Studies on Phenylalanine-Specific Transfer Ribonucleic Acid from Chick Embryos.

The phenylalanine-specific tRNAPhe from 13-day-old chick embryo muscle was purified. Its fluorescent and hydrophobic Y+ base was excised by mild acid treatment and characterized chromatographically and by its ultraviolet absorption and fluorescent spectra. The compound obtained after removal of the Y+ base from chick embryo tRNAPhe was characterized. 1. Chick embryo t RNAPhe looses by the removal of the Y+ base its phenylalanine acceptor capacity. 2. In this state it has a reduced sedimentation coefficient of 2.8 S. a low Tm value (22 °C), only rudimentary hyperchromicity, but unchanged electrophoretic properties. 3. The compound obtained after removal of the Y+ base from chick embryo tRNAPhe regains normal melting behaviour and phenylalanine acceptor capacity when exposed to special renaturation conditions. 4. The Km of the renatured form is 0.25 × 10-6 M and V = 220 pmol × min-1 × ml-1 as compared tO Km = 0.11 × 10-6 M and V = 370 pmol x min-1 × ml-1 for the native chick embryo tRNAPhe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]