Azotobacter vinelandii Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase

Inhibition of HIV-1 reverse transcription: basic principles of drug action and resistance

Nucleoside and non-nucleoside analog inhibitors of HIV Type 1 reverse transcriptase are currently used in the clinic to treat infection with this retrovirus. Following their intracellular activation, nucleoside analogs act as chain terminators, while non-nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors bind to a hydrophobic pocket in close proximity to the active site and inhibit the catalytic step. Compounds that belong to the two different classes of drugs are frequently administered in combination to take advantage of the different mechanisms of drug action. However, the development of drug resistance may occur under conditions of continued, residual viral replication, which is a major cause of treatment failure. This review addresses the interaction between different inhibitors and resistance-conferring mutations in the context of combination therapy with drugs that target the reverse transcriptase enzyme. Focus is placed on biochemical mechanisms and the development of future approaches.

The structural mechanism of translocation and helicase activity in T7 RNA polymerase

RNA polymerase functions like a molecular motor that can convert chemical energy into the work of strand separation and translocation along the DNA during transcription. The structures of phage T7 RNA polymerase in an elongation phase substrate complex that includes the incoming nucleoside triphosphate and a pretranslocation product complex that includes the product pyrophosphate (PPi) are described here. These structures and the previously determined posttranslocation elongation complex demonstrate that two enzyme conformations exist during a cycle of single nucleotide addition. One orientation of a five-helix subdomain is stabilized by the phosphates of either the incoming NTP or by the product PPi. A second orientation of this subdomain is stable in their absence and is associated with translocation of the heteroduplex product as well as strand separation of the downstream DNA. We propose that the dissociation of the product PPi after nucleotide addition produces the protein conformational change resulting in translocation and strand separation.

The structural basis of the transition from initiation to elongation phases of transcription, as well as translocation and strand separation, by T7 RNA polymerase

The RNA polymerase from phage T7 is a 99kDa single polypeptide that is unrelated to the multisubunit cellular RNA polymerases, but exhibits nearly all of their properties. Six separate crystal structures have enhanced our understanding of promoter DNA recognition, duplex DNA opening, and the transition from the abortive initiation phase to the elongation phase. A major conformational change in the N-terminal domain removes the promoter-binding site, accounting for promoter clearance, and creates a tunnel through which the transcript passes, accounting for the processivity of the elongation phase. Structures of substrate and product complexes show that a rotational conformational change of the fingers domain is associated with translocation and downstream strand separation. The rotation that results in translocation is powered by the release of the pyrophosphate product.

Efficient pyrophosphorolysis by a hepatitis B virus polymerase may be a primer-unblocking mechanism

Effective antiviral agents are thought to inhibit hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA synthesis irreversibly by chain termination because reverse transcriptases (RT) lack an exonucleolytic activity that can remove incorporated nucleotides. However, since the parameters governing this inhibition are poorly defined, fully delineating the catalytic mechanism of the HBV-RT promises to facilitate the development of antiviral drugs for treating chronic HBV infection. To this end, pyrophosphorolysis and pyrophosphate exchange, two nonhydrolytic RT activities that result in the removal of newly incorporated nucleotides, were characterized by using endogenous avian HBV replication complexes assembled in vivo. Although these activities are presumed to be physiologically irrelevant for every polymerase examined, the efficiency with which they are catalyzed by the avian HBV-RT strongly suggests that it is the first known polymerase to catalyze these reactions under replicative conditions. The ability to remove newly incorporated nucleotides during replication has important biological and clinical implications: these activities may serve a primer-unblocking function in vivo. Analysis of pyrophosphorolysis on chain-terminated DNA revealed that the potent anti-HBV drug beta-l-(-)-2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC) was difficult to remove by pyrophosphorolysis, in contrast to ineffective chain terminators such as ddC. This disparity may account for the strong antiviral efficacy of 3TC versus that of ddC. The HBV-RT pyrophosphorolytic activity may therefore be a novel determinant of antiviral drug efficacy, and could serve as a target for future antiviral drug therapy. The strong inhibitory effect of cytoplasmic pyrophosphate concentrations on viral DNA synthesis may also partly account for the apparent slow rate of HBV genome replication.

