Role of DNA-dependent RNA polymerases II and III in transcription of the adenovirus genome late in productive infection.

DNA-dependent RNA polymerases I, II, and III were isolated and partially purified from KB (human) cells 18 hr after infection with adenovirus 2. As reported previously for the enzymes from other animal cells, RNA polymerase II was completely sensitive to low concentrations of alpha-amanitin (50% inhibition at 0.02 mug/ml), RNA polymerase III was completely sensitive to high concentrations of alpha-amanitin (50% inhibition at 20 mug/ml) and RNA polymerase I was totally resistant to concentrations of alpha-amanitin less than or equal to 200 mug/ml. RNA synthesis by the endogenous RNA polymerase activities in nuclei isolated from infected cells was completely sensitive to alpha-amanitin, thus suggesting that RNA polymerase I is not involved in viral DNA transcription even though it is present in these cells. The alpha-amanitin inhibition curve was biphasic and showed inflection points at about 0.02 and 20 mug/ml, suggesting the participation of both RNA polymerases II and III in the synthesis of RNA in these nuclei. Furthermore, at least a large fraction of the synthesis of the nuclear precursors to viral mRNA, monitored by hybridization to viral DNA, showed the same sensitivity to alpha-amanitin as did RNA polymerase II; and the synthesis of both viral 5.5S RNA and (presumably cellular) 5S RNA in the isolated nuclei exhibited the same sensitivity to alpha-amanitin as did purified RNA polymerase III. Thus, these data provide strong supporting evidence for previous studies which suggested the involvement of an RNA polymerase II in transcription of the adenovirus genome and demonstrate the role of an RNA polymerase III activity in the synthesis of viral 5.5S RNA and cellular 5S RNA.