Inhibition of RNA polymerase by streptolydigin: no cycling allowed

Bacterial RNA polymerase is a common target for many antibiotics. In two recent papers in Cell and Molecular Cell, and describe a structural basis for inhibition of bacterial RNA polymerase by the antibiotic streptolydigin. Streptolydigin may prevent distortion of a "bridge" alpha helix postulated to occur during the nucleotide addition cycle of RNA polymerase or may block a small movement of the bridge helix that helps load nucleotide triphosphates into the active site.     

Inhibition of chicken myeloblastosis RNA polymerase II activity by adriamycin.

In vitro RNA synthesis by isolated RNA polymerase II of chicken myeloblastosis cells was shown to be highly sensitive to adriamycin inhibition. The template activity of the single-stranded DNA, purified by chromatography of denatured calf thymus DNA through hydroxylapatite columns, was found to be equally as sensitive to the inhibition as denatured calf thymus DNA. However, contrary to denatured DNA, the single-stranded DNA thus purified showed no significant binding to adriamycin as analyzed by cosedimentation of the drug and DNA through a sucrose gradient. This indicated that inhibition of RNA synthesis on a single-stranded DNA template might involve a mechanism other than DNA intercalation. Kinetic studies of the inhibition showed that the inhibition of RNA synthesis by adriamycin could not be reversed by increasing the concentrations of RNA polymerase and four nucleoside triphosphates, but it could be reversed by increasing DNA concentrations. Analysis of the size of RNA synthesized indicated that the ultimate size of the product RNA was not altered by adriamycin, suggesting that the drug may inhibit RNA synthesis by reducing RNA chain initiation.     

Inhibition of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from Escherichia coli by pyran copolymer

Pyran copolymer, a potent inhibitor of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from Escherichia coli, prevented polyribonucleotide synthesis by blocking both the initiation and elongation steps. The inhibition was noncompetitive with respect to template and nucleotide triphosphate substrates. Template binding and the stability of the nascent RNA chain were not affected by the inhibitor.     

Inhibition of RNA synthesis in animal cells by sodium selenite

The effect of selenium-containing compounds on RNA synthesis in rat liver cells was studied in vivo. All the selenium derivatives under study inhibited the rRNA synthesis in liver cells. The most potent inhibiting effect was exerted by sodium selenite. It was shown that in a cell-free system of RNA biosynthesis sodium selenite selectively inhibited the activity of RNA-polymerase I in isolated nuclei and purified enzyme preparations of normal and tumour cells. A feasible mechanism of inhibition of the RNA-polymerase I activity by selenium and a hypothesis on the anticarcinogenic effect of selenium are postulated.