Template specific inhibitors of E. coli RNA polymerase.

Electroneutral analogs of polynucleotides, poly-9-vinyladenine and poly-1-vinyluracil inhibit E. coli RNA polymerase in all combinations where the single stranded polynucleotides are used as templates and the vinyl analogs are complementary to them. As templates both the ribo- and deoxyribopolynucleotides were tested; variation of the template concentration in the presence of vinyl analogs produced a competitive pattern of inhibition. The electroneutral analogs do not inhibit the enzyme activity when non-complementary single stranded polynucleotides or double stranded polynucleotides are used as templates; the latter fully supports transcription even when one of the strands is complementary to the analog.