types of brain cells.