Comparison of RNA terminal sequences of phages f2 and Q-beta: chemical and sedimentation equilibrium studies.

The terminal fragment obtained by hydrolysis with ribonuclease T(1) of the ribonucleic acid from the bacteriophage Qbeta has been isolated and purified. The results of chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis of this fragment and of the intact RNA itself indicate that the fragment has the composition (10 Cp, 4 Up), and that the RNA has the terminal sequence -GP(9 Cp, 4 Up) CpA. These conclusions are supported by the results of an application of the sedimentation-equilibrium method in which the molecular weight of the Qbeta fragment was compared with that of the corresponding fragment from f2 phage RNA for which the terminal sequence, -GpUpUpApCpCpApCpCpCpA had previously been determined.