Letters to the editor: On the transfer of nuclear RNA into isolated mitochondria. Further evidence for template properties of nuclear RNA taken up by isolated mitochondria.

Some properties of nuclear RNA taken up by isolated mitochondria during aerobic incubation were studied. Nuclear RNA fraction re-isolated from incubated mitochondria was characterized by homogeneous sedimentation distribution in sucrose gradient (7-9S) and by absence of extended secondary structure. In this respect the RNA fraction differed from the nuclear RNA added to mitochondria and was similar to in vivo rapidly labelled mitochondrial RNA. The hybridization pattern of re-isolated RNA with nuclear DNA is consistent with the presence of transcripts from unique DNA sequences in this RNA fraction.