Physicochemical characterization of ribosomal particles from the eukaryote Artemia

Cytoplasmic ribosomes and their large and small subunits have been isolated from the brine shrimp Artemia, and their basic physicochemical properties have been determined. From measurements of their ratio of absorbance at 260 and 280 nm, phosphorus and protein content, buoyant density in a CsCl gradient, and density increment, values have been derived for their RNA content (49, 52, and 43 +/- 2%, respectively), absorbance coefficient at 260 nm (12.1, 2.8, and 10.5, +/- 0.4 ml/mg, respectively), and partial specific volume (0.63, 0.62, and 0.65 +/- 0.002 ml/g, respectively). Analytical boundary sedimentation has yielded their standard sedimentation coefficient (81, 59, and 38, +/- 1 S, respectively). Photon correlation spectroscopy of laser light scattered from centrifuged solutions has yielded their translational diffusion coefficients (1.41 +/- 0.02, 1.61 +/- 0.03, and 1.80 +/- 0.04 X 10(-7) cm2/s, respectively). Combinations of these data have yielded values for their molecular weight (3.85 +/- 0.2, 2.45 +/- 0.2, and 1.45 +/- 0.1 X 10(6), respectively), for the total molecular weight of the free acid form of their RNA (1.9 +/- 0.1, 1.27 +/- 0.08, and 0.62 +/- 0.04 X 10(6), respectively) and of their proteins (2.0 +/- 0.1, 1.2 +/- 0.1, and 0.83 +/- 0.08 X 10(6), respectively), for their frictional coefficient ratio (1.54 +/- 0.04, 1.58 +/- 0.05, and 1.66 +/- 0.06, respectively), for their hydrodynamic and dry particle volume and radius, and for their hydrodynamic solvation. All the results are highly consistent. The various intact ribosomal particles of Artemia have nearly the same solvation (1.7 g/g); in this respect they resemble Escherichia coli ribosomal particles; this finding contrasts, however, with the few published data on eukaryotic ribosomes. This work strengthens the basis for a comparative study and for a more detailed elucidation of the structure of eukaryotic ribosomes.