In vivo transcription from the adenovirus E2 early promoter by RNA polymerase III.

We have previously reported that the subgroup C adenovirus E2 early (E2E) RNA polymerase II promoter can specify efficient in vitro transcription by RNA polymerase III. We now show that promoter proximal sequences of the E2E transcription unit are also transcribed by RNA polymerase III in nuclei isolated from adenovirus-infected cells. Small E2E RNA species that possessed the same properties as in vitro synthesized RNA polymerase III E2E transcripts were detected in cytoplasmic RNA populations from infected cells by using blotting, primer extension, and RNase protection assays. The 3' termini of these RNAs were mapped to thymidine-rich sequences typical of RNA polymerase III termination sites. These results demonstrate that a single gene can be transcribed by both RNA polymerase II and RNA polymerase III in vivo.