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. 1979 Mar 1;177(3):825–831. doi: 10.1042/bj1770825

Convolution analysis of transcription by yeast DNA-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase A. A mathematical method for studying ribonucleic acid chain elongation.

C S Cooper, R V Quincey
PMCID: PMC1186447  PMID: 375933

Abstract

The rate of initiation of RNA synthesis catalysed by yeast RNA polymerase A on native calf thymus DNA decayed exponentially with a half-life of about 4.3 min. The rate constant for initiation was unaffected by preincubating the enzyme with DNA, or by decreasing the concentration of GTP 4-fold. The rate of RNA synthesis was constant for 15--20 min and then decreased. Each enzyme molecule made no more than one RNA molecule. In this situation, initiation, elongation and total RNA synthesis are related by a convolution integral. Solution of the convolution integral revealed that the rate of elongation was apparently biphasic. Analysis of the size of the RNA product showed that this biphasic profile arose because most but not all of the enzyme stopped RNA synthesis soon after initiation.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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