Transcription and circular dichroism of chromatin in lymphoblastoid cell lines during proliferation and quiescence.

RNA polymerase activity of nuclei and positive circular dichroism ellipticity in the 250--300 nm region of chromatin were studied in three lymphoblastoid cell lines: HRI, an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) positive virus-producing line; Raji, and EBV positive virus-producing line; Raji, an EBV positive non-producer line; and SU-AMB-1, and EBV negative line. Raji consistently exhibited the highest and SU-AMB-1 the lowest polymerase activity and ellipticity. All lines showed higher RNA polymerase activity and positive ellipticity when exponentially growing than when stationary. In Raji it was shown that changes in RNA polymerase activity and chromatin ellipiticity were parallel. The changes in RNA polymerase activity of nuclei and circular dichroism ellipticity correlated with those of the proliferative state but not with the number of viral genomes or the production of virus or viral antigens.