An integrated model of the transcription complex in elongation, termination, and editing

Recent findings now allow the development of an integrated model of the thermodynamic, kinetic, and structural properties of the transcription complex in the elongation, termination, and editing phases of transcript formation. This model provides an operational framework for placing known facts and can be extended and modified to incorporate new advances. The most complete information about transcriptional mechanisms and their control continues to come from the Escherichia coli system, upon which most of the explicit descriptions provided here are based. The transcriptional machinery of higher organisms, despite its greater inherent complexity, appears to use many of the same general principles. Thus, the lessons of E. coli continue to be relevant.

The Nun protein of bacteriophage HK022 inhibits translocation of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase without abolishing its catalytic activities

Bacteriophage HK022 Nun protein blocks transcription elongation by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase in vitro without dissociating the transcription complex. Nun is active on complexes located at any template site tested. Ultimately, only the 3'-OH terminal nucleotide of the nascent transcript in an arrested complex can turn over; it is removed by pyrophosphate and restored with NTPs. This suggests that Nun inhibits the translocation of RNA polymerase without abolishing its catalytic activities. Unlike spontaneously arrested complexes, Nun-arrested complexes cannot be reactivated by transcription factor GreB. The various complexes show distinct patterns of nucleotide incorporation and pyrophosphorolysis before or after treatment with Nun, suggesting that the configuration of RNAP, transcript, and template DNA is different in each complex.

TFIIS binds to mouse RNA polymerase I and stimulates transcript elongation and hydrolytic cleavage of nascent rRNA

Efficient transcription elongation by RNA polymerase I (Pol I) requires a specific Pol I-associated factor, termed TIF-IC. Here we show that TFIIS, a factor that has previously been shown to promote read-through past many types of blocks to elongation by RNA polymerase II, also enhances Pol I-directed transcription elongation. In a reconstituted transcription system containing purified proteins, TFIIS stimulates Pol I transcription by increasing the overall rate of RNA chain elongation. As with Pol II, ternary Pol I complexes cleave the 3' end of the nascent transcripts in response to TFIIS. The truncated RNAs remain bound to the template, are subject to pyrophosphorolysis, and can be chased into longer transcripts. Moreover, we show by immunoprecipitation and specific affinity chromatography that TFIIS physically interacts with Pol I. The results suggest that nascent transcript cleavage by TFIIS or a TFIIS-related factor may be a general mechanism by which both Pol I and Pol II can bypass transcriptional impediments.

Action of alpha-amanitin during pyrophosphorolysis and elongation by RNA polymerase II

Using defined elongation complexes formed on dC-tailed templates with Drosophila RNA polymerase II, we have examined elongation, pyrophosphorolysis, and DmS-II-mediated transcript cleavage and the inhibitory effect of alpha-amanitin on these processes. Analysis of pyrophosphorolysis on soluble or immobilized and templates confirmed that NTPs are liberated instead of dinucleotides that are released during DmS-II-mediated transcript cleavage. 10 microgram/ml alpha-amanitin completely inhibited DmS-II-mediated transcript cleavage but allowed extended pyrophosphorolysis and nucleotide addition to occur. alpha-Amanitin dramatically decreased the Vmax for nucleotide addition but only slightly affected the Km for nucleotides. Although the processes ae mechanistically distinct, both pyrophosphorolysis and DmS-II-mediated transcript cleavage frequently resulted in similar patterns of shortened transcript. Since polymerase molecules encounter similar kinetic barriers during both processes, it is possible that there is a common step in the reverse movement of the polymerase.

Evidence for a pyrimidine-nucleotide-specific initiation site (the i site) on Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. Proximity relationship with the inhibitor binding domain

