A high molecular weight DNA polymerase from Drosophila melanogaster embryos. Purification, structure, and partial characterization.

The DNA polymerase of early embryos of Drosophila melanogaster has been purified to near-homogeneity. The purified enzyme gave a single, catalytically active protein band after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, under nondenaturing conditions. Four polypeptides with molecular weights 43,000, 46,000, 58,000, and 148,000 were resolved when this band was electrophoresed under denaturing conditions. At high ionic strengths, the DNA polymerase had a sedimentation coefficient of 8.7 S, a Stokes radius of 78 A and frictional ratio of 1.81, parameters that yield a molecular weight of 280,000. The purified DNA polymerase possessed no detectable endo- or exodeoxyribonuclease, ATPase, or RNA polymerase activity. Using an "activated" DNA template-primer, the enzyme had a pH optimum of 8.5. It was stimulated by (NH4)2SO4, KCl, and to a lesser extent, NaCl. A divalent metal cation was absolutely required; MgCl2 stimulating activity 7-fold more than MnCl2. It was inhibited by low concentrations of N-ethylmaleimide and Aphidicolon. Thus the DNA polymerase of D. melanogaster resembles most closely the alpha-DNA polymerases that have been purified from mammalian cells.     

Separation and characterization of two activities from HeLa cell nuclei that degrade double-stranded RNA

Two enzymatic activities that degrade double-stranded RNA have been partially purified from HeLa cell nuclei using reoviral [3H]RNA as the substrate. The two active fractions, separated by chromatography on phosphocellulose, are designated PC I and PC II. Both fractions degrade a variety of double-stranded RNAs with an absolute requirement for a divalent cation. However, they are distinct by at least five criteria. 1)PC I degrades a variety of single- and double-stranded RNAs, single- and double-stranded DNAs, and DNA.RNA hybrids, in addition to double-stranded reoviral RNA. In contrast, PC II has maximal activity with reoviral RNA, some activity with rRNA, and much less activity with the other substrates. 2) Analyses of reaction products by sucrose gradient centrifugation and chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and DEAE-cellulose indicate that, PC I cleaves reoviral RNA endonucleolytically to a final mixture of mono- and oligonucleotides, whereas the only acid- or alcohol-soluble products of PC II are 5'-XMPs produced exonucleolytically. 3) PC I activity is stimulated 2-fold more by MnCl2 than by MgCl2, whereas PC II activity is stimulated 3-fold more by MgCl2 than by MnCl2. 4) PC I activity is inhibited by NaCl concentrations as low as 10 mM, whereas PC II requires 50 to 80 mM NaCl for optimal activity. 5)Estimated by their sedimentation rates in glycerol gradients, PC I and PC II have apparent molecular weights of 55,000 and 20,000, respectively.     

Light-induced pH changes and changes in absorbance of pH indicators in Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores.

1. The light-induced pH change of chromatophore suspensions from Rhodospirillum rubrum was stimulated significantly and similarly by KCl, NaCl, LiCl, RbCl, CsCl, MgCl2, MnCl2, and CaCl2. In the dark, the pH of chromatophore suspensions decreased immediately and markedly on adding these salts. 2. The light-induced pH change stimulated by KCl plus valinomycin was inhibited by LiCl and NaCl, but not by RbCl. 3. The optimum pH values for light-induced pH change and photosynthetic ATP formation were around 5 and 8, respectively. The amount of chromatophore-bound ubiquinone-10 reduced in the light was independent of pH from 5 to 9. At pH 8, the number of protons incorporated into chromatophores in the light was one-half of the number of ubiquinone-10 molecules reduced in the light. 4. Among several pH indicators tested, bromothymol blue (BTB) and neutral red (NR) showed absorbance changes on illumination of chromatophores. Although the pH change indicated by the absorbance change was opposite to the light-induced pH change of the medium, the effect of KCl on the absorbance changes of BTB and NR, and the effect of valinomycin on that of NR, but not on that of BTB, were similar to those on the light-induced pH change. 5. The light-induced absorbance change of BTB was significantly inhibited by NR, whereas that of NR was hardly influenced by BTB. 6. Oligomycin stimulated the light-induced absorbance change of BTB under either non-phosphorylating or phosphorylating conditions. On the other hand, that of NR under phosphorylating conditions was 50% of that under non-phosphorylating conditions, and was increased by oligomycin.     

