Purification and in vitro transcription of a transfer RNA gene

A gene specifying tyrosine transfer RNA has been purified and transcribed in vitro. The purification procedure made use of two specialized transducing phages carrying the tRNA(Tyr) gene of Escherichia coli inserted into their DNA in opposite orientations. The separated heavy strands of the two phages were annealed and the single-stranded tails of the resulting hybrid were removed by digestion with Neurospora endonuclease. The size of the purified double-stranded structures was determined by electron microscopy. These isolated duplexes served as template for the in vitro transcription of tRNA(Tyr)-like molecules.