In vitro transcription of the Bacillus subtilis phage phi 29 DNA by Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli RNA polymerases.

The Escherichia coli RNA polymerase bound to phage phi 29 DNA has been visualized by electron microscopy. Thirteen specific binding sites have been observed at 1.7,2.6,5.5,10.4,13.7,25.2,25.7,26.3,33.5,59.5,69.2,91.7 and 99.6 DNA length units and they have been named A1,A1I,A1II,A1III,A1IV,A2,A2I, A3, A4,B1,B1I,C1 and C2, respectively. The binding sites A1,A2,A3,B1,C1 and C2 coincide with those found with Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase. The transcription of phage phi 29 DNA with B. subtilis or E. coli RNA polymerases has been studied. With the B. subtilis RNA polymerase eight transcripts were found, starting at positions corresponding to the binding sites A1, A1III, A2,A3,B1I,B2,C1 and C2, respectively. With the E. coli RNA polymerase the same transcripts were found and a new one starting at position corresponding to the A4 binding site. The RNAs starting at binding sites A1,A1III,A2,B1I, B2,C1 and C2 are transcribed from right to left, as expected for early RNA. The RNAs which initiate at positions A3 and A4 are transcribed from left to right and probably correspond to late RNAs.