Oxalacetate decarboxylase and pyruvate carboxylase activities, and effect of sulfhydryl reagents in malic enzyme from Sulfolobus solfataricus

Malic enzyme (S)-malate: NADP+ oxidoreductase (oxaloacetate-decarboxylating, EC 1.1.1.40) purified from the thermoacidophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus, strain MT-4, catalyzed the metal-dependent decarboxylation of oxaloacetate at optimum pH 7.6 at a rate comparable to the decarboxylation of L-malate. The oxaloacetate decarboxylase activity was stimulated about 50% by NADP but only in the presence of MgCl2, and was strongly inhibited by L-malate and NADPH which abolished the NADP activation. In the presence of MnCl2 and in the absence of NADP, the Michaelis constant and Vm for oxaloacetate were 1.7 mM and 2.3 mumol.min-1.mg-1, respectively. When MgCl2 replaced MnCl2, the kinetic parameters for oxaloacetate remained substantially unvaried, whereas the Km and Vm values for L-malate have been found to vary depending on the metal ion. The enzyme carried out the reverse reaction (malate synthesis) at about 70% of the forward reaction, at pH 7.2 and in the presence of relatively high concentrations of bicarbonate and pyruvate. Sulfhydryl residues (three cysteine residues per subunit) have been shown to be essential for the enzymatic activity of the Sulfolobus solfataricus malic enzyme. 5,5'-Dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and N-ethylmaleimide caused the inactivation of the oxidative decarboxylase activity, but at different rates. The inactivation of the overall activity by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate was partially prevented by NADP singly or in combination with both L-malate and MnCl2, and strongly enhanced by the carboxylic acid substrates; NADP + malate + MnCl2 afforded total protection. The inactivation of the oxaloacetate decarboxylase activity by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate treatment was found to occur at a slower rate than that of the oxidative decarboxylase activity.     

Polyadenylate polymerase from cytoplasm and nuclei of N.I.H.-Swiss mouse embryos.

Poly (A) polymerase activity from cytoplasm and nuclei of 12-16-day-old mouse embryos has been partially purified by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, DEAE-cellulose, phosphocellulose and tRNA-Sepharose affinity chromatography, and their properties have been compared. The nuclear and cytoplasmic enzymes exhibit similar chromatographic elution profiles, and similar biochemical and physical properties. Poly(A) polymerase has an absolute requirement for a divalent cation, ATP and an oligo- or polyribonucleotide primer. With tRNA, the divalent salt concentrations for optimum enzyme activity are 1 mM MnCl2 or 10 mM MgCl2. The enzyme activity with MnCl2 is 10-15-fold higher than that with MgCl2. The molecular weight of the native enzyme is about 65 000 and its sedimentation coefficient is around 4.5 S. The average chain length synthesized by the enzyme is between 10 and 13 nucleotides. The inhibitors of RNA polymerase do not affect poly (A) polymerase activity; however, some synthetic rifamycin SV derivatives are potent inhibitors of this enzyme.     

Characterization of the 5'' to 3'' exonuclease associated with Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase.

Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase was shown to contain an associated 5' to 3' exonuclease activity. Both polymerase and exonuclease activities cosedimented with a molecular weight of 72,000 during sucrose gradient centrifugation. Using a novel in situ activity gel procedure to simultaneously detect these two activities, we observed both DNA polymerase and exonuclease in a single band following either nondenaturing or denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis: therefore, DNA polymerase and exonuclease activities reside in the same polypeptide. As determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis this enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of 92,000. The exonuclease requires a divalent cation (MgCl2 or MnCl2), has a pH optimum of 9.0 and excises primarily deoxyribonucleoside 5'-monophosphate from double-stranded DNA. Neither heat denatured DNA nor the free oligonucleotide (24-mer) were efficient substrates for exonuclease activity. The rate of hydrolysis of a 5'-phosphorylated oligonucleotide (24-mer) annealed to M13mp2 DNA was about twofold faster than the same substrate containing a 5'-hydroxylated residue. Hydrolysis of a 5'-terminal residue from a nick was preferred threefold over the same 5'-end of duplex DNA. The 5' to 3' exonuclease activity appeared to function coordinately with the DNA polymerase to facilitate a nick translational DNA synthesis reaction.     

Extraction and biochemical characterization of a nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase activity in bull spermatozoa.

