Nucleic Acids Research, 1980, Vol. 8, No. 2 225-234
© 1980
Article |
Reinitiation of synthesis of small cytoplasmic RNA species K and L in isolated HeLa cell nuclei in vitro
Lehrstuhl f
r Biochemie, Ruhr-Universitat, D-4630 Bochum, GFR
Received December 4, 1979. Isolated HeLa cell nuclei were used to synthesize low molecular weight RNA species in-vitro. The labelled RNA released from the nuclei during the incubation mainly consists of 5S RNA, pre-tRNA and small cytoplasmic RNA species K and L. All these low molecular weight RNA species are synthesized by RNA polymer-ase C (or III). The polyanion heparin was applied to study the reinitiation of these RNA molecules in-vitro. A comparison of the kinetics of RNA synthesis in the absence and in the presence of this inhibitor demonstrates a highly efficient in-vitro reinitiation of scRNA species K and L as well as 5S and pre-tRNA by RNA polymerase C. These results indicate a general competence of this enzyme to catalyze the de-novo formation of specific gene products in-vitro.