Independent regulation of the nuclear RNA polymerases I and II during the yeast cell cycle.

The activities of the nuclear RNA polymerases I and II have been investigated in cells of Sacharomyces cerevisiae at G(1), S, early G(2), and late G(2) stages of the cell cycle. The results show that the ratio of the activities of the two enzymes is different at these four stages, indicating that the two RNA polymerases are regulated independently during the cell cycle. The specific activity of the RNA polymerase I remains constant but that of RNA polymerase II increases sharply in cells at the beginning of the G(2) phase. These results are compatible with a pattern of continuous synthesis of the RNA polymerase I and step-wise synthesis of the RNA polymerase II during the yeast cell cycle.