Nucleotide sequence from the coat protein cistron of R17 bacteriophage RNA

Abstract

The sequence of fifty-seven nucleotides in the coat protein cistron of phage R17 RNA directly confirms the genetic code, shows that the code used by the phage is degenerate and suggests that highly ordered base-paired structures exist in this RNA. Such base-paired loops may be involved in regulation of cistron expression and packing of the RNA in the phage particle. © 1969 Nature Publishing Group.