Bull spermatozoa heads were separated from cytoplasmic contaminants, especially mitochondria-rich middle pieces, by centrifugation through 2.4M-sucrose. DNA polymerase activity was demonstrated by incubating nuclear heads for 1 h at 37 degrees C or for 20 h at room temperature in a medium containing detergent and dithiothreitol or 2-mercaptoethanol. Optimal DNA polymerase activity was detected after extraction in a medium containing 50 mM-borate, pH9, 1 mg of soya-bean trypsin inhibitor/ml and supplemented with either 20 mM-dithiothreitol and 4% Tween 80 or 100mM-2-mercaptoethanol and 10% Tween 80. The DNA polymerase reaction was Mg2+-dependent; Mn2+ or Ca2+ could not replace Mg2+ and all four deoxynucleoside triphosphates were required for optimal activity. The polymerase activity was pH-dependent (optimum between 8.2 and 10.5) and was a function of buffer composition and also of pH values. Optimal activity was obtained with 50 mM-Na+ or 150mM-K+ and was partially lowered by N-ethylmaleimide; it was inhibited by spermidine and by salmon protamines, but was greatly stimulated by calf thymus histones. It was also resistant to actinomycin D, netropsin and ethidium bromide. The present results suggest that bull spermatozoa heads contain a beta-type DNA polymerase activity.     

Control of the production and partial characterization of repressible extracellular 5'-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphatase in Neurospora crass.

A new species of orthophosphate repressible extracellular 5'-nucleotidase (5'-ribonucleotide phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.5) was found to be released into mycelial culture media when a wild type strain of Neurospora crassa was grown on limiting amounts of phosphate. The production of 5'-nucleotidase and extracellular acid and alkaline phosphatase was inhibited by the addition of rifampicin when it was added at the later stage of mycelial growth, but not when it was added at a very early stage. The 5'-nucleotidase and extracellular alkaline phosphatase were partially purified and characterized. pH optimum of the former was 6.8 and that of the latter was higher than 10.0. The 5'-nucleotidase activity was inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) and ZnCl2 at pH 6.8 and stimulated by MnCl2 and CoCl2 at pH 4.0. Alkaline phosphatase activity was stimulated by EDTA, MgCl2, CoCl2 and MnCl2. 5'-nucleotidase activity was stimulated by EDTA, MgCl2, CoCl2 and MnCl2. 5'-nucleotidase hydrolyzed various 5'-nucletides but not 3'-nucleotides or other various phosphomono- and diester compounds. Alkaline phosphatase hydrolyzed all the phosphomonoester compounds tested. Mutants, nuc-1 and nuc-2, which were originally isolated by the inability to utilize RNA or DNA as a sole source of phosphate, were unable to produce 5'-nucleotidase or six other repressible enzymes reported previously. These mutants showed no or significantly reduced growth on orthophosphate-free nucleotide media depending on the number of conidia inoculated, mainly because of loss of ability to produce these repressible extracellular phosphatases.     

3'-phosphoadenylylsulfate:galactosylceramide 3'-sulfotransferase. An optimized assay in homogenates of developing brain.

An optimized in vitro assay of 3'-phosphoadenylysulfate:galactosylceramide 3'-sulfotransferase (EC 2.8.2.11, galactosylceramide sulfotransferase, formerly known as galactocerebroside sulfotransferase) activity is presented, that can be used in crude homogenate of brain tissue of various developmental stages. The enzyme activity is determined by measuring the [35S]sulfatides formed by the enzymic transfer of [35S]sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenoside 5'-phospho [35S]sulfate to galactosylceramides. The sulfatide formation at 30 degrees C is linear up to 30 min and up to a protein concentration of 1 mg per 0.5 ml assay volume. The presence of 0.4% Triton X-100 and 50 micrometer exogenous bovine cerebrosides are optimal for enzyme activity. The pH optimum of the reaction is at pH 6.5 using 0.1 M imidazole buffer. The enzyme reaction is stimulated by NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, CaCl2, MnCl2, ATP and inhibited by ADP. The developmental enzyme activity pattern of mouse brain is the same, if derived from homogenates and microsomes, respectively, under our assay conditions.     

