Monoclonal antibody directed against RNA polymerase II of Drosophila melanogaster.

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against purified RNA polymerase II ( or B) from Drosophila melanogaster. The antibody produced by one hybridoma cell clone was found to be directed against the two large subunits of the enzyme. The absence of antibodies directed against proteins possibly contaminating the antigens used for immunization allowed us to identify RNA polymerase unequivocally in interbands and puffs of polytene chromosomes. Within a single heat shock puff (87C1) RNA polymerase was found to be clustered in two separate areas suggesting two distinct regions of RNA polymerase activity in this puff.