Leucine transfer RNA from barley. Characterization and purification of isoaccepting species.

Barley embryo leucine tRNA separated on reversed-phase chromatography-5 (RPC-5) into 5 fractions, whereas tRNA isolated from barley seedlings grown both in the light and in the dark, contained 4 species of tRNALeu. Species 2 and 3 were predominant; their relative ratio changed depending upon the growth conditions of the seedlings. Fractionation of crude barley tRNA successively on BD-cellulose, RPC-5 and Sepharose 4B enabled preparative isolation and purification of four leucine isoaccepting tRNAs. The species isolated differed in their main nucleotide composition, melting profiles and MgCl2 titration curves.