The 5' terminus of the precursor ribosomal RNA of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The 5' terminus of Saccharomyces cereviasiae 35S pre rRNA was mapped on the rDNA using two methods: 1) Suitable restriction endonuclease fragments were hybridized to total high molecular weight RNA and extended with reverse transcriptase to the 5' end of the RNA template. 2) Other restriction fragments spanning the 5' terminus of 35S pre rRNA and radioactively labeled at their ends were hybridized to high molecular weight RNA and the non hybridized nucleic acids were digested with S1 nuclease. On the basis of these experiments, the 5' terminus of 35S pre rRNA was placed approximately 670 nucleotides upstream from the 17S rRNA coding region. The exact position was determined by reverse transcription as above, but in the presence of dideoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, which served as a way of sequencing the 5' terminal region. 35S pre rRNA synthesis is initiated at a site in EcoRI restriction fragment B which is 48 nucleotides upstream from the EcoRI cleavage site in the coding strand.