Open AccessThe Coupling of Conformational Transitions in Alanine Specific Transfer Ribonucleic Acid from Yeast Studied by a Modified Differential Absorption Technique
Author(s) -
Römer Roland,
Riesner Detlev,
Coutts Stephen M.,
Maass Günter
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
european journal of biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1432-1033
pISSN - 0014-2956
DOI - 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1970.tb00978.x
Subject(s) - transfer rna , chemistry , alanine , ion , absorption (acoustics) , amino acid , physics , rna , biochemistry , optics , organic chemistry , gene
A high precision differential absorption technique has been developed for the detailed experimental analysis of the complex melting behaviour of specific tRNAs. This technique allows the resolution of overlapping transitions which have been observed in a study of the interaction of Mg 2+ ions with tRNA Ala (yeast). On the basis of these experimental observations a strong coupling between two adjacent transitions in tRNA Ala is proposed and discussed with respect to the structure of tRNA Ala . The sedimentation coefficient of tRNA Ala as a function of temperature up to 80° has been studied in detail. The wavelength dependences of the hyperchromicities of various transitions in tRNA and tRNA half molecules are discussed with regard to A · U and G · C pairs melting in these processes. From a comparison of the melting behaviour of tRNA Ala , tRNA Tyr , tRNA Ser , and tRNA Phe in the presence and the absence of Mg 2+ ions it is shown that tRNA Ala is best suited for detailed studies of conformational changes in tRNA.