The terminal structures of feather keratin mRNA.

Terminal labeling of embryonic feather keratin mRNA with [3H]KBH4 followed by digestion with ribonuclease T1 and T2, alkaline phosphatase, snake venom phosphodiesterase, and nucleotide pyrophosphatase and analysis of the products by high voltage paper electrophoresis, indicated the presence of the sequence m7G(5')ppp(5')N at the 5'-end of the mRNA. Ribonuclease T1 and A digests of the terminally labeled, and also of unlabeled mRNA followed by fractionation on denaturing polyacrylamide gels indicated the presence of polyadenylate tracts ranging in size from 45 to 165 nucleotide at the 3'-end of the mRNA.