Polyamines exert regulatory control on mycobacterial transcription: a study using RNA polymerase from Mycobacterium phlei.

We have used purified RNA polymerase from Mycobacterium phlei to study the role of polyamines in mycobacterial transcription. Both initiation and elongation phases of the process were affected biphasically by polyamines. Interaction of polyamines with DNA template plays an important role in transcription modulation. Our studies emphasize that polyamines can exert a regulatory control on mycobacterial transcription.