Homologous RNA polymerase binding to Escherichia coli DNA: a study of the distribution of stable binding sites.

The number and the distribution of the sites of Escherichia coli DNA that form stable complexes with the homologous RNA polymerase (class A sites according to Hinkle and Chamberlin [3]) have been investigated. Almost all the DNA can bind RNA polymerase, even when fragmented at short (undergenic) size; this general non-promoter-specific binding is highly labile and is not temperature-dependent. The range of RNA polymerase/DNA ratios that give rise to the stable temperature-dependent complexes was examined. The amount and the distribution of class A complexes were studied analysing the dissociation of complexes formed by RNA polymerase on DNA fragments of various length. The E. coli genome appears to form 3.8 X 10(3) stable complexes; the majority of these complexes shows a short-range distribution (800-1200 base pairs). The rest is more widely spaced (1200-6000 base pairs).     

Use of RNA polymerase as an enzymatic probe of nucleosomal structure.

Nucleosomes prepared from human placental nuclei and Escherichia coli DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (nucleoside triphosphate: RNA nucleotidyl transferase EC.2.7.7.6) form stable initiation complexes. This property is utilized as a probe of nucleosome structure. RNA polymerase initiation has been studied on purified nucleosomes, nucleosome cores, and nucleosomal DNA. The affinity of E. coli RNA polymerase for both nucleosome cores and monomers was 5-6 fold less than found for nucleosomal DNA. No difference in apparent initiation Km was found between cores and mononucleosomes. This suggests that initiation does not preferentially occur on the DNA tails of nucleosomes. Once initiated and allowed to form nascent RNA, these complexes are very stable to ionic strength changes. Under conditions in which free enzyme is inactivated with rifampicin, the enzyme in the complex retains activity as demonstrated by its ability to transcribe and reinitiate on both nucleosomes and free DNA. These complexes can be well resolved from free nucleosomes on preparative polyacrylamide gels and both can be eluted from gels for analysis of proteins and DNA sequence complexity. Studies using (125I) labelled nucleosomes show that histones are retained in the initiation complex, and are not dissociated by the enzyme during initiation.     

RNA polymerase of a rifampicin-resistant mutant of Escherichia coli has an altered selectivity to phage T7 DNA promoters

The formation of complexes of RNA polymerases from E. coli W12 and its rpoB409 rifampicin resistant mutant with A1 and D promoters of T7 delta D111 DNA was studied by an abortive RNA synthesis technique. The mutation was shown to affect RNA synthesis initiation at these two promotors differentially so that the efficiency of D promotor utilization is enhanced but the use of A1 promotor is unchanged. The mutation does not interfere with the affinity of the enzyme for both initiating substrates. The results show that the change in RNA polymerase beta-subunit structure has a differential effect on the enzyme interaction with different promotors. The necessity of a classificatory approach to structure-functional analysis of promotors was proposed.     

Initiation of transcription within an RNA-polymerase binding site.

1. The 5'-terminal sequence of the RNA transcribed from bacteriophage fd replicative form DNA under the control of promotor region I has been determined to be ppp(Gp)nUpApApApGpApCpCpUpGpApUpUp. . . 2. This sequence is complementary to the 5'-terminal sequence of the minus strand of the corresponding RNA polymerase binding site I, the starting point for RNA synthesis lying approximately in the middle of the binding site. 3. This initial sequence is also transcribed faithfully from isolated complexes of RNA polymerase and binding site I, obtained by DNase digestion of complexes between RNA polymerase and fd replicative form DNA. These highly stable complexes can not be reconstituted from binding site and enzyme. 4. It is concluded that RNA polymerase binding site and initiation site are identical parts of a promoter region, and that no "drift" between these sites is required as a step in RNA chain initiation. An additional non-transcribed outside region is implicated as essential for full promoter function.     

Binding of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase to T7 DNA. Displacement of holoenzyme from promoter complexes by heparin.

Escherichia coli RNA polymerase holoenzyme bound to promoter sites on T7 DNA is attacked and inactivated by the polyanion heparin. The highly stable RNA polymerase-T7 DNA complex formed at the major T7 A1 promoter can be completely inactivated by treatment with heparin, as shown by monitoring the loss of activity of such complexes, and by gel electrophoresis of the RNA products transcribed. The rate of this inactivation is much faster than the rate of dissociation of RNA polymerase from promoter complexes, and thus represents a direct attack of heparin on the polymerase molecule bound at promoter A1. Experiments employing the nitrocellulose filter binding technique suggest that heparin inactivates E. coli RNA polymerase when bound to T7 DNA by directly displacing the enzyme from the DNA. RNA polymerase bound at a minor T7 promoter (promoter C) is much less sensitive to heparin attack than enzyme bound at promoter A1. Thus, the rate of inactivation of RNA polymerase-T7 DNA complexes by heparin is dependent upon the structure of the promoter involved even though the inhibitor binds to a site on the enzyme molecule.     

