Abstract
A new approach allowing detection of contact points between RNAs and proteins has been developed using trans-diammine-dichloroplatinum (II) as the cross-linking reagent. The advantage of the method relies on the fact that the coordination bonds between platinum and the potential acceptors on proteins and nucleic acids (mainly S of cysteine or methionine residues; N of imidazole rings in histidine residues; N7 of guanine, N1 of adenine, and N3 of cytosine residues) can be reversed, so that the cross-linked oligonucleotides or peptides in contact within a complex can be analyzed directly. The results are discussed in light of the current knowledge on ribosome and tRNAs and of potential applications of the methodology.