Separation of ribonuclease H and RNA directed DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) of murine type-C RNA tumor viruses.

Ribonuclease H (RNA.DNA-hybrid ribonucleotidohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.34) has been reported to copurify with reverse transcriptase (RNA directed DNA polymerase) of RNA tumor viruses. In addition, viral specific ribonuclease H and reverse transcriptase of avian type-C viruses are thought to be part of the same polypeptide. In this report we show that a fraction of the ribonuclease H activity from Rauscher murine leukemia and Kirsten murine sarcoma viruses was separated from reverse transcriptase by anion exchange chromatography while the remaining portion co-purified with the viral polymerase. The amount of this co-purified nuclease activity was about 4- to 8-fold lower than the activity found in avian myeloblastosis virus (with respect to the ratio of ribonuclease H to reverse transcriptase) and this nuclease activity can only be detected by using labeled substrate of high specific radioactivity. However, a complete separation of ribonuclease H activity from reverse transcriptase was obtained by purifying core structures of the virus by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. While reverse transcriptase was present in the cores, there was no detectable ribonuclease H. Furthermore, a specific antibody against Rauscher leukemia virus reverse transcriptase did not inhibit any virion associated ribonuclease H activity. Our results suggest that in these virions these two enzyme activities reside in two separate molecules and probably in two different compartments of the virus. These findings emphasize a basic difference between the avian and murine type-C virus DNA polymerases.