Abstract
The terminal cis-glycol-group of phenylalanine specific tRNA (tRNAPhe, I) from yeast was oxidized to the dialdehyde by NaIO4 (tRNAPheoxi, II) and subsequently reduced to the diol by NaBH4 (tRNAPheoxi-red, III). In charging experiments it could be shown that tRNAPheoxi-red is still completely specific for phenylalanine. The Michaelis constant of tRNAPheoxi-red remains unchanged when compared with tRNAPhe, while the maximun velocity of charging υmax of tRNAPheoxi-red is decreased to about one half.