Crosslinking of phenylalanyl-tRNA to the ribosomal A site via a photoaffinity probe attached to the 4-thiouridine residue is exclusively to ribosomal protein S19.

Phe-tRNA of Escherichia coli, specifically derivatized at the S4U8 position with the 9 A long p-azidophenacyl photoaffinity probe, can be crosslinked to 30 S ribosomal protein when the tRNA is placed at the ribosomal A site. This protein has now been identified by immunological methods. The protein-[3H]Phe-tRNA covalent complex, obtained by extraction with 6 M-urea, was reacted separately with each of the 21 purified antisera to 30 S ribosomal proteins. The double antibody technique was used. Anti-S19 was the only antiserum able to precipitate the radioactivity, and 66 to 81% of the added radioactivity could be precipitated. The same result was obtained with three different ribosome preparations, at low as well as high crosslinking yield, with dipeptidyl-tRNA in the A site as well as aminoacyl-tRNA, and when binding and crosslinking were performed at 20 mM-Mg2+ instead of at 5 mM. Therefore, when aminoacyl-tRNA or peptidyl-tRNA is in the ribosomal A site, position 8, which is always uridine or 4-thiouridine, must be within 9 A of protein S19.