Selective RNase H cleavage of target RNAs from a tRNA scaffold

In vivo overproduction of tRNA chimeras yields an RNA insert within a tRNA scaffold. For some applications, it may be necessary to discard the scaffold. Here we present a protocol for selective cleavage of the RNA of interest from the tRNA scaffold, using RNase H and two DNA oligonucleotides. After cleavage, we show that the RNA of interest can be isolated in a one-step purification. This method has, in particular, applications in structural investigations of RNA.