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H C Towle

Publications and source records attributed to H C Towle.

81 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Effect of estrogen on gene expression in the chick oviduct.

Mercurated UTP was used as a substrate for RNA polymerases in the in vitro transcription of chromatin so that newly synthesized RNA could be efficiently separated from endogenous chromatin RNA by means of sulfhydryl-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Utilizing this technique, it was possible to examine the effect of varying enzyme to DNA ratios on the transcription of specific genes from chromatin. For both Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and wheat germ RNA polymerase II, lowering the enzyme to DNA ration resulted in an increase in the percentage of ovalbumin mRNA sequences transcribed from chick oviduct chromatin. Similar results were also obtained for the transcription of the globin gene from chick reticulocyte chromatin. On the other hand, transcription of the globin gene from oviduct chromatin or the ovalbumin gene from reticulocyte chromatin or deproteinized chick DNA was not significantly affected by varying enzyme to DNA ratios. These results indicate that preferential transcription of certain chromatin genes relative to total RNA synthesis can occur and that this process is dependent on the presence of chromosomal proteins. Utilizing a cDNA probe complementary to the anticoding strand of the ovalbumin gene, the degree of asymmetry of the in vitro transcription of this gene was also examined. The percentage of ovalbumin RNA sequences homologous to the anticoding strand was not significantly affected when the enzyme to DNA ratio was lowered 16-fold. Since the percentage of coding ovalbumin mRNA sequences increased more than 6-fold over the same range, the percentage of asymmetric transcription of this gene increased. At the lowest enzyme to DNA ratio tested, the transcription of the ovalbumin gene from oviduct chromatin was almost totally asymmetric and, thus, closely resembled the pattern of gene transcription characteristic of the in vivo state.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Effect of estrogen on gene expression in the chick oviduct. Studies on the initiation of RNA synthesis on chromatin in vitro.

Studies on the effect of the temperature requirement for RNA chain initiation by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase on DNA, chromatin, and reconstituted chromatin were carried out in order to better understand the nature of the initiation process. Varying the temperature or ionic strength during preincubations had little effect on the formation of stable preinitiation complexes (RS complexes) between RNA polymerase and chromatin. This observation was in marked ocntrast to similar studies performed on native DNA and indicates that initiation sites for RNA synthesis on chromatin are different from those on double-stranded DNA and resemble more closely initiation of RNA synthesis on single-stranded DNA. These results suggest that the local unwinding of the initiation region which is required for RNA chain initiation on native DNA may not be a prerequisite for RNA initiation on chromatin. The results of studies on reconstituted chromatin devoid of different classes of chromatin proteins demonstrate that both histone and nonhistone fractions are essential in maintaining the characteristics inherent to initiation of RNA synthesis on chromatin. Removal of either moderatley lysine-rich histone or arginine-rich histone fractions led to the complete loss of the characteristic "chromatin type" initiation pattern for RNA synthesis, whereas, removing lysine-rich (Fi) histone had no effect. Single strand specific and double strand specific antibodies to DNA and a single strand specific nuclease were used as probes to examine the structure of chromatin sites for initiation of RNA synthesis. Their effects on RNA synthesis suggest that initiation sites on chromatin are not located in freely accessible single-stranded or double-stranded regions of DNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

The sensitivity of RNA polymerases I and II from Novikoff hepatoma (N1S1) cells to 3'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate.

The synthesis of ribosomal precursor RNA in Novikoff hepatoma (N1S1) cells is very sensitive to cordycepin (3'-dA). The synthesis of hnRNA, however, is resistant to inhibition concentrations of 3'-dA that completely block the synthesis of 45S ribosomal RNA precursor. We have examined the RNA polymerases present in these cultured cells with regard to their sensitivity to cordycepin 5'-triphosphate (3'-dATP) in an effort to explain the differential inhibition of RNA synthesis observed in vivo. RNA polymerases I and II were characterized on the basis of their chromatographic behavior on DEAE-Sephadex, as well as the response of their enzymatic activities to ionic strength, the divalent metal ions Mn2+ and Mg2+, and the toxin alpha-amanitin. For both enzymes the inhibition of in vitro RNA synthesis by 3'-dATP was competitive for ATP. The km values for ATP and the K1 values for 3'-dATP for the two enzymes were quite similar. RNA polymerase II, the enzyme presumed responsible for hnRNA synthesis, was actually slightly more sensitive to 3'-dATP than RNA polymerase I, the enzyme presumed responsible for ribosomal precursor RNA synthesis. Similar data were obtained when the RNA polymerases were assayed in isolated nuclei. These results indicate that the differential inhibition of RNA synthesis caused by 3'-dA in vivo cannot be simply explained by differential sensitivity of RNA polymerases I and II to 3'-dATP.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMed1975

Purification and characterization of bacteriophage gh-I-induced deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase from Pseudomonas putida.

Infection of Pseudomonas putida by the bacteriophage gh-L-induced the synthesis of a novel DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. This gh-L-induced RNA polymerase was purified to near homogeneity. It was shown to be distinct from the host RNA polymerase (alpha-2 beta beta sigma) physically and in respect to many of its catalytic properties. The gh-L-induced RNA polymerase was composed of a single polypeptide of approximately 98,000 molecular weight. The divalent metal ion requirement for in vitro RNA synthesis by the gh-L-polymerase could be satisified with Mg-2+, but not with Mn-2+. Rna synthesis by the gh-L polymerase was highly resistant to inhibition by rifampicin and streptolydigin but could be inhibited by relatively low concentrations of KCl or the rifamycin derivative AF/013. The structural analog of ATP, 3'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate, inhibited both the gh-L-induced and the host RNA polymerases by competing for a single binding site with ATP. The phage polymerase was extremely sensitive to this inhibitor, exhibiting an apparent K-i value (2 times 10-8 M) approximately 100 times lower than that for the host RNA polymerase. The gh-L polymerase had a highly specific template requirement for DNA from the homologous gh-L phage. It would not efficiently utilize denatured DNA templates and had only low levels of activity with pyrimidine-containing polydeoxyribonucleotide homopolymers.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1974

Marek's disease herpesvirus-induced DNA polymerase.

Infection of duck embryo fibroblasts by Marek's disease herpesvirus (MDHV), strain GA, led to the induction of a novel DNA polymerase. This novel DNA polymerase, designated MDHV-induced DNA polymerase, could be distinguished from the DNA polymerase activities of uninfected duck embryo fibroblasts by its chromatographic behavior on phosphocellulose, by its sedimentation coefficient, and by its catalytic properties. The characteristics of MDHV-induced DNA polymerase which had been purified by phosphocellulose chromatography were investigated. The sedimentation coefficient of the enzyme, as determined by sucrose density gradient centrifugation in the presence of 0.25 M KCl, was 5.9S. From this sedimentation coefficient, the molecular weight of MDHV-induced DNA polymerase was estimated to be 100,000. MDHV-induced DNA polymerase could not effectively use either poly(dA).oligo(dT)(12-18) or poly(dC).oligo(dG)(12-18) as a template-primer. The DNA polymerases from uninfected duck embryo fibroblasts could use these synthetic template-primers. MDHV-induced DNA polymerase also could not use poly(rA).oligo(dT)(12-18) or poly(rC).oligo(dG)(12-18) as template-primers or oligo(dT)(12-18) as a primer, indicating that it was not a polymerase of the type R-DNA polymerase, reverse transcriptase, or a terminal nucleotidyl transferase. In vitro synthesis of DNA by MDHV-induced DNA polymerase was markedly inhibited by the addition of (NH(4))(2)SO(4) to the reaction mixture.

Ammonium Sulfate↗