DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from Crithidia oncopelti kinetoplasts

Mitochondrial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase was isolated from Crithidia oncopelti kinetoplasts, and its properties were studied. RNA polymerase was solubilized from the structures with 2% digitonin in 0.25 M KCl. The enzyme was purified 550-fold according to activity by gel filtration through Sephadex 4B, followed by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose 4B, phosphocellulose, and DEAE-Sephadex A-50. The optimum conditions of the RNA polymerase reaction (time of incubation, temperature, Mg2+, K+ concentrations, etc) were determined. It was established that the activity of the enzyme is not inhibited by α-amanitin, rifampicin, and streptolidigin, but is strongly suppressed by Mn2+ ions, a high KCl concentrations, as well as ethidium bromide. The RNA polymerase isolated transcribes denatured DNA substantially better than the native form. The enzyme utilizes mtDNA (in hybrid plasmids) as a substrate appreciably more actively than the nuclear form. Among the substrates used, the greatest template activity is possessed by single-stranded poly(dAT). In all the properties studied, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from C. oncopelti kinetoplasts is similar to the mitochondrial enzymes of other eukaryotes but differs from the nuclear enzymes of this organism and from bacterial RNA polymerases