Eukaryotic mRNA capping enzyme-guanylate covalent intermediate.

Incubation of HeLa cell mRNA guanylyltransferase (GTP:mRNA guanylyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.50) with [alpha-32P]GTP and a divalent cation in the absence of an RNA acceptor results in the formation of a covalent enzyme-guanylate complex. The complex, after purification by phosphocellulose chromatography, can transfer its bound GMP moiety to pyrophosphate, regenerating GTP, or to the 5'-diphosphate end of poly(A), forming a cap structure G(5')pppA(pA)n. The GMP-polypeptide has a molecular weight of 65,000 and is stable to heating in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. On the basis of the alkali-stable and acid-labile nature of the bond and its susceptibility to nucleophilic attack by hydroxylamine at low pH, the GMP-polypeptide linkage appears to be a phosphoamine bond. After digestion with trypsin, a single GMP-peptide was resolved by two dimensional electrophoresis and chromatography.