Nucleic acid enzymology of extremely halophilic bacteria. Halobacterium cutirubrum deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase

1. DNA-dependent RNA polymerase was purified 150-fold from crude extracts of the extreme halophile Halobacterium cutirubrum. 2. The enzyme requires the presence of native DNA and all four nucleoside triphosphates to incorporate (14)C-labelled nucleoside triphosphate into an acid-insoluble ribonuclease-sensitive product. 3. It has an absolute requirement for both Mn(2+) and Mg(2+). 4. The polymerase requires a high salt concentration for stability, but is markedly inhibited by univalent cations. 5. Its molecular weight is very low compared with that of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase.