T7 RNA polymerase: conformation, functional groups, and promotor binding.

Circular dichroic spectra of T7 RNA polymerase show minima at 222 nm ([theta]m=-7.9 X 10(3) deg cm2/dmol) and 208 nm ([theta]m =-7.55 X 10(3) deg cm2/dmol) and a maximum at 193 nm ([theta]m = 1.2 X 10(4) deg cm2/dmol). The small mean residue ellipticity above 200 nm indicates that the secondary structure contains approximately 12% alpha helix. The secondary structure is unaltered by high salt, glycerol, -SH reagents, nitration of tyrosyl residues, and chelating agents. Binding of the native enzyme to [32P]T7 DNA has been measured by the retention of the protein-[32P]DNA complexes on nitrocellulose filters. At 37degrees T7 RNA polymerase binds to its promoters in the absence of NTP's. Binding and catalytic activity are both abolished at 0degree. Binding of the initiating [gamma-32P]GTP can also be detected by the filter binding assay. Native T7 RNA polymerase is inactivated by reaction with 1 mol of 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (Nbs2) or 1 mol of [14C]iodoacetamide. The latter reaction is blocked by Nbs2 suggesting that a single -SH group is required for activity. Alkylation of the -SH group does not alter binding of the enzyme to the DNA template, but modifies the binding of GTP to the enzyme. Nitration of approximately4 surface tyrosyl residues of the protein prevents binding to T7 DNA. The restriction endonuclease, Hpa II, cuts T7 DNA into approximately40 fragments and reduces total RNA synthesis by T7 RNA polymerase by 70%. Fragmentation of the DNA template by Hpa II does not alter the rate of RNA chain initiation by T7 polymerase, and restriction fragments accounting for approximately25% of the T7 DNA still bind tightly to the enzyme. Thus the T7 RNA polymerase promoters remain intact on the restriction fragments. Gel electrophoresis of the transcription products, using restriction fragments as templates, show that of the seven in vitro transcripts produced by T7 RNA polymerase from whole T7 DNA, only the smallest (representing the last 1.5% of the genome) is transcribed from Hpa II fragments. The remaining transcripts are replaced by six new and much shorter mRNA's. The DNA fragments containing the promoters for these mRNA's have been removed from the fragment mix by binding them to the enzyme and retaining the complexes on nitrocellulose filters.