title: RNA template-directed RNA synthesis by T7 RNA polymerase.
abstract: In an attempt to synthesize an oligoribonucleotide by run-off transcription by bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase, a major transcript was produced that was much longer than expected. Analysis of the reaction indicated that the product resulted from initial DNA-directed run-off transcription followed by RNA template-directed RNA synthesis. This reaction occurred because the RNA made from the DNA template displayed self-complementarity at its 3' end and therefore could form an intra- or intermolecular primed template. In reactions containing only an RNA template, the rate of incorporation of NTPs was quite comparable to DNA-dependent transcription. RNA template-directed RNA synthesis has been found to occur with a great number of oligoribonucleotides, even with primed templates that are only marginally stable. In one instance, we observed a multistep extension reaction converting the oligonucleotide into a final product longer than twice its original length. Presumably, such a process could have generated some of the RNAs found to be efficiently replicated by T7 RNA polymerase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309-0215.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cazenave
authors.forename: O C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Uhlenbeck
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013698:Templates, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; C062210:bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases