Nuclear and cytoplasmic adenovirus RNA. Differences between 5'-terminal of messenger and non-messenger transcripts

Depurination of yeast 26S ribosomal RNA by recombinant ricin A chain

The nature of the modification of yeast ribosomes by the recombinant form of the ricin A chain has been examined. Evidence is presented that the 26S rRNA molecule is depurinated at a specific site and that the activity is inhibited by antibody raised to ricin A chain. It thus appears that the recombinant form of this toxin retains the depurination activity of the native molecule. These results are consistent with the model that the site of depurination is in a highly conserved sequence forming a loop on the surface of the ribosome, a domain involved in elongation factor-dependent binding of aminoacyl-tRNA.

Virus-associated RNAs of naturally occurring strains and variants of group C adenoviruses

We compared the sequences of the virus-associated (VA) RNAs of group C adenoviruses, serotypes 1, 2, 5, and 6, and of three variants of adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) selected for loss of the BamHI restriction site in the VA RNAI gene. In the naturally occurring strains. VA RNAI exists in two forms which differ by two nucleotides: one form is found in Ad2 and Ad6, and the other is found in Ad1 and Ad5. There are three sites of variation in Va RNAII, the Ad1, Ad2, and Ad5 forms each differing from Ad6 VA RNAII at one of the positions. One of the selected variants has a four-base duplication within the BamHI cleavage site, whereas the two others have acquired a VA RNAI sequence indistinguishable from that of Ad5. The findings are interpreted in terms of the secondary structures of the VA RNAs and the interrelationships among the viruses.

Histone messenger RNA from HeLa cells: evidence for modified 5' termini

The distribution of [3H]methyl radioactivity in cytoplasmic histone mRNA, isolated during the DNA synthetic (S) phase of the HeLa S3 cell cycle, has been investigated. Evidence is presented that approximately 30% of the radioactivity is in m7GpppXmpYp oligonucleotides, where Xm represents 2'-O-methylated adenosine and guanosine with a molar ratio of 4:1, respectively. The remainder of the radioactivity is present as m7GpppCmpYmpZp oligonucleotides, where Xm is again 2'-O-methylated adenosine and guanosine (4:1) and where ym represents 2'-O-methylated adenosine, guanosine, cytidine, and uridine with ratios of 2:1:1:1, respectively. While 48.6% of the [3H]methyl radioactivity was present as N6-methyladenosine in poly(adenylic acid)-terminated mRNA from S-phase cells, no evidence for N6-methyladenosine was found in histone mRNA. It thus appears that histone mRNA which lacks 3'-terminal poly(adenylic acid) sequences and functions on cytoplasmic polyribosomes during a limited protion of the cell cycle is capped but lacks internal-modified nucleosides.

The existence of triphosphorylated 5'-ends in virus-specific RNA isolated from SV-40 transformed cells

The question about the nature of promoters in the transcriptional units containing SV-40 sequences in transformed cells was analyzed. It was found that the pulse-labeled RNA hybridizing to SV-40 DNA contains small but significant amounts of triphosphorylated 5'-ends detected as pppGp in alkaline hydrolyzates of this RNA. In another series of experiments the fragments of RNA containing triphosphorylated 5'-ends about 100 nucleotides in length have been isolated by hydroxyapatite chromatography. Some of them form hybrids with SV-40 DNA. The conclusion is drawn that at least some of SV-40 promoters are used for transcription initiation in SV-40 transformed cells.