Biological, biochemical and physicochemical evidence for the existence of the polyadenylate - polyuridylate - poly 2'-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylate triple-stranded complex.

The interferon-inducing activity of the double-stranded complex poly(A) - poly(U) in primary rabbit kidney cell cultures is reduced when the cells are treated with poly(dUfl) either 1 h before, simultaneously with, or 1 h after the exposure to the double-stranded complex. It has been demonstrated in experiments involving sensitivity to hydrolysis by RNAase, UV absorbance-mixing curves, and UV absorbance-temperature profiles that this phenomenon is due to the formation of the triple-stranded complex poly(A) - poly(U) - poly(dUfl). The latter complex seems to be the principal product of interactions in the following systems: poly(A) - poly(U) + poly(dUfl); poly(A) - poly(dUfl) + poly(U); and poly(A) + poly(U) + poly (dUfl).