Structural Changes in t‐RNA from Changes in the Raman Scattering Intensities

Laser Raman spectra of a mixture of yeast t‐RNA's are examined as a function of temperature and after total alkaline hydrolysis to mononucleotides; the data are interpreted on the basis of extensive preliminary studies previously reported from this laboratory on the Raman spectral properties of numerous synthetic model compounds. Since the Raman intensities observed are extremely sensitive to conformational changes in the nucleic acid, much useful structural information can be obtained.