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. 1974 Dec;143(3):511–520. doi: 10.1042/bj1430511

The nucleoside triphosphate–ribonucleic acid nucleotidyltransferase (EC 2.7.7.6) of Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith and Townsend) Conn. Purification and properties of the enzyme from the tumorigenic strain B6806

U C Knopf 1,*
PMCID: PMC1168420  PMID: 4462737

Abstract

The RNA nucleotidyltransferase (RNA polymerase) of the plant-tumorigenic bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens was purified. The method involves the disruption of the bacterial cells with glass beads in a Waring Blendor, treatment with DEAE-cellulose, fractionation with (NH4)2SO4, protamine sulphate precipitation, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography and either glycerol-gradient centrifugation or phosphocellulose chromatography. The subunit structure of the highly purified enzyme is similar to, although not identical with, the RNA nucleotidyltransferase of Escherichia coli. It can be described as β′, β, χ1 and α (mol.wts. 160000, 150000, 98000, and 41000±10% respectively). χ1 is the temporary designation for a protein subunit, which might have the same functions as the σ subunit in E. coli. The enzyme of A. tumefaciens is rifampicin-sensitive, has a temperature optimum in vitro of 41±1°C and a pH optimum of 8.2±0.1. Mg2+ and Mn2+ are activators. The enzyme transcribes with different efficiencies artificial, viral, bacterial, plant and animal templates.

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Selected References

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