Agar gel chromatography of rat liver ribosomal ribonucleic acids.

Ribosomal RNA (28s rRNA) of rat liver is selectively retained in 2 or 4% squashed agar gels equilibrated at 24–25°C with a sodium dodecyl sulfate-Tris-EDTA buffer containing 0.7 m NaCl. The absorbed polynucleotide could be recovered by elution with 0.1 m NaCl in the same buffer. Agar-gel electrophoresis and nucleotide composition indicate that the separation is close to quantitative. Column beds of 100–200 ml were used in the range of 3–6 mg of RNA. The procedure is simple, rapid and reproducible and gives excellent separation of 28 and 18s rat liver rRNA.