Effect of alkaline earth metal ions on the phosphodiester hydrolysis of RNA

Hydrolyses of di- and triribonucleotides assisted by alkaline earth metal ions were investigated at pH 7.3 and 50 °C. Mg2+ was the most effective for the phosphodiester hydrolysis, and the rate exibited first-order dependence on the concentration of Mg2+ in a range of 0.1–1.0 mol dm−3.