The activity of ribosomes whose RNA has been degraded by incubation in the presence or absence of oxidized glutathione

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1. All of the RNA in ribosomes which have been incubated anaerobically for 24 h at 37° has been degraded to fragments which sediment as two broad peaks to the 14-S and 5-S regions of sucrose density gradients. These ribosomes are fully active when assayed for polyuridylic acid-directed polyphenylalanine synthesis. 2. Ribosomes incubated as above, but in the presence of 0.05 M oxidized glutathione, are no longer active in polypeptide synthesis and are completely dissociated into 30-S and 50-S subunits. The 30-S subunits are able to bind polyuridylic acid but cannot bind phenylalanyl-tRNA. The RNA of these ribosomes is also degraded to fragments of various sizes, none of which sediment slower than about 5 S.