Temperature-sensitive Chinese hamster fibroblast mutant with a defect in RNA metabolism

Steady-state and nuclear run-on analyses of transcription in a temperature-sensitive Chinese hamster cell mutant with a defect in RNA metabolism

We have further characterized a temperature-sensitive mutant of Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts in tissue culture with a defect in RNA metabolism. The mutant phenotype is reflected in transcription in crude extracts or in isolated nuclei, when these are made from cells shifted to the nonpermissive temperature; however, differential heat inactivation between mutant and wild-type extracts cannot be demonstrated with cell-free systems. We tentatively conclude that the mutation may affect initiation of transcription which cannot be observed in our in vitro systems. Partially purified RNA polymerase I, II, and III fractions are indistinguishable from wild type. A temperature shift does not affect transcription by RNA polymerase III measured with intact cells or by nuclear run-on experiments. The nuclear run-on and other experiments suggest that RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription is inhibited before RNA polymerase I-dependent transcription. This conclusion is also supported by Northern analyses of selected mRNAs in nonsynchronized and synchronized cells after a shift to the nonpermissive temperature.

Enhanced synthesis of the glucose/calcium-regulated proteins in a hamster cell mutant deficient in transfer of oligosaccharide core to polypeptides

The properties of two Chinese hamster temperature-sensitive mutants, K12 and H3.5, were examined. Both mutants originated from the same parental cell line, Wg1A, and were isolated as cell cycle mutants arrested in G1. Previously, we had been shown that the H3.5 ts mutation affected the transfer of the oligosaccharide from the lipid carrier to the nascent polypeptide and that the K12 ts mutation regulated the transcription of two glucose/calcium-regulated genes. We report here that these two mutants exhibit almost identical phenotypes at the biochemical level. Furthermore, a genetic complementation test demonstrates that the two ts lesions must be closely related, or even identical. Our results suggest that a specific defect in glycosylation may result in the overproduction of the glucose/calcium-regulated proteins and is capable of activating the promoter of the major glucose-regulated gene.

Adenovirus VAI RNA facilitates the initiation of translation in virus-infected cells

The adenovirus VAI RNA is a small polymerase III-transcribed species that is required for optimal translation of mRNAs late after infection. Mutant dl331 fails to produce this RNA species and, as a result, grows poorly. Mutant-infected cells contain normal levels of late mRNAs, but reduced levels of polypeptides are synthesized late after infection. Translational elongation occurs at normal rates in mutant, as compared to wild-type, virus-infected cells. Initiation of translation occurs with reduced efficiency in dl331 -infected cells. VAI RNA is required for formation of a stable 48S preinitiation complex and very likely functions to facilitate the interaction between 43S preinitiation complex and mRNA to form the 48S species.