Nucleic acids of respiratory syncytial virus.

Analysis of purified respiratory syncytial virus revealed that the virion RNA was composed of 50S, 28S, 18S, and 4S species. The 18S and 28S species were presumed to represent host rRNA since virus grown in actinomycin D-treated cells contained only 50S and 4S RNAs. Actinomycin D treatment stimulated production of infectious respiratory syncytial virus 5- to 10-fold. The 50S virion RNA was shown to hybridize with polyadenylated mRNA's isolated from infected cells, indicating that respiratory syncytial virus RNA is of negative-strand sense. Six mRNA's were identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Nucleic acids of Entamoeba histolytica

This review will concentrate on certain aspects of the nucleic acids of Entamoeba histolytica. Utilization and synthesis of purines and pyrimidines will initially be briefly discussed, e.g. salvage vs. de novo pathways, uptake studies and recognition of at least 4 transport loci. Data will be presented which show that the distribution and synthesis of RNA (to a lesser extent DNA) in the nucleus is basically the opposite one finds in other eukaryotes, viz. most RNA (ribosomal?) is synthesized (or accumulates) in the peripheral chromatin (functional equivalent of nucleolus?). The DNA is distributed and synthesized primarily throughout the nucleus. It is usually so dispersed that it will not stain with e.g. the standard Feulgen technique, unless the DNA condenses around the endosome (not a nucleolar equivalent) prior to nuclear division. Isolation of rRNA was difficult due, in part, to potent and difficult to inhibit RNase(s), some of which are apparently intimately bound to ribosomal subunits. The 25S (1.3 kDa), 17S (0.8 kDa) and 5S rRNA were recovered after isolation with a high salt SDS-DEP technique. This is the only procedure which enables us to obtain high yields of 25S rRNA; guanidine or guanidinium which permits isolation of intact functional mRNA results in isolation of small amounts of 25S RNA relative to 17S RNA. The 25S RNA is "nicked" (apparently during nuclear processing) and dissociates readily into 17S (0.7 kDa) and 16S (0.6 kDa) species, and a more rigidly bound 5.8S species. A small amount of "unnicked" 25S RNA was recovered with guanidine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Nucleic acids: vaccines of the future

The recent successful immunization of experimental animals using nucleic acids has provided a revolutionary new approach in vaccinology. In this article, Gary Waine and Don McManus examine the potential of nucleic acid vaccines for their effectiveness not only against infectious and parasitic organisms exhibiting an intracellular phase during their life cycle, but also against parasitic helminths, whose life cycle stages are either predominantly or completely extracellular.     

Nucleic acids in coconut water

DNA, RNA and protein present in coconut water are found to bein the soluble form and not associated with any cell organellesi.e., nuclei, mitochondria or ribosomes. DNA and RNA seem tobe degraded or of low molecular weight. That these are not degradedduring isolation is indicated. (Received October 13, 1969; )