Fractionation on benzoylated DEAE-cellulose of tRNA from tobacco mosaic virus-infected tobacco leaves

Abstract

Fractionation of transfer RNA's (tRNA's) isolated from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum var. Turkish on benzoylated DEAE-cellulose resolved the tRNA's into multiple peaks of accepter activity with respect to the amino acids methionine, histidine, isoleucine, alanine, serine, and leucine. After infection of the leaves with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), there was a decrease in the amount of tRNA's isolated, but no change was evident in the elution profile of the tRNA's accepting these amino acids. When young plants were used, there was no decrease in the amount of tRNA isolated following TMV infection, and also no change in the elution profiles of the tRNA's accepting the amino acids aspartic acid, histidine, methionine, alanine, isoleucine, leucine, and serine. A shift in the position of elution of phenylalanyl tRNA was detected in tRNA preparations from young, but not from old, plants. With the young plants, the extent of the shift decreased with the length of TMV infection and was smaller for the tRNA isolated from the bottom leaves than for the top leaves of the same plants. The significance of these findings is discussed.