1. The ;30s' and ;50s' ribosomes from ribonuclease-active (Escherichia coli B) and -inactive (Pseudomonas fluorescens and Escherichia coli MRE600) bacteria have been studied in the ultracentrifuge. Charge anomalies were largely overcome by using sodium chloride-magnesium chloride solution, I 0.16, made 0-50mm with respect to Mg(2+). 2. Differentiation of enzymic and physical breakdown at Mg(2+) concentrations less than 5mm was made by comparing the properties of E. coli B and P. fluorescens ribosomes. 3. Ribonuclease-active ribosomes alone showed a transformation of ;50s' into 40-43s components. This was combined with the release of a small amount of ;5s' material which may be covalently bound soluble RNA. Other transformations of the ;50s' into 34-37s components were observed in both ribonuclease-active and -inactive ribosomes at 1.0-2.5mm-Mg(2+), and also with E. coli MRE600 when EDTA (0.2mm) was added to a solution in 0.16m-sodium chloride. 4. Degradation of ribonuclease-active E. coli B ribosomes at Mg(2+) concentration 0.25mm or less was coincident with the formation of 16s and 21s ribonucleoprotein in P. fluorescens, and this suggested that complete dissociation of RNA from protein was not an essential prelude to breakdown of the RNA by the enzyme. 5. As high Cs(+)/Mg(2+) ratios cause ribosomal degradation great care is necessary in the interpretation of equilibrium-density-gradient experiments in which high concentrations of caesium chloride or similar salts are used. 6. The importance of the RNA moiety in understanding the response of ribosomes to their ionic environment is discussed.

1. l-Asparaginases from Erwinia carotovora and Escherichia coli (EC2 enzyme) are both capable of inhibiting and eliminating certain types of tumour cells. The Er. carotovora enzyme is a more basic protein, however, and in contrast with the EC2 enzyme it contains neither tryptophan nor cystine, and disulphide bonds are therefore absent. The molecule is very stable in solution from pH3.0 to about pH12.0, and is somewhat more stable at alkaline pH than is the Esch. coli enzyme. Calculations based on a s(0) (20,w) 7.43S and a sedimentation-equilibrium molecular weight of 135000+/-10000 give a frictional ratio (f/f(0)) of 1.08. The molecular conformation is therefore very compact in solution, and the electron microscope shows the negatively stained molecules as almost spherical particles with a diameter of 7.2+/-0.7nm. 2. Sedimentation-velocity and equilibrium ultracentrifugation, in 5-8m solutions of urea and guanidinium chloride, and also electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel, reveal a dissociation of the native protein molecule into four subunits of similar molecular weight in the range 32500-38000. The enzymically inactive subunits can be physically reassembled into an active tetramer when urea is removed by dialysis. Although the subunit structures of the Er. carotovora enzyme and the Esch. coli enzyme molecules are similar, the secondary bonding forces holding the subunits together in the tetramer are somewhat stronger in the Er. carotovora enzyme. 3. The optical-rotatory-dispersion (o.r.d.) parameters that characterize the Cotton effects arising from ordered structure in the molecule are [m'](233)=-3522+/-74 degrees and [m'](200)=9096+/-1700 degrees . These show very marked changes as the secondary structure is disrupted and the molecule dissociates into subunits. A correlation pathway was traced on the basis of o.r.d. parameters and enzyme activity as the polypeptide chains were denatured and renatured (and reconstituted) into active molecules after the dilution of solutions in urea. Subunits resulting from treatment with sodium dodecyl sulphate do not show the typically disordered o.r.d. profile, but nevertheless they are inactive.

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1. Bacteria deficient in ribonuclease I were used as a source of stable ribosomal RNA. RNA was isolated from a ribosome fraction of Pseudomonas fluorescens N.C.I.B. 8248 and acetone-treated cells of Escherichia coli M.R.E. 600 by the method developed by Robinson & Wade (1968). 2. The s(20,w) of the 16S and 23S components can vary from 21S and 28S down to 4S depending on the RNA macro-ion concentration and the extent to which charge is suppressed by univalent Na(+) and tris(+) counter-ions or neutralized through the binding of bivalent Mg(2+) to phosphate groups. 3. The primary charge effect in sedimentation and the frictional coefficient (which increases as the molecular conformation expands) both increase with charge and cause a decrease in s value. 4. RNA solutions heated to 80 degrees C for 10min show minor changes in s value and a detectable increase in polydispersity. Millimolar concentrations of Mg(2+) promote heat-instability and so does treatment of RNA solutions with the nuclease adsorbent macaloid, which was found to contaminate the solutions with Mg(2+). 5. The stabilization of secondary structure by univalent and bivalent cations was investigated by optical methods. 6. The sedimentation properties of 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits and their constituent 16S and 23S RNA components were compared and discussed from the viewpoint of unfolding.