Studies on the Capability of Yeast Ribonucleic Acid to Transfer Silver Salt into a Non-Ionized Form

Abstract

Examinations were made on the fact that the yeast ribonucleic acid causes non-ionization phenomenon of the silver ion and on such abiltiy in nucleic acids. The results obtained showed that there is a quantitative constancy between nucleic acid and silver (RNA-Na:Ag=1:0.16mg.). The amount of silver in the sample of RNA-Ag product and nondialyzability of silver bonded to nucleic acid were determined. It was thought that the polynucleotide construction of nucleic acid molecule was necessary for the appearance of non-ionizability of nucleic acid to silver ion. It was also found that the electropherograms of nucleic acid and RNA-Ag product are identical while the shape of the ultraviolet absorption curve of RNA-Ag product is the same as that of nucleic acid but was shifted to a longer wave length region. It is therefore concluded that the non-ionization of silver salt by nucleic acid is due to complex formation.