SEQUENTIAL DEGRADATION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS . DEGRADATION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI B PHENYLALANINE TRANSFER RIBONUCLEIC ACID

Purified Escherichia coli B phenylalanine transfer ribonucleic acid has been sequentially degraded through 26 residues. The first 19 yielded the following sequence, which is compatible with oligonucleotide sequences isolated from the phenylalanine transfer ribonucleic acid after ribonuclease A and ribonuclease Ti hydrolysis: -A-U-U-C-C-G-A-G-U-C-C-G-G- G-C-A-C-C-AOH. In addition to guanine, cytosine, and uracil, both thymine and the oxidized pseudouridine were released in several of cycles from 20 to 26. The quantitative data in these cycles were equivocal because of increasing mechanical loss and asynchrony in the degradation steps. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.