Detection of mRNA sequences in nuclear 30S ribonucleoprotein subcomplexes

Abstract

RNA from nuclear 30S ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes of mouse ascites cells has been shows to contain sequences homologous to poly(A) + mRNA by its ability to hybridize with complementary DNA prepared from poly(A) + mRNA template. Analysis of the hybridization kinetics of poly(A) + mRNA with its own complementary DNA revealed several abundancy classes. The total complexity of poly(A) + mRNA from ascites cells was estimated to be approximately 30,000 sequences of average molecular weight (6 X 10(5)). When the hybridization reaction of 30S RNP-RNA with mRNA-specific cDNA was compared to the homologous reaction the majority, and most probably all, of the poly(A) + mRNA sequences were found to be present in the RNA. The kinetics of hybridization suggest that 10-15% of the RNA in this RNP complex is homologous to poly(A) + mRNA. The 30S RNP subcomplexes therefore contain nuclear poly(A) + mRNA sequences as well as the bulk of heterogeneous RNA.