Identification of the proteins associated with subparticles produced by mild ribonuclease digestion of 30S ribosomal particles from Escherichia coli.

Digestion of 30S ribosomal subunits from E. coli by insoluble ribonuclease produces three subparticles. The ribosomal proteins associated with each of these particles were identified. Some of the proteins are associated with only one of the three subparticles. The protein compositions of the three particles can be arranged in an overlapping linear sequence of five groups. Furthermore, inspection of the previously determined assembly sequence of the 30S proteins indicates that proteins associated in the subparticles are interdependent in the assembly process.