PRIMARY STUCTURE OF A METHIONINE TRANSFER RNA FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI

Abstract

TRANSFER RNA (tRNA) from E. coli contains two methionine accepting species (tRNAF and tRNAM). Methionine attached to tRNAF can be formylated to give F-Met-tRNAF whereas methionine attached to tRNAM does not accept formyl groups. Formylmethionyl-tRNAF appears to be the polypeptide chain initiating tRNA in bacterial systems. Methionyl-tRNAM, on the other hand, has properties similar to all other tRNAs and places methionine into internal positions of growing polypeptides. Having elucidated the nucleotide sequence of tRNAF1 we now report the complete nucleotide sequence of tRNAM and compare the sequences with each other. © 1968 Nature Publishing Group.