Colicin E3: a unique endoribonuclease.

The question of whether or not a cellular ribonuclease is involved in the cleavage of 16S ribosomal RNA by colicin E3 was investigated. For this purpose ribosomes from strains devoid of some ribonucleases or ribosomes in which ribonucleases had been inactivated by heat or removed by extensive washings were used for the colicin reaction. Since the 16S RNA of all these different ribosomes, and even of the most extensively washed ribosomes, was cleaved by colicin E3, it is suggested that cellular ribonucleases are not involved in colicin E3 action. Thus, colicin E3 seems to be a unique endoribonuclease.