Tagetitoxin inhibits RNA synthesis directed by RNA polymerases from chloroplasts and Escherichia coli.

Tagetitoxin, a chlorosis-inducing phytotoxin produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tagetis, inhibits RNA synthesis directed by chloroplast RNA polymerase. In isolated chloroplasts, tagetitoxin quickly and specifically reduced the incorporation of [3H]uridine into RNA. When it was added to transcriptionally active chloroplast protein extracts, the toxin directly inhibited incorporation of [32P]UTP into RNA. In addition, tagetitoxin inhibited in vitro RNA synthesis directed by the RNA polymerase from Escherichia coli. In vitro transcription reactions directed by chloroplast RNA polymerase or E. coli RNA polymerase are inhibited at tagetitoxin concentrations less than 1 microM. Nuclear RNA polymerase II purified from wheat germ was only affected at tagetitoxin concentrations greater than 100 microM during in vitro transcription. Tagetitoxin concentrations as high as 1 mM did not affect in vitro transcription reactions directed by RNA polymerase from bacteriophage T7 or SP6.