Exposure of DNA to methyl mercury results in an increase in the rate of its transcription by RNA polymerase II.
Double-stranded DNA which was exposed to methyl mercury at concentrations of 1 mM and above, and purified by ethanol precipitation and dialysis, was transcribed at a higher rate by RNA polymerase II than was control DNA. The rate of transcription of single-stranded DNA was not affected by similar exposure to methyl mercury. The higher rate of transcription of methyl mercury-treated double-stranded DNA appears to result from a decreased Km of the enzyme for this DNA. This does not appear to result from extensive denaturation, nor from formation of a large number of single-stranded breaks in the DNA.
Frenkel
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GD
Cain
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Chao
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D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics; D006690:Bisbenzimidazole; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D004247:DNA; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; C020771:methylmercury hydroxide; D006690:Bisbenzimidazole