Function and structure of RNA polymerase from vesicular stomatitis virus

Abstract

The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase associated with vesicular stomatitis virus was isolated to apparent homogeneity by a newly developed procedure, which includes stepwise removal of proteins from virions by successive treatment with high concentrations of cesium sulfate and cesium chloride, followed by glycerol gradient centrifugation or chromatography on phosphocellulose or DEAE-Sephadex column. The polymerase thus purified contained L (large protein) and NS proteins as the intrinsic subunits and multiple species of enzyme were found which differ in the molar ratio of L to NS. Since the enzyme with the highest activity was composed of equimolar amounts of the two subunits and exhibited the sedimentation coefficient of approximately 11 S in a buffer containing 0.2 M NaCl, the structure of active protomer was suggested to be (L)1(NS)1. In accordance with this conclusion, enzyme preparations deficient in the content of NS protein, were activated by the addition of preparations deficient in the content of NS protein. The purified RNA polymerase catalyzed the synthesis of poly(A), which was covalently attached to the 3' termini of RNA products, and RNA, only in the presence of all 4 substrates. The present finding might be the first which indicates that the transcriptase itself catalyzes post-transcriptional modification of mRNA by adding poly(A) sequences to the 3'-OH termini. The molecular mechanism of the switch from transcription to poly(A) synthesis, however, remains to be investigated.