The role of temperature in the crystallization of ribosomes in chick embryos

Abstract

The relationship between ribosome crystallization and cell degeneration has been studied in chick embryos at various temperatures, and new methods of inducing ribosome microcrystals are described. A model is discussed that reinterprets the role of low temperatures in these phenomena and provides a unitary explanation of the various cases in which the occurrence of ribosome crystallization in chick embryos has been reported.

Ribosome crystallization in nuclei of chick embryos

“…The preparation of the samples for electron microscopy and the statistical analysis of the ribosome microcrystals were performed according to the procedures described in a previous paper [6].…”

“…These were the water treatments and the shock treatments at 20°C that were described in a previous paper [6], except that in this case the study was specifically concentrated on intranuclear crystallization. The above treatments have made it possible to examine a large number of intranuclear ribosome crystals for the first time, and a statistical analysis was carried out with the nearly quantitative procedure described in Methods.…”