The effects of hydroxylamine on the template properties of polycytidylic acid.

Treatment of polycytidylic acid with hydroxylamine produces an inactivation of its template properties as measured by incorporation of guanosine 5’-phosphate. Partial recovery of the guanosine 5’-phosphate incorporation can be obtained by the addition of adenosine 5’-triphosphate, but not @dine 5’4riphosphate or uridine 5’4riphosphate. Nearest neighbor studies showed that the adenosine 5’-phosphate was being incorporated exclusively next to guanylate; there was none next to adenylate. These results suggest that the hydroxylamine produces in the polycytidylic acid a species by which adenosine 5’-phosphate is incorporated in place of guanosine 5’-phosphate, and then a second species is produced which will not pair with any of the normal bases.