Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Conformational differences in bacterial ribosomal RNAs in non-denaturing conditions

Abstract

THE conservative nature of bacterial ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is clear from the narrow range of its guanosine–cytosine (GC) content compared with the base composition of whole cell DNA. The majority of bacterial DNAs contain from 35 to 75 % GC, whereas the GC content of rRNA is restricted to a narrow range of 50–53% (ref. 1). Indeed, the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of many bacterial species can be isolated from sheared preparations of whole cell DNA solely on the basis of its GC content. Furthermore, nucleic acid hybridisation has indicated considerable homology between the rRNAs of diverse bacterial species2–4 and helped provide phylogenetic support for taxo-nomic relationships. In an investigation of 22 different bacteria Pace and Campbell found that organisms whose rRNA showed closer homology to Escherichia coli rRNA, showed less rRNA homology to Bacillus stearothermophilus rRNA and vice versa2. Both sedimentation and gel electrophoresis studies in non-denaturing conditions have shown very small, if any, migratory differences between either the 23S or 16S rRNA species of different bacterial species5,6. By using a modified buffer system coupled with double labelling, we have found that both the large and small species of rRNA from Streptococcus faecalis, B. subtilis, and E. coli can be all distinguished on the basis of significant differences in their mobility in both composite polyacrylamide–Agarose gels and polyacrylamide gels.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pace, N. R., Bact. Rev., 37, 562–603 (1973).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Pace, B., and Campbell, L. L., J. Bact., 107, 543–547 (1971).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Dubnau, D., Smith, I., Morrell, P., and Marmur, J., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 54, 491–496 (1965).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Takahashi, H., Saito, H., and Ikeda, Y., Biochim. biophys. Acta., 134, 124–133 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Taylor, M. M., Glascow, J. E., and Storck, R., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 57, 164–169 (1967).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Loening, U. E., J. molec. Biol., 38, 355–365 (1968).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Nomura, M., Traub, P., and Bechmann, H., Nature, 219, 793–799 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Schuap, H. W., Best, J. B., and Goodman, A. B., Nature, 221, 864–872 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Morris, D. R., Dahlberg, J. E., and Dahlberg, A. E., Nucleic Acids Res., 2, 447–458 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Pinder, J. C., Staynov, D. Z., and Gratzer, W. B., Biochemistry, 13, 5367–5373 (1974).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Cooper, L. H., and Kay, J. E., Biochim. biophys. Acta., 174, 503–512 (1969).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Shatkin, A. J., Fundamental Techniques in Virology (edit. by Habel, K., and Salsman, N. P.), 231–237 (Academic, New York, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Peacock, A. C., and Dingman, C. W., Biochemistry, 7, 668 (1968).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Staynov, D. V., Pinder, J. C., and Gratzer, W. B., Nature new Biol., 235, 108–110 (1972).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

REFF, M., STANBRIDGE, E. Conformational differences in bacterial ribosomal RNAs in non-denaturing conditions. Nature 260, 724–726 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/260724a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/260724a0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing