The Role of Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis

Abstract

It has become evident that several enzymatic reactions exist which lead to the incorporation of the mononucleotide moiety of the ribonucleoside triphosphates into ribonucleic acid (1). The first of these enzymes to be characterized catalyzes the addition of cytosine 5’-phosphate and adenosine 5’-phosphate to the nucleoside terminal end of soluble ribonucleic acid (2,3). The product of this reaction is a ribonucleic acid, terminated by pCpCpA, and active as an acceptor of amino acid (l-7). It is the purpose of this communication to report the method of purification and the characterization of a second enzyme. This enzyme, obtained from Escherichia coli, catalyzes the synthesis of RNA from the four ribonucleoside triphosphates, and is completely dependent on deoxyribonucleic acid. The other product of the reaction is inorganic pyrophosphate. A number of reports from different laboratories have demonstrated the wide distribution of this enzyme and have discussed various aspects of the reaction it catalyzes (S-22).