Ribonucleic Acid: Studies on Ribonucleic Acid in Relation to Cell Structure

Smellie, R. M. S (1952) Ribonucleic Acid: Studies on Ribonucleic Acid in Relation to Cell Structure. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

1. A method for the separation of ribonucleotides by ionophoresis on filter paper is described. 2. A procedure for the partial isolation of RNA from animal tissues is described. 3. The technique of ionophoresis has been applied to the analysis of samples of isolated and partially isolated ribonucleic acid from various sources. 4. It has also been applied to the analysis of the ribonucleotide fraction obtained from animal tissues by a modification of the Schmidt and Thannhauser separation procedure. 5. The technique of ionophoresis together with that of partial isolation of the RNA is particularly useful in experiments with radioactive phosphorus, since it enables the ribonucleotides to be isolated free from contamination by non-nucleotide radioactive substances. 6. By a combination of ionophoresis and autoradiography, it has been demonstrated that the ribonucleotide fraction obtained by the Schmidt and Thannhauser procedure contains, in addition to the ribonucleotides, small amounts of inorganic phosphate of high specific activity probably derived from phosphoprotein, and at least 5 other protein bound phosphorus containing substances. 7. The presence of these additional components which amount to about 25% of the ribonucleotide fraction, renders estimates of the RNA content of animal tissues by the Schmidt and Thannhauser procedure high by about 30%. 8. In the cases of animals which have received 2 hr. before killing, the presence of these additional components which have high specific activities makes it impossible to obtain any estimate of the specific activity of the RNA by measurements on the ribonucleotide fraction itself. 9. Specific activity determinations on the nucleotides separated by ionophoresis from the partially isolated RNA and from isolated RNA Indicate that adenylic acid exhibits the highest value, while guanylic acid exhibits the lowest. 10. The technique of ionophoresis has been applied to the analysis of the ribonucleic acids from the cytoplasmic fractions. It was found that the composition of each was similar. 11. Ionophoresis of the ribonucleotides from the three cytoplasmic fractions 2 hr. after injection of 32P showed that adenylic acid in each case bad the highest specific activity and guanylic acid the lowest. 12. Of the three fractions, the microsome fraction invariably showed the lowest uptake of 32P into the ribonucleotides 2 hr. after injection. 13. It was found that the uptake of radioactive phosphate into each of the ribonucleotides of any of the fractions varied with time in the same fashion. 14. Using cytidylic acid as representative, it was found that the variation with time of the specific activities of the nucleotides from each of the fractions was the same.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Cellular biology, Biochemistry, Histology
• Date of Award: 1952
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1952-78883
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 30 Jan 2020 14:44
• Last Modified: 30 Jan 2020 14:44
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/78883