The polyadenylate polymerases from yeast.

Poly(A) polymerase activity was first detected in yeast extracts, primarily in association with the ribosomal fraction, by Twu and Bretthauer in 1971 (Twu, J. S., and Bretthauer, RK. (1971) Biochemistry 10, 1576-1582). This activity has now been separated into three distinct enzymes by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Each of the three enzymes can catalyze the incorporation of adenylate residues from ATP into a polyadenylate (poly(A)) tract at the 3' terminus of a primer RNA. Enzyme I elutes at 0.07 M ammonium sulfate from the DEAE-cellulose column, utilizes the mixed polynucleotide poly(A,G,C,U) or ribosomal RNA most efficiently in vitro, and may be responsible in vivo for the initiation of the poly(A) tracts found on yeast messenger RNA. Enzyme II elutes from the column at 0.20 M ammonium sulfate, requires poly(A) itself or an RNA primer containing a 3'-oligo(A) tract, and may be responsible in the nucleus for the elongation of tracts initiated by enzyme I. Enzyme III elutes from the column at 0.56 M ammonium sulfate and is present in low amounts in nuclear extracts. It may be involved in adding poly(A) tracts to messenger RNA in mitochondria. These enzymes also have the intrinsic capacity for the incorporation of cytidylate residues from CTP, which correlates with the finding of cytidylate residues in the poly(A) tracts present in the yeast RNA which is rapidly labeled in vivo. About 75% of the total poly(A) polymerase activity of yeast is enzyme I, most of which is present in the soluble protein fraction of the whole yeast extract. About 20% of the total poly(A) polymerase is enzyme II, and 1 to 5% is enzyme III. All three of the yeast poly(A) polymerases require an RNA primer with a free 3'-hydroxyl group, show no requirement for a DNA template, require Mn-2+ for optimal activity, have pH optima of 8.5, and are inhibited by GTP, CTP, UTP, and native yeast DNA. Polymerases I and II have similar molecular weights by gel filtration.     

Mouse Brain DNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases After Chronic Morphine Treatment

Abstract: Chronic morphine pellet implantation was found to decrease the specific activity of two forms of mouse brain RNA polymerase I and to alter the requirements of Mg²⁺ and Mn²⁺ for the activities of RNA polymerases II and III. DNA-dependent RNA polymerases were partially purified from small dense nuclei isolated from brains of naive and morphine tolerant-dependent mice, and three RNA polymerases were separated on a DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column. The three fractions, referred to as peak I, peak II, and peak III, were studied, characterized, and identified as being RNA polymerases I, II, and III, respectively. Chronic-morphine pellet implantation resulted in a lower specific activity of RNA polymerase I, but the specific activities of RNA polymerases II and III were not affected. This effect was prevented by preimplantation of a naloxone pellet and thus was narcotic-specific. Chronic morphine treatment lowered the concentration of Mg²⁺ required for optimal activity of RNA polymerase II and elevated the Mn²⁺-Mg²⁺ activity ratios of RNA polymerases II and III. A second DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography of the peak I RNA polymerase was carried out, revealing five component activity peaks. Two of these contained lower specific activities as a result of chronic morphine pelletimplantation. These specific changes in RNA polymerase function in morphine tolerance-dependence may be associated with the elevated chromatin template activities, altered chromatin phosphorylation, and elevated rates of cell-free translation that have been reported by others.     

Defective Influenza Viral Ribonucleoproteins Cause Interference

Ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) isolated from infectious and defective interfering (DI) influenza virus (WSN) contained three major RNP peaks when analyzed in a glycerol gradient. Peak I RNP was predominant in infectious virus but was greatly reduced in DI virus preparations. Conversely, peak III RNP was elevated in DI virus, suggesting a large increase in DI RNA in this fraction. Labeled [(32)P]RNA was isolated from each RNP region and analyzed by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels. Peak I RNP contained primarily the polymerase and some HA genes, peak II contained some HA gene but mostly the NP and NA genes, and peak III contained the M and NS genes. In addition, peak III RNP from DI virus also contained the characteristic DI RNA segments. Interference activity of RNP fractions isolated from infectious and DI virus was tested using infectious center reduction assay. RNP peaks (I, II, and III) from infectious virus did not show any interference activity, whereas the peak III DI RNP caused a reduction in the number of infectious centers as compared to controls. Similar interference was not demonstrable with peak I RNP of DI virus nor with any RNP fractions from infectious virus alone. The interference activity of RNP fractions was RNase sensitive, suggesting that the DI RNA contained in DI RNPs was the interfering agent, and dilution experiments supported the conclusion that a single DI RNP could cause interference. The interfering RNPs were heterogeneous, and the majority migrated slower than viral RNPs containing M and NS genes. These results suggest that DI RNP (or DI RNA) is also responsible for interference in segmented, negative-stranded viruses.