Chromatographic separation of DNA dependent RNA polymerases and molecular properties of RNA polymerase II from a Leishmania Spp.

Multiple forms of DNA-dependent RNA polymerases have been isolated and characterized from Leishmania strain UR6 promastigotes. RNA polymerases from this organism fail to resolve into multiple forms by conventional chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A25, but could be separated by a modification of the method using CM-Sephadex C25. The CM-Sephadex bound enzyme is resistant to alpha-amanitin even up to a concentration of 250 micrograms/ml. The activity which flows through CM-Sephadex further resolves into two forms upon chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A25. These forms are sensitive to alpha-amanitin to different extent. Enzyme activity in peak I is 50% inhibited by 3 micrograms/ml and in peak II by 50 micrograms/ml of the drug respectively. The enzyme in peak I has been further purified by heparin agarose and fast performance liquid chromatography (FPLC) on MonoQ. The enzyme has Stoke's radius of 70 A, a sedimentation coefficient of 17.6S and an f/fo of 1.35. Analysis of ammonium sulfate and metal ion optima of the enzyme in peak I, relative activities with Mn+2 versus Mg+2 and template specificities gave results similar to those reported for other type II RNA polymerases in eukaryotes. The MonoQ purified enzyme resolves into 16 polypeptides on denaturing polyacrylamide gel and densitometric analysis suggests that 9 major bands are present in the stoichiometry expected of RNA polymerase subunits having molecular weights: 154000; 104000; 77000; 64000; 52000; 48000; 46000; 45000 and 39000 respectively.