Substituting manganese for magnesium alters certain reaction properties of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase

MnCl2 was partially effective as a substitute for MgCl2 in activating the K+- dependent phosphatase reaction catalyzed by a purified (Na+ + K+)-ATPase enzyme preparation from canine kidney medulla, the maximal velocity attainable being one-fourth that with MgCl2. Estimates of the concentration of free Mn2+ available when the reaction was half-maximally stimulated lie in the range of the single high-affinity divalent cation site previously identified (Grisham, C.M. and Mildvan, A.S. (1974) J. Biol. Chem. 249, 3187--3197). MnCl2 competed with MgCl2 as activator of the phosphatase reaction, again consistent with action through a single site. However, with MnCl2 appreciable ouabain-inhibitable phosphatase activity occurred in the absence of added KCl, and the apparent affinities for K+ as activator of the reaction and for Na+ as inhibitor were both decreased. For the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase reaction substituting MnCl2 for MgCl2 was also partially effective, but no stimulation in the absence of added KCl, in either the absence or presence of NaCl, was detectable. Moreover, the apparent affinity for K+ was increased by the substitution, although that for Na+ was decreased as in the phosphatase reaction. Substituting MnCl2 also altered the sensitivity to inhibitors. For both reactions the inhibition by ouabain and by vanadate was increased, as was binding of [48V] -vanadate to the enzyme; furthermore, binding in the presence of MnCl2 was, unlike that with MgCl2, insensitive to KCl and NaCl. Inhibition of the phosphatase reaction by ATP was decreased with 1 mM but not 10 mM KCl. Finally, inhibition of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase reaction by Triton X-100 was increased, but that by dimethylsulfoxide decreased after such substitution. These findings are considered in terms of Mn2+ at the divalent cation site being a better selector than Mg2+ of the E2 conformational states of the enzyme, states also selected by K+ and by dimethylsulfoxide and reactive with ouabain and vanadate; the E1 conformational states, by contrast, are those selected by Na+ and ATP, and also by Triton X-100.     

Solubilization and characterization of particulate form of DNA polymerase from adult rat liver nuclei

DNA polymerase was solubilized from adult liver chromatin-membrane complex. The activity of this solubilized enzyme was 20–30 times higher than that of the partially purified cytoplasmic DNA polymerase. The solubilized nuclear particulate enzyme differed from the cytoplasmic enzyme in properties such as template preference, salt effect and pH optimum. ATP stimulated only the cytoplasmic enzyme, but EDTA and spermidine, stimulated the solubilized nuclear particulate enzyme but not the cytoplasmic enzyme. On sucrose density gradient centrifugation the cytoplasmic DNA polymerase sedimented around 9 S and the solubilized nuclear enzyme sedimented around 3–4 S.     

Identification and characterization of a 3' to 5' exonuclease associated with spinach chloroplast DNA polymerase.

Spinach chloroplast DNA polymerase was shown to copurify with a 3' to 5' exonuclease activity during DEAE-cellulose, hydroxylapatite, and heparin-agarose column chromatography. In addition, both activities comigrated during nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and cosedimented through a glycerol gradient with an apparent molecular weight of 105,000. However, two forms of exonuclease activity were detected following velocity sedimentation analysis. Form I constituted approximately 35% of the exonuclease activity and was associated with the DNA polymerase, whereas the remaining activity (form II) was free of DNA polymerase and exhibited a molecular weight of approximately 26,500. Resedimentation of form I exonuclease generated both DNA polymerase associated and DNA polymerase unassociated forms of the exonuclease, suggesting that polymerase/exonuclease dissociation occurred. The exonuclease activity (form I) was somewhat resistant to inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide, whereas the DNA polymerase activity was extremely sensitive. Using in situ detection following SDS-polyacrylamide activity gel electrophoresis, both form I and II exonucleases were shown to reside in a similar, if not identical, polypeptide of approximately 20,000 molecular weight. Both form I and II exonucleases were equally inhibited by NaCl and required 7.5 mM MgCl2 for optimal activity. The 3' to 5' exonuclease excised deoxyribonucleoside 5'-monophosphates from both 3'-terminally matched and 3'-terminally mismatched primer termini. In general, the exonuclease preferred to hydrolyze mismatched 3'-terminal nucleotides as determined from the Vmax/Km ratios for all 16 possible combinations of matched and mismatched terminal base pairs. These results suggest that the 3' to 5' exonuclease may be involved in proofreading errors made by chloroplast DNA polymerase.     

Meiosis in Coprinus: characterization and activities of two forms of DNA polymerase during meiotic stages.

