title: Reconstitution studies show that rifampicin resistance is determined by the largest polypeptide of Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase.
abstract: A procedure has been developed to separate the subunits of Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase rapidly and in good yield. The method involved the use of a blue dextran-Sepharose column which bound the beta' subunit. A phosphocellulose column was used to separate the alpha and beta subunits. During purification, the enzyme eluted from the DNA-cellulose column in three separate forms in the order alpha2betabeta'deltaomega1,alpha2betabeta'omega1, and alpha2betabeta'omega1sigma. Subunit reconstitution studies with RNA polymerase subunits from wild type and a rifampicin-resistant mutant indicated that the largest polypeptide was responsible for rifampicin resistance. Thus, this subunit is referred to as beta. The mobility of the subunits in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis cannot be used as the sole criterion for designating the functions of the subunits of RNA polymerase.
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D009154:Mutation; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; D012293:Rifampin