A Chromatographic-Spectrophotometric Method for Determining Nucleotide Composition of RNA in Plants

Abstract

Ribo-nucleic acid was obtained from a simple extract of dried plant material and hydrolyzed by alkali to its 4 principal constituents. There were then fractionated by column chromatography to mixtures of (1) adenylic and cytidylic acids and (2) guanylic and uridylic acids. These were analyzed spectrophotometrically in acid solution at wavelengths (1) 268.7 and 284 mu. and (2) 268 and 290 mu, respectively, with errorsof less than + 4%. This simple and short procedure gave excellent recovery and results agreed well with a fraction collector method. It was applied to mixtures of standards, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) RNA, and barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves. Spectroscopic analytical values were accurately determined and the analytical situation was critically discussed.[long dash]Authors.