Two forms of DNA polymerase have been studied in the basidiomycete Coprinus. DNA polymerase from basidiocarp tissues at zygotene-pachytene stage has been purified 3,500-fold and defined as DNA polymerase b by virtue of its insensitivity to N-ethylmaleimide and by its low molecular weight (76,000). This enzyme has optimal activity at pH 7.0 to 7.5, at 200 mM KCl, and at 25 degrees C incubation temperature. It can use polycytidylic acid-oligo(dG)12-18 as template primer in addition to homodeoxypolymers. The DNA polymerase a is mainly produced in the exponentially growing mycelium. It is sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide and has a temperature optimum at 35 degrees C. At the premeiotic S phase, activities from both polymerase a and polymerase b are found in cell-free extracts. The b enzyme is the only DNA polymerase produced during meiotic prophase. Its assayable activity exhibits two peaks, one at premeiotic S stage and one at pachytene. It is possible that DNA polymerase b is responsible for pachytene repairs involved in recombination.     

Nucleolar phosphoprotein phosphatase from Novikoff hepatoma and rat liver: characterization and partial purification.

Phosphoprotein phosphatase which dephosphorylates 32P-labeled nucleolar protein substrates was found in nucleoli of Novikoff hepatoma ascites cells and normal rat liver. The activity was extracted in high yield from nucleoli with 0.01 M Bis/Tris (pH 7.0). Low ionic strength was also required for activity: the activity was only 50% of maximum in 0.075 M NaCl. Activity was affected differently by various divalent cations: MgCl2 had little effect: CaCl2, MnCl2 and CoCl2 above 4 mM inhibited the activity 30--60%; ZnCl2 above 2 mM completely destroyed the activity. EDTA had no effect, indicating that divalent cations are probably not required. The enzyme activity was enhanced 20% by 5--8 mM dithiothreitol and was inhibited 60% by 7--10 mM N-ethylmaleimide indicating a requirement for free sulfhydryl groups. The Km of the extracted enzyme for 32P-labeled nucleolar protein was 0.6 mg/ml. The phosphatase was capable of dephosporylating the major phosphorylated nucleolar proteins C23-24 and B23-24 and also histone H1. The enzyme was purified more than 200-fold on hydroxyapatite followed by DEAE-Sephadex, which resolved the activity into three major components. The activity of enzyme extracted from Novikoff hepatoma nucleoli was approximately 2.5 times greater than from normal liver nucleoli.     

Mammalian proliferating cell nuclear antigen stimulates the processivity of two wheat embryo DNA polymerases.

Multiple DNA polymerases have been described in all organisms studied to date. Their specific functions are not easy to determine, except when powerful genetic and/or biochemical tools are available. However, the processivity of a DNA polymerase could reflect the physiological role of the enzyme. In this study, analogies between plant and animal DNA polymerases have been investigated by analyzing the size of the products synthesized by wheat DNA polymerases A, B, CI, and CII as a measure of their processivity. Thus, incubations have been carried out with poly(dA)-oligo(dT) as a template-primer under varying assay conditions. In the presence of MgCl2, DNA polymerase A was highly processive, whereas DNA polymerases B, CI, and CII synthesized much shorter products. With MnCl2 instead of MgCl2, DNA polymerase A was highly processive, DNA polymerases B and CII were moderately processive, and DNA polymerase CI remained strictly distributive. The effect of calf thymus proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) on wheat polymerases was studied as described for animal DNA polymerases. The high processivity of DNA polymerase A was PCNA independent, whereas both enzyme activity and processivity of wheat DNA polymerases B and CII were significantly stimulated by PCNA. On the other hand, DNA polymerase CI was not stimulated by PCNA and, like animal DNA polymerase beta, was distributive in all cases. From these results, we propose that wheat DNA polymerase A could correspond to a DNA polymerase alpha, DNA polymerases B and CII could correspond to the delta-like enzyme, and DNA polymerase CI could correspond to DNA polymerase beta.     

Interaction and conformational changes of chromatin with divalent ions.

