Cell-Free Transcription at 95°: Thermostability of Transcriptional Components and DNA Topology Requirements of Pyrococcus Transcription

Corresponding author: Michael Thomm, Institut für Allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Universität Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany., mthomm{at}ifam.uni-kiel.de (E-mail)

Communicating editor: C. J. DANIELS

Cell-free transcription of archaeal promoters is mediated by two archaeal transcription factors, aTBP and TFB, which are orthologues of the eukaryotic transcription factors TBP and TFIIB. Using the cell-free transcription system described for the hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus by Hethke et al., the temperature limits and template topology requirements of archaeal transcription were investigated. aTBP activity was not affected after incubation for 1 hr at 100°. In contrast, the half-life of RNA polymerase activity was 23 min and that of TFB activity was 3 min. The half-life of a 328-nt RNA product was 10 min at 100°. Best stability of RNA was observed at pH 6, at 400 mM K-glutamate in the absence of Mg²⁺ ions. Physiological concentrations of K-glutamate were found to stabilize protein components in addition, indicating that salt is an important extrinsic factor contributing to thermostability. Both RNA and proteins were stabilized by the osmolyte betaine at a concentration of 1 M. The highest activity for RNA synthesis at 95° was obtained in the presence of 1 M betaine and 400 mM K-glutamate. Positively supercoiled DNA, which was found to exist in Pyrococcus cells, can be transcribed in vitro both at 70° and 90°. However, negatively supercoiled DNA was the preferred template at all temperatures tested. Analyses of transcripts from plasmid topoisomers harboring the glutamate dehydrogenase promoter and of transcription reactions conducted in the presence of reverse gyrase indicate that positive supercoiling of DNA inhibits transcription from this promoter.

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