Abstract
The nucleic acid component of bacteriophage φ6 is characterized as a double stranded RNA molecule with a buoyant density of 1.605 g/cm 3 and nucleotide composition of C, 27.3%; A, 21.8%; G, 28.9%; and U, 22.0%. The hyperchromicity profile in 0.1 × SSC (SSC is 0.15 m-NaCl, 0.015 m-sodium citrate) demonstrated a rapid increase with a T m value of 91 °C. The nucleic acid was resistant to degradation by DNase, spleen phosphodiesterase and pancreatic RNase in 2 × SSC buffer but sensitive to degradation by venom phosphodiesterase, pancreatic RNase in 0.01 × SSC and hydrolysis in KOH. Three distinct double stranded RNA species of 2.2, 2.8 and 4.5 × 10 6 daltons were observed after rate zonal centrifugation, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy. This communication therefore presents data establishing a new class of double stranded RNA bacteriophage.
Published Version
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