The interaction of RNA polymerase II with non-promoter DNA sites.

Various complexes formed between purified RNA polymerase II and simian virus 40 DNA have been characterized with respect to rates of formation, rates of dissociation, and initial velocity of RNA synthesis. Two different types of complexes can form on intact DNA templates. One of these is formed rapidly, but is quite labile; the other forms more slowly, but is moderately stable once formed. The introduction of a single strand break into DNA leads to rapid and stable complex formation, and thus is expected to create the favored binding site. The observed properties of these complexes provide a general framework for describing the interactions of RNA polymerase II at non-promoter DNA sites. This framework appears to be similar to that established for Escherichia coli RNA polymerase interactions, suggesting that the fundamental mode of non-promoter DNA binding is similar for the bacterial, plant, and mammalian enzymes.     

Stabilization of promoter complexes with a single ribonucleoside triphosphate.

Under specific binding conditions RNA polymerase forms complexes at several sites of the replicative form DNA of bacteriophage fd. One of these complexes becomes stable to both high salt and low temperature after incubation with GTP. None of the complexes is stabilized by ATP. The stabilization by GTP results from the synthesis of an oligo(G) chain, which is bound in the complex. Size and pyrimidine fingerprints of the DNA segment protected by the enzyme against digestion with DNase are not changed upon initiation of oligo(G) synthesis. This result indicates that binding site and initiation site are identical parts of a promoter region.     

Visualization and quantitative analysis of complex formation between E. coli RNA polymerase and an rRNA promoter in vitro.

We have established conditions that stabilize the interaction between RNA polymerase and the rrnB P1 promoter in vitro. The requirements for quantitative complex formation are unusual for E. coli promoters: (1) The inclusion of a competitor is required to allow visualization of a specific footprint. (2) Low salt concentrations are necessary since complex formation is salt sensitive. (3) The addition of the initiating nucleotides ATP and CTP, resulting in a low rate of dinucleotide production, is required in order to prevent dissociation of the complexes. The complex has been examined using DNAase I footprinting and filter binding assays. It is characterized by a region protected from DNAase I cleavage that extends slightly upstream of the region protected by RNA polymerase in most E. coli promoters. We find that only one mole of active RNA polymerase is required per mole of promoter DNA in order to detect filter-bound complexes. Under the conditions measured, the rate of association of RNA polymerase with rrnB P1 is as rapid as, or more rapid than, that reported for any other E. coli or bacteriophage promoter.     

A DNA-binding protein specific for the early replicated region of the chromosome obtained from Escherichia coli membrane fractions

The binding sites of calf thymus RNA polymerase (B) II, wheat germ RNA polymerase B and of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase were mapped on the simian virus 40 genome by observation of enzyme-linear DNA complexes by electron microscopy. Three to four major sites and several minor sites are observed for each enzyme; common binding sites for the three enzymes are found in positions 0.17, 0.53 and 0.90 of the viral physical map. Initiation complexes with these enzymes can be stabilized with specific ribodinucleotides and a single ribonucleoside triphosphate. Whereas ApA and ATP greatly enhances the binding of the E. coli enzyme at position 0.17, they stabilize the binding of the eukaryotic enzyme at many sites, some of them located in close proximity of the origin of replication.     

T2 DNA, modified by 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-bromoacetooxypiperidine-i-oxyl as a template for RNA polymerase from E. coli B]

T2-DNA was modified by 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-bromoacetooxypiperidine-1-oxyl (I) at different NaCl concentrations (10(-1) M NaCl--10(-4) M NaCl). Modified DNA were investigated as templates for the RNA-polymerase from E. coli B. It was shown that T2-DNA modified I in 0,1 M NaCl completely preserves the native secondary structure, has a low degree modification (1 molecule I per 1000-2000 nucleotide pairs), but is a noneffective template for the RNA-polymerase from E. coli B (20%-40% as compared with unmodified T2-DNA). Under these conditions the modification occurs probably at the "weakest" (readily melting) sites of DNA. The role of these "weak" sites on DNA as promotors is discussed. The modification of T2-DNA by reagnet I has a stronger inhibitory effect on the total RNA synthesis than on the RNA-synthesis stable to rifampicin. Possible existence of two kinds of "early" promotors on T2-DNA is assumed.     

Interaction of Escherichia coli RNA-polymerase with DNA-duplexes containing repetitive sequences

Nitrocellulose filter binding technique has been used to study the binding of E. coli RNA polymerase to synthetic DNA duplexes (100-200 base pairs), containing the repeating fragments of promoters. It has been shown, that the duplex, containing the repeats of "ideal". Pribnow box forms heparin resistant complexes with enzyme, the stability of which is comparable with that of lacUV5 promoter complexes (the half life is approximately 200 min). The synthetic polynucleotide with repeating trp-promoter-operator sequence less stable complexes with RNA polymerase, the half life of which being 30 min.