Methyl mercury stimulates chain elongation by purified HeLa RNA polymerase II.

Methyl mercury (MeHg) inhibited the overall RNA synthetic reaction of HeLa RNA polymerase II. However, when RNA chain initiation was allowed to occur in its absence, MeHg stimulated the rate of the subsequent elongation stage of the reaction. Chain elongation with both double-stranded and single-stranded DNA templates was stimulated. This stimulatory effect was specific for MeHg; both p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and HgCl2 inhibited chain elongation (to about the same degree as they inhibited the overall reaction). The stimulatory effect was also specific for the HeLa polymerase; with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, MeHg inhibited elongation (to the same degree as it inhibited the overall reaction).