Structural and functional exchangeability of 5 S RNA species from the eubacterium E.coli and the thermoacidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus.

The role of 5 S RNA within the large ribosomal subunit of the extremely thermophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus has been analysed by means of in vitro reconstitution procedures. It is shown that Sulfolobus 50 S subunits reconstituted in the absence of 5 S RNA are inactive in protein synthesis and lack 2-3 ribosomal proteins. Furthermore, it has been determined that in the course of the in vitro assembly process Sulfolobus 5 S RNA can be replaced by the correspondent RNA species of E.coli; Sulfolobus reconstituted particles containing the eubacterial 5 S molecule are stable and active in polypeptide synthesis at high temperatures.