Escherichia coli RNA polymerase has two sites, the i and i + 1, for the binding of the first two substrates. The i site is template- and Mg(2+)-independent and purine-nucleotide-specific, whereas the i + 1 site is template- and Mg(2+)-dependent and shows no nucleotide preference. The specificity of the i site for purine nucleotides is well in accord with the fact that most promoters initiate with a purine nucleotide. But there are a few promoters that initiate with a pyrimidine nucleotide. Dinucleotide synthesis at these promoters is completely inhibited by rifampicin. Earlier studies have failed to identify an i site for pyrimidine nucleotides. In this paper, using a fluorescent analog of UTP, namely uridine 5'-[gamma-(5-sulfonic acid)naphthylamidate]-triphosphate, abbreviated as UTP[AmNS], we are able to show its binding to RNA polymerase, with a Kd of 0.8 microM, in the absence of Mg2+ and template. This suggests the presence of an i pyrimidine nucleotide site. The fact that UTP-[AmNS] is capable of initiating RNA synthesis from the i site is further evidenced by the abortive transcription analyses at the lac promoter. Fluorescence titration studies performed in the presence and absence of purine initiator molecules indicate that this site is different from the i purine site. Scatchard analysis of the above data indicates the presence of a single binding site for UTP[AmNS] in the absence of Mg2+. Moreover UTP[AmNS] binds to the core enzyme with a Kd of 3.0 microM implying that, unlike the i purine nucleotide site, the sigma protein confers a tighter binding of UTP-[AmNS] to the low-Kd site. Forster's energy transfer measurements using UTP[AmNS] as the donor and rifampicin as the acceptor have been used for estimation of the distance of the i pyrimidine nucleotide site from the rifampicin site. From these measurements, we infer that there is no direct interference of rifampicin with the first phosphodiester bond between two pyrimidine nucleotides.

Accuracy of wheat-germ RNA polymerase II. General enzymatic properties and effect of template conformational transition from right-handed B-DNA to left-handed Z-DNA

We investigated the accuracy of the insertion process in RNA chain elongation catalyzed by wheat germ RNA polymerase II. Error frequencies varied from 1 misinserted nucleotide per 250 polymerized correct substrates to less than 1 in 2 x 10(5), depending on template sequence and nature of the divalent metal cofactor. Higher error ratios were observed in the presence of Mn2+ compared to Mg2+, and with alternating poly[d(G-C)].poly[d(G-C)] compared to poly[d(A-T)].poly[d(A-T)]. In this latter case the eukaryotic RNA polymerase was as accurate as Escherichia coli RNA polymerase holo-enzyme. The fidelity of wheat germ RNA polymerase II was also examined in transcription of polynucleotide templates in the poly[d(G-C)] family adopting either the right-handed B or left-handed Z conformations. Error ratios for noncomplementary ATP increased markedly under experimental conditions favoring the B-to-Z conformational transition of the alternating copolymers. In accordance with the results of previous studies, the rate of productive elongation, i.e. the synthesis of poly[r(G-C)], was depressed, suggesting that the decreased accuracy of the enzyme derived from an altered competence of the enzyme to form elongation complexes on the left-handed DNA. As judged by the large difference in apparent Km values of the enzyme for complementary and noncomplementary nucleoside triphosphates, part of the discrimination between substrates seemed to take place at the initial binding step. Furthermore, the results indicate that wheat germ RNA polymerase II was able to elongate a primer with a 3'-terminal mismatch, and thus to incorporate the mismatched nucleotide stably in the nascent RAN. However, the probability of productive RNA chain elongation was much lower with noncognate than with the complementary substrates.

Reversibility of nucleotide incorporation by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, and its effect on fidelity

During transcription, Escherichia coli RNA polymerase is capable of removing the nucleotide that it has just added to a growing RNA chain, and this removal depends on the presence of small concentrations of pyrophosphate. Chemically, the removal reaction is simply the reversal of the incorporation reaction, and we have observed the generation of free triphosphate as a result. After the removal the enzyme can continue synthesis. To test whether this reaction can provide an error correction mechanism, misincorporation rates were measured at a single position in an RNA transcript by withholding the correct nucleotide for that position, measuring the amount of readthrough transcript, and analyzing the readthrough transcripts with nearest-neighbor analysis and enzymatic RNA sequencing. The removal of pyrophosphate increases the rate of misincorporation. We present a theory that explains how reversible incorporation can increase the available discrimination free energy between correct and incorrect nucleotides and therefore may increase the fidelity of transcription. The formation of a covalent phosphodiester bond allows discrimination on the basis of helical structure as well as base-pairing. We propose that the important discrimination step is the translocation of the enzyme from one site on the DNA template to the next, and that reversible incorporation is necessary in order to take full advantage of the maximum discrimination free energy.

