Murine oncornavirus high-molecular-weight RNA structure thermal stepwise dissociation of 70S murine leukemia-sarcoma virus to subunits and low-molecular-weight associated RNAs.

The thermal dissociation into subunits and low-molecular-weight (LMW) associated RNAs of the aggregate structure of 70S RNA of a murine leukemia sarcoma viral complex was studied. By polyacrylamide-agarose gel electrophoresis, it was found that at low temperature a fraction of the genome was converted into an intermediate population of RNA (Im.P) with an apparent molecular weight of 6.6 times 10-6. At higher temperature, the 70S RNA and the Im.P RNA were successively dissociated into two RNA subunits called "I" and "II" and 70S-associated LMW RNAs. The apparent molecular weight of subunit I was about 5 times 10-6 and that of subunit II was about 3.2 times 10-6. The release of 4S, 5S, 5.5S, and 8S RNAs from 70S RNA at various temperatures was studied by composite polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was found that the nature of hydrogen bonding to the 70S RNA was different for each LMW RNA species. A possible relationship of the association between the subunits and each 70S-associated LMW RNA, based on their T-m values, is discussed.