Sendai Virus-Induced Transcriptase from Infected Cells: Polypeptides in the Transcriptive Complex

Abstract

A Sendai virus-induced transcriptase-template complex was isolated from the cytoplasm of infected cells by combined sedimentation and isopycnic centrifugation. This transcriptive complex banded at 1.27 g/cm(3) in D(2)O-sucrose gradients. It contained two polypeptides, the viral nucleocapsid structure unit (molecular weight, 60,000) and the largest virion polypeptide (molecular weight, 75,000). The buoyant density, chemical composition, and electron microscopic appearance of the transcriptive complex indicate a structure like that of viral nucleocapsids.