Biochemical studies on the potentiation of antitumor activity of cisplatin by adriamycin

The RNA synthesis in vitro by E. coli RNA polymerase was found to be highly sensitive to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin) inhibition. The degree of inhibition was in proportion to the length of time of template preincubation with cisplatin, suggesting that cisplatin-template binding was involved in the inhibition of RNA polymerase. The effect of adriamycin on this inhibition was studied and it was found that adriamycin significantly enhanced the inhibitory effect of cisplatin and that the total effect was greater than the sum of the effects of each drug used individually. This synergistic effect was not observed when the effect of the combination of adriamycin and cisplatin on in vitro DNA synthesis was studied.

Phenol sulfotransferase. II. Inactivation by phenylglyoxal, N-ethylmaleimide and ribonucleotide 2',3'-dialdehydes

Phenylglyoxal, a chemical modifying agent for arginine residues, produced rapid inactivation of a rat liver phenol sulfotransferase (3-phosphoadenylylsulfate:phenol sulfotransferase, EC 2.8.2.1). Enzyme inactivation was accompanied by incorporation of 1.5 mol [7-14C]phenylglyoxal per mol enzyme. 3'-Phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS), the sulfate donor, prevented inactivation and decreased [7-14C]phenylglyoxal incorporation to 0.78 mol/mol enzyme. The sulfhydryl-modifying agent, N-ethylmaleimide, also caused rapid inactivation of phenol sulfotransferase with concomitant incorporation of 2.35 mol N-[3H]ethylmaleimide per mol enzyme. These results suggest a possible role for arginine residues as anionic recognition sites for the sulfate donor PAPS, and indicate the presence of essential sulfhydryl residues on phenol sulfotransferase. Ribonucleotide dialdehydes (ATPDA, ADPDA, AMPDA, APSDA), but not the corresponding 2',3'-acyclic nucleotides (ATPDO, ADPDO, AMPDO, APSDO), produced rapid and irreversible inactivation of phenol sulfotransferase. These ribonucleotide dialdehydes appear to modify the active site of the enzyme, since inclusion of the sulfate donor, PAPS, or the product, adenosine 3',5'-bisphosphate (PAP), in the incubation mixture prevented loss of enzyme activity. In contrast, the sulfate acceptor, p-nitrophenol, did not show similar protective effects. Kinetic studies indicated that the ribonucleotide dialdehydes inactivated the enzyme via a unimolecular reaction within a dissociable enzyme-inhibitor complex rather than via a nonspecific bimolecular process. Radioactively labeled ribonucleotide dialdehydes (e.g.,[2, 8-3H]ATP) were incorporated into protein concomitant with loss of enzyme activity. The incorporated ligand could be removed by dialysis in phosphate or Tris buffer. The protein-ligand complex could be stabilized to dialysis by pretreatment with sodium borohydride. The results of these studies suggest that ribonucleotide dialdehydes are affinity labeling reagents for phenol sulfotransferase, causing enzyme inactivation by the possible formation of a Schiff base adduct with an active-site lysine residue.

Probes of eukaryotic DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II-II. Covalent binding of two purine nucleoside dialdehydes to the initiation subsite

The catalytic center of wheat germ DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (nucleosidetriphosphate:RNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.6) as a model eukaryotic enzyme system was probed with two purine nucleoside dialdehydes, 6-methylthioinosinedicarboxaldehyde (MMPR-OP) and a derivative 6-[(acetylaminoethyl)-1-naphthylamine-5-sulfonyl]thioinosinedicarboxaldehyde (AMPR-OP). Both drugs gave noncompetitive inhibition with respect to [3H]UMP incorporations into RNA, and inhibitor bindings were reversed with initiation substrates. The Ki values for MMPR-OP and AMPR-OP were determined to be 0.64 mM and 1.0 muM respectively. The drugs were covalently bound to the catalytic center by NaBH4 reduction. Both were found bound to the largest enzyme subunit, IIa. It is tentatively concluded that MMPR-OP and AMPR-OP inhibit RNA polymerase II by binding to an essential lysine in the initiation subsite of the catalytic center located on the IIa subunit.

