By using micro disc electrophoresis and micro-diffusion techniques, the interaction of pure DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (EC 2.7.7.6) from Escherichia coli with the template, the substrates and the inhibitors heparin and rifampicin was investigated. The following findings were obtained: (1) heparin converts the 24S and 18S particles of the polymerase into the 13S form; (2) heparin inhibits RNA synthesis by dissociating the enzyme–template complex; (3) rifampicin does not affect the attachment of heparin to the enzyme; (4) the substrates ATP and UTP are bound by enzyme loaded with rifampicin; (5) rifampicin is bound by an enzyme–template complex to the same extent as by an RNA-synthesizing enzyme–template complex. From this it is concluded that the mechanism of the inhibition of RNA synthesis by rifampicin is radically different from that by heparin. As a working hypothesis to explain the inhibitory mechanism of rifampicin, it is assumed that it becomes very firmly attached to a position close to the synthesizing site and only blocks this when no synthesis is in progress.
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Research Article|
April 01 1970
Micro-analysis of pure deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase from Escherichia coli. Action of heparin and rifampicin on structure and function
Volker Neuhoff
;
Volker Neuhoff
1Max-Planck-Institut für Experimentelle Medizin, Arbeitsgruppe Neurochemie und Abteilung Chemie, 34 Göttingen, Germany
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Wolf-Bernhard Schill
;
Wolf-Bernhard Schill
1Max-Planck-Institut für Experimentelle Medizin, Arbeitsgruppe Neurochemie und Abteilung Chemie, 34 Göttingen, Germany
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Hans Sternbach
Hans Sternbach
1Max-Planck-Institut für Experimentelle Medizin, Arbeitsgruppe Neurochemie und Abteilung Chemie, 34 Göttingen, Germany
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Biochem J (1970) 117 (3): 623–631.
Citation
Volker Neuhoff, Wolf-Bernhard Schill, Hans Sternbach; Micro-analysis of pure deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase from Escherichia coli. Action of heparin and rifampicin on structure and function. Biochem J 1 April 1970; 117 (3): 623–631. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bj1170623
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