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Specificity of the stimulation of in vitro ribonucleic acid synthesis by guanosine 5′-diphosphate 3′-diphosphate

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Summary

The in vitro synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA) by S-30 extracts of Escherichia coli K-12 is stimulated from two- to fourfold by 0.16 mM to 0.32 mM guanosine 5′-diphosphate 3′-diphosphate (ppGpp) when either λcI857St68h80 deoxyribonucleic acid (λh80 DNA), λh80dilv DNA or λh80dlac DNA are employed as templates. Hybridization analysis of the 3H-RNA product transcribed from λh80dilv DNA in the presence of ppGpp indicates that both bacteriophage- and bacterial-specific transcription is stimulated to an equivalent degree. In the absence of cyclic 3′–5′-adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP), correct lac-specifci RNA synthesis from λh80dlac DNA is not stimulated by 0.32 mM ppGpp although total RNA synthesis is increased nearly twofold. In the presence of 0.5 mM cyclic AMP, correct lac-specific RNA synthesis is stimulated preferentially by ppGpp. These data suggest that ppGpp is capable of stimulating in vitro transcription in both a general and selective manner.

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Communicated by F. Gros

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Smolin, D.E., Umbarger, H.E. Specificity of the stimulation of in vitro ribonucleic acid synthesis by guanosine 5′-diphosphate 3′-diphosphate. Molec. gen. Genet. 141, 277–284 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331449

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