Probes of eukaryotic DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II-I. Binding of 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-6-mercaptopurine to the elongation subsite

9-beta-D-Arabinofuranosyl-6-mercaptopurine (ara-6-MP) was used to affinity-label wheat germ DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (or B) (nucleosidetriphosphate:RNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.6). This nucleoside analogue was found to be a competitive inhibitor with respect to [3H]UMP incorporation. Natural substrates protected the enzyme from inactivation by ara-6-MP when the enzyme was preincubated with excess concentrations of substrates, suggesting that the inhibitor binds at the elongation subsite. The inhibitor bound the catalytic center of the enzyme with a stoichiometry of 0.6:1. The sulfhydryl reagent, dithiothreitol, reversed the inhibition by ara-6-MP, suggesting that the 6-thiol group of the inhibitor was interacting closely with an essential cysteine residue in the catalytic center of the enzyme. Chromatographic analysis of the pronase-digestion products of the RNA polymerase II-ara-6-MP complex also showed that ara-6-MP had bound a cysteine residue. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the denatured [6-35S]ara-6-MP-labeled RNA polymerase II revealed that over 80% of the radioactivity was associated with the IIb subunit of the enzyme.

Formation of a single phosphodiester bond by RNA polymerase B from calf thymus is not inhibited by alpha-amanitin

The template-directed synthesis of a single phosphodiester bond by highly purified calf thymus RNA polymerase B is not inhibited by high concentrations of alpha-amanitin (10(-6) M). However, a subsequent internucleotide bond is not synthesized in the presence of alpha-amanitin. These results suggest that translocation of the nascent RNA and RNA polymerase B along the DNA template is the enzymatic process inhibited by alpha-amanitin. It is also shown that the formation of a single phosphodiester bond by RNA polymerase B results in a stable ternary transcription complex, i.e., between the enzyme, the DNA, and the nascent RNA. Under reaction conditions which normally favor the elongation of RNA, the transcriptional process is arrested at initiation by alpha-amanitin. Such ternary initiation complexes have been isolated by agarose gel electrophoresis.

Competition of rifampicin with binding of substrate and RNA to RNA polymerase

The rate of formation of dinucleoside tetraphosphate, pppApU, from ATP and UTP by RNA polymerase on the A1 promoter of the mutant D111 of bacteriophage T7 is distinctly and specifically reduced not only by the third template-directed nucleotide, CTP, but also by CMP. The inhibitory effect of CMP is not changed when the enzyme contains prebound rifampicin. The synthesis of pppApU is also strongly reduced after preincubation of the enzyme with RNA. This inhibitory effect of RNA is, however, distinctly diminished by rifampicin bound to the enzyme prior to the addition of RNA. On the other hand RNA can suppress the specific binding of the antibiotic to the RNA polymerase subassembly alpha 2 beta.

Affinity labeling of a cysteine at or near the catalytic center of Escherichia coli B DNA-dependent RNA polymerase

9-beta-D-Arabinofuranosyl-6-thiopurine was used to affinity label DNA-dependent RNA polymerase isolated from Escherichia coli B. This substrate analogue displayed competitive type inhibition which could be reversed by addition of a thiol reagent, such as dithiothreitol, while exposure to hydrogen peroxide, a mild oxidizing agent, caused an increase in both the inhibitory and enzyme binding capability of arabinofuranosyl thiopurine. Chromatographic analysis of the products obtained by pronase digestion of the 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-6-[35S]thiopurine-enzyme complex suggests that disulfide bond formation occurs between the inhibitor and a cysteine residue located in or near the active center of the enzyme. In addition, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the arabinofuranosyl thiopurine moeity was bound to the beta' subunit of the enzyme.

Interaction of substrate analogues with Escherichia coli DNA-dependent RNA polymerase

The inhibition of RNA polymerase with ATP and UTP analogues modified in the phosphate and ribose moieties has been investigated. 1. Modification of the terminal phosphate with a loss of the negative charge [adenosine 5'-(3-O-methyl)triphosphate, Ki = 1.75 mM] substantially weakens the binding ability of these analogues to the enzyme whereas modification with retention of the charge is not so detrimental [adenosine tetraphosphate, Ki = 0.17 mM]. 2. 2'-Modified analogues are only weak competitive inhibitors [2'-amino-2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate, Ki = 2.3 mM] of their corresponding substrates [ATP, Km = 0.07 mM] whereas 3'-modified analogues are extremely potent in their inhibition [3'-amino-3'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate, Ki = 2.3 muM]. 3. A difference was observed in the inhibition of the elongation step of RNA polymerase by ATP and UTP analogues. Thus ATP analogues showed a strong binding to the CT form of the poly[d(A-T)] ternary complex and only a weak binding to the CA form. UTP analogues, on the other hand, showed a similar binding to both forms of the complex.