We have investigated the interaction of divalent ions with chromatin towards a closer understanding of the role of metal ions in the cell nucleus. The first row transition metal ion chlorides MnCl2, CoCl2, NiCl2 and CuCl2 lead to precipitation of chicken erythrocyte chromatin at a significantly lower concentration than the alkali earth metal chlorides MgCl2, CaCl2 and BaCl2. A similar distinction can be made for the compaction of chromatin to the "30 nm" solenoid higher order structure which occurs at lower MeCl2 concentration in the first group but at the same MeCl2 concentration within each group. In other experiments in which mixed solutions of NaCl and of MgCl2 were examined, it is shown that increasing NaCl concentration leads to increasing solubility in the presence of MgCl2. Best compaction of chromatin was obtained at 40 mM NaCl and 0.8 mM MgCl2 at a value A260 approximately 0.8. Similar experiments were undertaken with mixtures of NaCl and MnCl2.     

HDV ribozyme activity in monovalent cations

Activity of the two ribozymes from hepatitis delta virus in monovalent salts was examined and compared to activity in Mg2+. Both ribozymes self-cleaved in high concentrations of monovalent cations, and an active site cytosine was required for cleavage activity under those conditions. Cleavage rates were 30-50-fold higher for reactions in LiCl than for reactions in NaCl or NH4Cl, and a thio effect indicated that chemistry was rate-determining for cleavage of the HDV genomic ribozyme in LiCl. Still, in LiCl, there was a more than 100-fold increase in the rate when MgCl2 was included in the reaction. However, the pH-rate profiles for the reactions in LiCl with and without MgCl2 were both bell-shaped with the pH optima in the neutral range. These findings support the idea that monovalent cations can partially substitute for divalent metal ions in the HDV ribozymes, although a divalent metal ion is more effective in supporting catalysis. The absence of a dramatic change in the general shape of pH-rate profiles in LiCl, relative to the profile for reactions including Mg2+, is in contrast to earlier data for the reactions in NaCl and limits our interpretation of the specific role played by the divalent metal ion in the catalytic mechanism.     

DNA polymerase alpha is associated with replicating SV40 nucleoprotein complexes.

Simian virus 40 (SV40) nucleoprotein complexes were extracted from nuclei of infected monkey cells and fractionated on neutral sucrose density gradients. Complexes which contained replicating SV40 DNA (95S) separated well from those containing closed circular supercoiled viral DNA (75S). DNA polymerase activity was associated with the replicating nucleoprotein complexes but not with the slower sedimenting complexes. This DNA polymerase activity coprecipitated with the nucleoprotein complexes in the presence of MgCl2 and remained associated with the 95S complexes. This DNA polymerase activity has been identified as primarily DNA polymerase alpha on the basis of its sedimentation behavior, optimum salt concentration, and sensitivity to N-ethylmaleimide. DNA polymerase gamma activity was also detected in the complexes, but DNA polymerase beta was not associated with the complexes.     

Purification and properties of an endonuclease endogenous to rat-liver nuclei

An endonuclease endogenous to rat-liver nuclei has been purified by a series of chromatographic procedures and finally by isoelectric focusing (IEF) electrophoresis. The nuclease fraction prepared by the IEF electrophoresis (IEF fraction) showed a pI value of 5.7 and migrated as a single band to a molecular weight position of 46,000 on an SDS-polyacrylamide gel. The activity for single-stranded DNA was enhanced by 10 mM MgCl2 and/or by 5-15 mM MgCl2 in the presence of 2 mM CaCl2 (an optimum pH, 7.0), but was lowered by CaCl2 alone and inhibited strongly by ZnCl2 or MnCl2. The activity for duplex DNA was rather low, although an optimum condition was 10 mM MgCl2. In fact, even under this condition, the activity was about 40% lower than that for single-stranded DNA. Moreover, the IEF fraction formed single-strand nicks much more rapidly than double-strand cuts in pBR322 DNA, and preferentially produced deoxyadenosine 5'-monophosphate termini in the DNA. In addition, RNAase activity was also detected in this fraction.     

Condensation of supercoiled DNA induced by MnCl2.

Multivalent cations condense DNA in vitro, but it had been thought that a valence of at least + 3 was required in aqueous solution. We have found that Mn2+ can produce toroidal condensates of supercoiled plasmid DNA, but not of linearized plasmid. Mg2+ does not cause condensation, and neither MgCl2 nor NaCl can negate the effect of MnCl2, indicating that the condensation mechanism with Mn is not primarily electrostatic. Supercoiled MnDNA is more extensively digested than the linear form by S1 nuclease. Supercoiling appears to cooperate with Mn2+ in stabilizing helix distortions and also provides a "pressure" that enhances lateral association.