Biomaterial Database

Physiochemical studies on interactions between DNA and RNA polymerase. Unwinding of the DNA helix by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. 1977

J C Wang, and J H Jacobsen, and J M Saucier

In a medium containing 10mM Tris, pH 8, 10 mM MG++, 50 mM K+ and 10 mM NH4, the binding of an E. coli RNA polymerase holoenzyme unwinds the DNA helix by about 240 degrees at 37 degrees C. In this medium the total unwinding of the DNA increases linearly with the molar ratio of polymerase to DNA. The number of binding sites at which unwinding can occur is very large. If the K+ concentration is increased at 200 mM, the enzyme binds to only a limited number of sites, and the bound and free enzyme molecules do not exchange at an appreciable rate. The unwinding angle of the DNA per bound enzyme in this high salt medium is measured to be 140 degrees at 37 degrees C. The total unwinding angle for a fixed number of bound polymerase molecules per DNA is strongly temperature dependent, and decreases with decreasing temperature.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D009690	Nucleic Acid Conformation	The spatial arrangement of the atoms of a nucleic acid or polynucleotide that results in its characteristic 3-dimensional shape.	DNA Conformation,RNA Conformation,Conformation, DNA,Conformation, Nucleic Acid,Conformation, RNA,Conformations, DNA,Conformations, Nucleic Acid,Conformations, RNA,DNA Conformations,Nucleic Acid Conformations,RNA Conformations
D009994	Osmolar Concentration	The concentration of osmotically active particles in solution expressed in terms of osmoles of solute per liter of solution. Osmolality is expressed in terms of osmoles of solute per kilogram of solvent.	Ionic Strength,Osmolality,Osmolarity,Concentration, Osmolar,Concentrations, Osmolar,Ionic Strengths,Osmolalities,Osmolar Concentrations,Osmolarities,Strength, Ionic,Strengths, Ionic
D011118	Polynucleotide Ligases	Catalyze the joining of preformed ribonucleotides or deoxyribonucleotides in phosphodiester linkage during genetic processes. EC 6.5.1.	Polynucleotide Synthetases,Ligases, Polynucleotide,Synthetases, Polynucleotide
D011188	Potassium	An element in the alkali group of metals with an atomic symbol K, atomic number 19, and atomic weight 39.10. It is the chief cation in the intracellular fluid of muscle and other cells. Potassium ion is a strong electrolyte that plays a significant role in the regulation of fluid volume and maintenance of the WATER-ELECTROLYTE BALANCE.
D003090	Coliphages	Viruses whose host is Escherichia coli.	Escherichia coli Phages,Coliphage,Escherichia coli Phage,Phage, Escherichia coli,Phages, Escherichia coli
D004279	DNA, Viral	Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of viruses.	Viral DNA
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D012321	DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases	Enzymes that catalyze DNA template-directed extension of the 3'-end of an RNA strand one nucleotide at a time. They can initiate a chain de novo. In eukaryotes, three forms of the enzyme have been distinguished on the basis of sensitivity to alpha-amanitin, and the type of RNA synthesized. (From Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992).	DNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases,RNA Polymerases,Transcriptases,DNA-Directed RNA Polymerase,RNA Polymerase,Transcriptase,DNA Dependent RNA Polymerases,DNA Directed RNA Polymerase,DNA Directed RNA Polymerases,Polymerase, DNA-Directed RNA,Polymerase, RNA,Polymerases, DNA-Dependent RNA,Polymerases, DNA-Directed RNA,Polymerases, RNA,RNA Polymerase, DNA-Directed,RNA Polymerases, DNA-Dependent,RNA Polymerases, DNA-Directed
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures