Reconstitution of active 30-S ribosomal subunits in vitro using heat-denatured 16-S rRNA.

30-S ribosomal subunits which have been reconstituted using heat-denatured 16-S rRNA can participate in the synthesis of lysosyme in vitro. Therefore all the information contributed by 16-S rRNA to the reconstitution process is carried in the primary sequence of this RNA. The specific protein-synthesizing activity of 30-S subunits reconstituted from 30-S subunit proteins and heat-denatured 16-S rRNA is about one third of that observed if unheated 16-S rRNA is used and is comparable to the activity of 30-S particles isolated after dissociation of 70-S ribosomes in the presence of 0.1 mM Mg2+.