Analyses of Pancreatic Ribonuclease Digests of Torulopsis utilis Transfer Ribonucleic Acid's Specific for Alanine, Valine and Several Other Amino Acids

Abstract

Several amino acid-specific transfer ribonucleic acid's (tRNA) were purified from Torulopsis utilis by column chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex. Digestion with pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase) followed by two-dimensional fractionation on chromatographic paper gave rise to a number of mono-and oligonucleotides. The distribution pattern of the digestion products was characteristic of each tRNA, indicating clear differences in the primary structure of the tRNA's. The 3'-terminal groups in all tRNA's were adenosine (1 mole per 75 to 90 moles of nucleotides). Many fragments from alanine-I and valine-I tRNA's were identified by the qualitative and quantitative analysis of their degradation products. Nucleotide sequences in these tRNA's were compared with those in the same specific tRNA's from baker's yeast. The two-dimensional procedure used here is very simple and suitable for rapid analysis of oligonucleotides, but is not so high in accuracy as to be used for determination of sequence of tRNA.