On the initiation of mammalian RNA polymerase at single-strand breaks in DNA

Mammalian RNA polymerase B is able to initiate at single-strand breaks in the DNA template. A 3'-OH end at a nick is required for initiation whereas the 5'-end may be either -- OH or phosphate. The 3'-OH group does not function as a primer. An appreciable part of the newly synthesized RNA started at a nick remains associated with the DNA in hydrid form. Initiation of exogeneous RNA polymerase B on chromatin exhibits similar requirements.

Affinity labeling of Escherichia coli DNA-dependent RNA polymerase with 5-formyl-l-(alpha-D-ribofuranosyl)uracil 5'-triphosphate

5-Formyl-1-(alpha-D-ribofuranosyl)uracil 5'=triphosphate has been used to affinity label E. coli DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. It is a noncompetitive inhibitor of the enzyme with Ki=0.54 mM. A short preincubation of the enzyme and alpha-fo5UTP is required to achieve maximum inhibition, and the entent of the inhibition is dependent upon the alpha-fo5UTP concentration. When a preincubation mixture of alpha-fo5UTP/enzyme is diluted, the enzyme regains activity with time showing that the inhibition is reversible, presumably occurring by Schiff base formation between an amino group on the enzyme and the formyl group. Upon sodium borohydride reduction of an enzyme/alpha-fo5UTP preincubation mixture the enzyme is irreversibly inhibited. alpha-fo5UTP is more effective in inhibiting the enzyme than alpha-fo5U, and the inhibition is decreased by the presence of ATP, UTP, or GTP in the preincubation mixture, suggesting that inhibition is occurring at a triphosphate binding site. The stoichiometry of binding of alpha-fo5UTP to the enzyme was determined using the gamma-32P-labeled derivative. After a 20-s preincubation of enzyme/alpha-fo5UTP followed by NaBH4 reduction the stoichiometry of binding was 1.1:1 (alpha-fo5UTP bound: inactivated enzyme), and this rose to 2.42:1 after a 10-min preincubation. After a 20-s preincubation the [gamma-32P]-alpha-fo5UTP was shown to be located on the beta subunit of RNA polymerase by cellulose acetate electrophoresis in 6 M urea.

Diacridines: bifunctional intercalators. III. Definition of the general site of action

Electron microscopy of HeLa cells exposed to spermine diacridine shows nucleolar distortions which disappear after several days despite the persistence of the metabolic changes promoted by spermine diacridine. This compound inhibits ribosomal RNA synthesis and appears to act independently of any particular phase of the cell cycle. The DNA content of the HeLa cells remains unchanged and the cell distribution is not significantly disturbed from its normal distribution in the various phases of the cell cycle. Spermine diacridine and other diacridines inhibit primarily chain initiation but also chain elongation by DNA-directed RNA polymerase of Azotobacter vinelandii.

Interaction of RNA polymerase from Escherichia coli with DNA. Analysis of T7 DNA early-promoter sites

A method was devised for directing RNA polymerase on a single promoter site on T7 DNA. Initiation complexes were formed on each of the three main promoter sites using one dinucleotide plus one nucleoside triphosphate. The ternary initiation complexes are resistant to rifampicin action, to inhibition by (rI)n at 0 degrees C and are stable at high salt concentrations. A minimum of a trinucleotide is required to form a stable ternary complex. To determine which promoter site was selected by RNA polymerase during initiation, the (rI)n-resistant RNA was digested by RNAse III to generate three characteristic initiator RNA fragments, resolved by gel electrophoresis. The three major promoter sites could be selected individually by using different primer and substrate combinations ApC plus ATP selected promoter A3, CpG plus CTP selected A2 and CpC plus ATP specified preferentially A1. A number of primer-substrate combinations specified each site at low salt concentration but the substrate requirement became very stringent at high salt concentration, suggesting that the postulated local opening of the promoter site could be more or less extensive, depending on the ionic strength. The minimum opening observed at high salt concentration corresponded to the insertion of a leader trinucleotide sequence. The promoter region melted by RNA polymerase at low salt concentration was (G plus C)-rich and corresponded to about 9 to 11 base pairs. Sequences of the melting recognition regions were tentatively inferred from the results.