An analysis of five serine transfer ribonucleic acids from Drosophila

Crude tRNA from adult Drosophila melanogaster was fractionated on bensoylated-diethylaminoethyl cellulose columns. The eluate was assayed for both amino acid acceptance and cytokinin activity. Most of the cytokinin activity was associated with a peak of serine acceptance. The five major serine tRNAs were purified by chromatography on benzoylated-dietyhlaminoethyl cellulose and reversed phase chromatography-5 columns. The major species, tRNA7-Ser was isolated from this tRNA and was shown to be N-6-(delta-2-isopentenyl)adenosine (i-6A) on the basis of ultraviolet and mass spectral data. The nucleoside somposition of all five serine tRNAs was determined directly and by the 3-H derivative method. They all contain pseudouridine, ribothymidine, 1-methyladenosine, 5-methylcytosine, N-2-dimethylguanosine, 5, 6-hydrouridine, and 3-methylcytosine, while two contain an unidentified nucleoside, and one containes 1-methylguanosine. These techniques also confirmed the presence of i-6A in tRNA7-Ser as well as showing its presence in tRNA6-Ser and tRNA4-Ser. These three tRNA-Ser species exhibit marked changes in elution from reversed phase chromatography-5 columns as a function of temperature and this may be related to their minor base composition. The tRNAs-Ser were bound to ribosomes in response to the following triplets: tRNA2-Ser, AGU, AGC; tRNA4-Ser, UCG; tRNA5-Ser, AGU, AGC; tRNA7-Ser, UCG.