title: Maize chloroplast RNA polymerase: the 180-, 120-, and 38-kilodalton polypeptides are encoded in chloroplast genes.
abstract: Prominent polypeptides with apparent molecular masses of 180, 120, 85, and 38 kDa are found in an extensively purified preparation of maize chloroplast DNA-dependent RNA polymerase that retains the capacity to initiate transcription of the cloned chloroplast gene rbcL correctly and the requirement for a supercoiled DNA template for specific and active transcription. Amino-terminal amino acid sequences of the 180-, 120-, and 38-kDa polypeptides have been determined and found to correspond precisely to the sequences deduced from the 5' ends of the maize chloroplast rpoC2, rpoB, and rpoA genes, respectively. These experiments show that these chloroplast rpo genes encode the prominent polypeptides in the highly enriched maize chloroplast RNA polymerase preparation and support the conclusion that these polypeptides are functional components of the enzyme. The rpoB, rpoC1, and rpoC2 genes have been mapped on the maize chloroplast chromosome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bogorad
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000201:enzymology*; D017343:Genes, Plant; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D003313:Zea mays / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012333:RNA, Messenger