A simple assay for determining the capping efficiencies of RNA polymerases used for in vitro transcription.

We have developed an assay that uses phenyl boronate agarose column chromatography to measure the capping efficiencies of RNA polymerases used for in vitro transcription of cloned cDNAs. Capped 32P-labeled ovalbumin mRNAs were synthesized by in vitro run-off transcription with SP6 or T7 RNA polymerase in the presence of cap analogs and digested to completion with T1 and T2 RNase. The resulting 3'-nucleoside monophosphates (NMPs) and cap structures were separated by chromatography on phenyl boronate agarose, and the ratio of radioactivity between the two was used to estimate the extent of transcript capping.