UV LASER INDUCED RNA‐PROTEIN CROSSLINKS AND RNA CHAIN BREAKS IN TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS RNAin situ

Abstract
The efficiency of RNA‐protein crosslink and RNA chain break formation under nanosecond or picosecond UV‐laser pulse irradiation of tobacco mosaic virus was determined. It was found that on high‐intensity UV‐laser irradiation the quantum yields of both reactions increase considerably as compared to the usual (low‐intensity) UV‐irradiation. The RNA‐protein crosslink quantum yield was found to be 1.8 × 10‐5and 1.2 × 10‐4and that of RNA chain breaks 1.7 × 10‐4and 8.9 × 10‐4for nanosecond and picosecond irradiation, respectively.