New class of ribonucleic acid in Neurospora associated with the outer cell envelope

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Abstract
Extrinsic RNA was isolated from a KCl extract of N. crassa conidial cell surface products. It is heterogeneous in size. The bulk of this RNA travels as a broad band, trailing the 5.8S ribosomal marker RNA on electrophoretic gels. The extrinsic RNA, when denatured, exhibits several discrete lengths between 50,000 and 130,000 daltons. Melting profiles confirm the heterogeneity of the RNA and indicate that 58% of the bases are involved in H-bonding. Analyses of alkaline hydrolysis products reveal no extensive methylation and few or none of the unusual bases present in tRNA. The bases are present in approximately equivalent amounts. Extrinsic RNA represents 2-3% of the total cellular RNA. Since this membrane-associated class of RNA does not resemble rRNA, mRNA or tRNA and since it is extracted from the cell exterior by methods used to remove extrinsic membrane molecules, it is designated extrinsic RNA.