Transfer RNA species in tumors of different growth rates.

Tyrosyl-, histidyl-, lysyl-, and phenylalanyl-tRNA's from 3 tumors (DBAH, DBAH, and DBA), differing in growth rates and from host mammary glands and liver, were compared by means of methylated albumin kieselguhr (MAK) column and by reverse-phase-5 chromatography. The elution profiles of lysyl-tRNA's from DBAH and DBA, phenylalanyl Trna's from DBAH and DBAH, and histidyl-tRNA's from DBA3 tumors exhibited extra isoaccepting species, compared with host liver and mammary glands. The distribution of acylatable tyrosyl-tRNA's in DBA3 and DBAH, phenylalanyl-tRNA's in DBAH and DBAH2, and histid-l-tRNA's in DBA3 is higher than that in liver, whereas no appreciable differences were observed in the lysyl-tRNA contents of the tumors and liver. The chromatographic alternations appeared to be a property of the tumor tRNA's and not due to differences in aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases or due to the aggregation of tRNA's. The structural and functional significance of these findings are discussed.