RNA dependent DNA synthesis in cell free preparations of human leukemia cells

Characterization of a DNA polymerase associated with an endogenous DNA-synthesizing complex isolated from human lymphoid cells

We have shown that a membrane fraction prepared from isolated human lymphoid nuclei contains endogenous DNA-synthesizing activity which is sensitive to RNAase. We have isolated a DNA polymerase from this fraction and partially purified it to what we estimate as about 10 000-fold. Its chromatographic behavior, template specificity, sedimentation constant, pH optimum, and sensitivity to N-ethylmaleimide suggest that the activity resembles but is not identical to DNA polymerase gamma (formerly called R-DNA polymerase). The membrane fraction also contains a minor activity which is due to polymerase beta, the low molecular weight (3.5 S) nuclear enzyme.

Partial purification and characterization of DNA polymerases from a Rous sarcoma virus-transformed rat cell line

A new DNA polymerase was partially purified from cell-free extracts of a continuous rat cell-line (XC). The XC cells had been transformed by the Prague strain of Rous sarcoma virus but did not produce infectious virus. The molecular weight of the DNA polymerase is 70,000, as estimated by glycerol gradient centrifugation and by Sephadex gel filtration. This enzyme can be distinguished from the other cellular DNA polymerases by its elution pattern on DNA-cellulose column chromatography, its molecular weight, and its primer-template specificity. The enzyme has some characteristics of the murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase. It is partially inhibited by immunoglobulin G purified from rabbit antiserum prepared against Rauscher leukemia virus reverse transcriptase, but is not inhibited by IgG from rat antiserum prepared against avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase. However, the XC cell enzyme can be distinguished from the murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase by its inefficiency in copying an oligo(dG)12-poly(rC)primer-template.

DNA polymerase activity of cultured rheumatoid synovial cells

Cultured synovial cells from 8 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 7 subjects without joint disease were assayed and comapred for RNA-directed and DNA-directed DNA polymerase activity. No activity was found in either RA or control specimens using a synthetic RNA template that specificically detects oncornavirus RNA-directed DNA polymerase. The DNA-directed DNA polymerase activity of RA specimens was increased (P less than 0.10) in the high-speed pellet fraction of cell lysates. The possible relationship of these finding to virus infection in RA is disscussed.

Stimulated normal human lymphocytes contain a ribonuclease-sensitive DNA polymerase distinct from viral RNA-directed DNA polymerase

Ribonuclease-sensitive DNA synthesis is demonstrated in a cytoplasmic particulate fraction of normal human blood lymphocytes stimulated with phytohemagglutinin, but not in unstimulated lymphocytes. DNA polymerase purified from this fraction does not transcribe the heteropolymeric regions of 70S RNA from RNA tumor viruses, thus distinguishing this enzyme from the RNA-directed DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) found in oncogenic RNA viruses and human leukemic cells.

Inhibition of the DNA polymerase of Rauscher leukemia virus by single-stranded polyribonucleotides

The DNA polymerase of Rauscher murine leukemia virus is strongly and specifically inhibited by nontemplate, single-stranded polyribonucleotides with either the resident viral RNA, native calf-thymus DNA, or poly[d(A-T)] as templates. These inhibitory homopolymers are apparently bound to the template site of the polymerase, since they interact competitively with the template. The strength of the inhibition depends on the particular homopolymer used: poly(U) > poly(G) >> poly(A) > poly(C). The K(i) for poly(U) was 0.08 mug/ml, which represents an apparent affinity six times greater than that observed for viral RNA. No such inhibition was observed with a highly purified DNA polymerase from mouse embryos or the Escherichia coli enzyme.