Spectroscopic analysis of DNA base-pair opening by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Temperature and ionic strength effects.

The interaction of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase with poly[d(A-T)] and poly[d-(I-C)] was studied by difference absorption spectroscopy at temperatures, from 5 to 45 degrees C in the absence and presence of Mg2+. The effect of KCl concentration, at a fixed temperature, was studied from 12.5 to 400 mM. Difference absorption experiments permitted calculation of the extent of DNA opening induced by RNA polymerase and estimation of the equilibrium constant associated with the isomerization from a closed to an open RNA polymerase-DNA complex. delta H0 and delta S0 for the closed-to-open transition with poly[d(A-T)] or poly[d(I-C)] complexed with RNA polymerase are significantly lower than the values associated with the helix-to-coil transition for the free polynucleotides. For the RNA polymerase complexes with poly[d(A-T)] and poly[d(I-C)] in 50 mM KCl, delta H0 approximately 15-16 kcal/mol (63-67 kJ/mol) and delta S0 approximately 50-57 cal/K per mol (209-239 J/K per mol). The presence of Mg2+ does not change these parameters appreciably for the RNA polymerase-poly[d(A-T)] complex, but for the RNA polymerase-poly[d(I-C)] complex in the presence of Mg2+, the delta H0 and delta S0 values are larger and temperature-dependent, with delta H0 approximately 22 kcal/mol (92 kJ/mol) and delta S0 approximately 72 cal/K per mol (approx. 300 J/K per mol) at 25 degrees C, and delta Cp0 approximately 2 kcal/K per mol (approx. 8.3 kJ/K per mol). The circular dichroism (CD) changes observed for helix opening induced by RNA polymerase are qualitatively consistent with the thermally induced changes observed for the free polynucleotides, supporting the difference absorption method. The salt-dependent studies indicate that two monovalent cations are released upon helix opening. For poly[d(A-T)], the temperature-dependence of enzyme activity correlates well with the helix opening, implying this step to be the rate-determining step. In the case of poly[d(I-C)], the same is not true, and so the rate-determining step must be a process subsequent to helix opening.