The presence and possible role of zinc in RNA polymerase obtained from Escherichia coli.

Highly purified preparations of the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase obtained from Escherichia coli contain about 2 g-atoms of tightly bound zinc per mol (molecular weight 370,000) of enzyme. When the purified enzyme is fractionated on Sephadex G-150 or G-200, correlation is observed between the zinc and enzymic activity. Although some of the preparations examined also contain iron, copper, and magnesium, the content of these metal ions show no consistent correlation with RNA polymerase activity. Initiation of RNA synthesis is specifically inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline. Less-effective inhibition is observed for other chelating agents or for a nonchelating phenanthroline analog. The analog also exhibits a pattern of inhibition differing from that characteristic of 1,10-phenanthroline. Binding of purine nucleoside triphosphates at the lower-affinity (K(d) = 0.15 mM) site may also be prevented by the addition of 1,10-phenanthroline. One or both of the bound zinc atoms may, therefore, participate in the initiation of RNA synthesis.