Ribosome bound ribonuclease; its preferential association with small polysomes

Ribonuclease of the total rat liver ribosome fraction proved to be considerably more active than the same enzyme of the polysome fraction. This diminished polysomal activity was caused by exclusion of the enzymerich small polysomes and monosomes from discontinuous sucrose gradient preparations. An incidental finding was the demonstration that regenerating liver ribosomes appear to carry some of this enzyme in a dormant state not normally revealed during autodegradation.