Bulk tRNAs were prepared as previously described using acid buffered-phenol (phenol saturated with 50 mM sodium acetate, pH 5.8) and alcohol precipitation [20 (link)]. Nucleosides were prepared as described in [61 (link)] by hydrolyzing bulk tRNA with 10 units of Nuclease P1 (Sigma) overnight at 37°C, with the addition of 0.01 units of phosphodiesterase I (Sigma) and 3 µL E. coli alkaline phosphatase (Sigma). The hydrolyzed nucleosides were further purified by filtering through a 5 kD MWCO filter (Millipore) (to remove enzymes), dried in a CentriVap Concentrator, and suspended in 20 µL of water prior to analysis by HPLC or LC-MS/MS.