Oligonucleotide sequences of pancreatic and T1 ribonuclease digests of 5S ribosomal RNA from mouse cells.

Oligonucleotides produced by complete pancreatic and T1 RNase digestion of 5S ribosomal RNA from a mouse hepatoma, MH 134, have been separated with two-dimensional electrophoresis and their nucleotide sequences determined. Except for the presence of a 5'-terminal diphosphate, these nucleotide sequences were identical with those of KB cells, confirming the identity of the primary structure of 5S RNA between these animals. Both oligonucleotide patterns produced with these enzymes from 5S RNA of the liver were also identical with those of the hepatoma. All these agree with the strong conservation of 5S RNA genes in animal species. However, when 5S ribosomal RNA was extracted from ribosomes which were prepared from microsomal pellet, pancreatic RNase digest contained two trinucleotides (A-G-Cp and G-A-Cp) that were not found in 5S RNA prepared with a one-step procedure. It was concluded that different isolation procedure might indeed cause artifactual fragments on enzymatic digestion due to internal nicks produced during isolation. The significance of 5'-terminal diphosphate in relation to the biosynthesis of 5S ribosomal RNA is also discussed.