Partial P1 Nuclease Digestion as a Probe of tRNA Structure

Abstract
Partial [yeast] P1 nuclease digestion of 5''-32P-labeled tRNA, followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography, results in a series of bands of unequal intensities. Comparison of digestion profiles of 2 conformers of yeast .**GRAPHIC**. shows that P1 nuclease is sensitive to structural features of its substrate. Examination of the digestion pattern of yeast tRNAPhe in light of its known 3-dimensional conformation shows that the enzyme''s activity reflects the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of tRNA structure.