Characterization of the nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase (ATPase) activity of RNA synthesi termination factor p. I. Enzymatic properties and effects of inhibitors.

The purification of p protein to homogeneity from Escherichia coli has shown that its RNA-dependent ATPase activity is physically inseparable from its termination activity. The biochemical properties of pATPase have been studied using poly(C) as the activating RNA. This reaction is stimulated by Mg2+ ions and Mn2+ ions and is prevented by excess EDTA; it is not stimulated by Ca2+ ions. The reaction is not affected by a Zn2+ ion chelator and is inhibited by 1 mM Zn2+. With Mg2+ present, the activity is essentially constant from pH 7 to pH 9.7. pATPase is sensitive to p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and to N-ethylmaleimide. All four ribonucleoside triphosphates are hydrolyzed by p action. ATP has the lowest Km (0.009 mM), while CTP has the highest Vmax. In a mixture containing all four nucleoside triphosphates at a concentration of 0.4 mM, p shows no strong preference for any one of the substrates. The response of p ATPase to a variety of inhibitors of other ATPases and GTPases and of transcription has been studied. Of the compounds tested, aurintricarboxylic acid, an inhibitor of protein-nucleic acid interactions, was found to be a potent inhibitor of p ATPase, while rifampicin and heparin had no effect. pATPase showed partial sensitivity to thiostrepton, fusidic acid, Dio 9, and sodium azide.