The action of snake venom phosphodiesterase on liver ribosomal ribonucleic acids

Unusual 5 S ribosomal RNAs. An analysis of individual segments can reveal phylogenetic relatedness

Sequence comparisons of 5 S and other ribosomal RNAs by segments can be useful in understanding anomalous primary and secondary structures and in assessing phylogenetic relationships. In a segmented analysis, the 5'-half of the Chlamydomonas reinhardii chloroplast 5 S ribosomal RNA is found to have a very close sequence homology to the green plant chloroplast and cyanobacterial 5 S RNAs; however, the 3'-half has a highly unusual sequence. Further comparisons of homologies between regions of the 5 S RNAs from C. reinhardii and the green plant chloroplasts suggest that genetic rearrangements within the 5 S DNA may have produced the unusual sequence at the 3'-half. Segmented analyses of the C. reinhardii and green plant chloroplast 5 S RNAs suggest a close relationship which is not revealed by overall sequence comparisons.

Primary and secondary structure of rat 28 S ribosomal RNA

The primary structure of rat (Rattus norvegicus) 28 S rRNA is determined inferred from the sequence of cloned rDNA fragments. The rat 28 S rRNA contains 4802 nucleotides and has an estimated relative molecular mass (Mr, Na-salt) of 1.66 X 10(6). Several regions of high sequence homology with S. cerevisiae 25 S rRNA are present. These regions can be folded in characteristic base-paired structures homologous to those proposed for Saccharomyces and E. coli. The excess of about 1400 nucleotides in the rat 28 S rRNA (as compared to Saccharomyces 25 S rRNA) is accounted for mainly by the presence of eight distinct G+C-rich segments of different length inserted within the regions of high sequence homology. The G+C content of the four insertions, containing more than 200 nucleotides, is in the range of 78 to 85 percent. All G+C-rich segments appear to form strongly base-paired structures. The two largest G+C-rich segments (about 760 and 560 nucleotides, respectively) are located near the 5'-end and in the middle of the 28 S rRNA molecule. These two segments can be folded into long base-paired structures, corresponding to the ones observed previously by electron microscopy of partly denatured 28 S rRNA molecules.

Free pyrimidine nucleotide pool of Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells. Characteristics related to quantitative studies of RNA metabolism

Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells incubated in a mineral medium supplemented with glucose and glutamine intensely incorporated labelled uridine into free nucleotides and RNA. Detailed kinetic studies of the labelling of total acid-soluble pools of uridine and cytidine nucleotides and of RNA under standard conditions and after chase with non-radioactive uridine were carried out. The relative distribution of the radioactivity between the individual uridine phosphates as well as their total cellular contents were also determined under standard and chase conditions. The labelling kinetics of the mononucleotides and RNA by radioactive uridine and orotate were compared, and some turnover parameters were estimated by mathematical analysis of a steady-state model. The following conclusions were drawn. (1) The observed chase effect of addition of non-radioactive uridine is due to a rapid expansion of the acid-soluble uridine nucleotide pool and consequently a severalfold lowering of its specific radioactivity. (2) The free uridine nucleotides are partly separated into a large and a small compartment, labelled preferentially by exogeneous orotate and uridine respectively. (3) The half-life of the mononucleotides, at least those located in the smaller compartment, is a few minutes only, owing to a rapid exchange with the uridylic acid residues of unstable RNA species. (4) This process of reutilization of RNA-degradation products accounts for 85% (a minimum estimate) of the overall turnover of the nucleotide pool in resting cells.

The presence of a high-molecular-weight (guanine-plus-cytosine)-rich segment at the 3' end of rabbit 28S ribosomal ribonucleic acid

The 3' hydroxyl end of 28S L-rRNA (major RNA species of the larger subribosomal particle) was labelled by coupling its 2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid hydrazine with diazotized [3H]aniline. The RNA was hydrolysed partially with ribonuclease T1 and fractionated on Sephadex G-200. The results show that a highly structured segment with 78% G+C content and a number-average molecular weight of at least 1.0x10(5)-1.8x10(5) is located at the 3' hydroxyl end of the 28S rRNA molecule.

Properties of 42S and 26S Sindbis viral ribonucleic acid species

Two species of ribonuclease-sensitive Sindbis viral ribonucleic acids which sedimented at 42S and 26S were studied. 42S RNA, derived either from virions or from viral nucleoids extracted from infected cultures, was converted by heating to an RNA which sedimented at 26S. The sedimentation patterns of 42S RNA and "derived" 26S RNA were similarly affected in low ionic strength buffers. 42S RNA ran as a homogeneous fraction on polyacrylamide gels; the "derived" 26S RNA as well as "natural" 26S RNA from infected cultures showed similar electrophoretic patterns of heterogeneity. A doubling of 3' polynucleotide termini was observed when 42S RNA was heated. Two possibilities concerning the structure of 42S RNA are considered. (i) It may consist of an aggregate of subunits, joined by means of hydrogen bonds to form a complex molecule. (ii) A heat-labile covalent bond of unknown type may link viral RNA subunits. Although 26S RNA from infected cultures and "derived" 26S RNA from 42S RNA behaved in a similar qualitative manner on gels, their sedimentation characteristics were affected differently in low ionic strength buffers. "Natural" and "derived" 26S RNA appear to consist of a population of fragments. and their behavior in gradients and in gels is probably dictated by the experimental conditions of the analytical methods used.

Differential stability of 28s and 18s rat liver ribosomal ribonucleic acids

Rat liver ribosomal RNA (rRNA) free from nuclease contaminants was isolated by a modification of the phenol technique. The 28s and 18s rRNA species were separated by preparative agar-gel electrophoresis. The two rRNA species were heated at different temperatures under various conditions and the amount of undegraded rRNA was determined by analytical agar-gel electrophoresis. The 18s rRNA remained unaltered after heating for up to 10min. at 90 degrees in water, acetate buffer, pH5.0, or phosphate buffer, pH7.0. Under similar or milder conditions 28s rRNA was partially degraded, giving rise to a well-delimited 6s peak and a heterogeneous material located in the zone between 28s and 6s. The dependence of degradation of 28s rRNA on the temperature and the ionic strength of the medium was studied. The greatest extent of degradation of 28s rRNA was observed on heating at 90 degrees in water. It is suggested that the instability of rat liver 28s rRNA is due to two factors: the presence of hidden breaks in the polymer chain and a higher susceptibility of some phosphodiester bonds to thermal hydrolysis.