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Rifampicin-resistant RNA polymerase and NAD transferase activities in coliphage N4 virions

Nature volume 262, pages 412–414 (1976)Cite this article

Abstract

SEVERAL animal viruses carry within the infectious particle a number of enzymatic activities1,2. Prominent among these are the RNA synthetases of orthomixo, paramixo, rhabdo-and diplomaviruses3–6, the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase of poxviruses7 and the reverse transcriptases of oncornaviruses8,9, all of which play important roles in the virus life cycle. Exclusion of vital enzymes from tine virion of all complex bacterial viruses seems, on the other hand, to have been the result of the evolutionary trend followed by these agents. A notable exception to this rule seems to be represented by coliphage N4 (ref. 10). It has been reported that transcription of N4 early genes11,12 and incorporation of 32P-orthophosphate into several host proteins13 occur in Escherichia coli cells treated before infection with rifaimpicin and chloramphenicol. A possible explanation for these findings was that N4 injects into the cell the relevant enzymes along with its DNA. We report here the detection of a rifampicin-resistant RNA polymerase and a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) transferase in purified N4 particles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microbiology, University of Parma Medical School, 43100, Parma, Italy

    ADELAIDE PESCE, CLAUDIO CASOLI & GIAN CARLO SCHITO

  2. Chair of Parasitology, University of Parma Medical School, Parma, Italy

    ADELAIDE PESCE

Authors
  1. ADELAIDE PESCE
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  2. CLAUDIO CASOLI
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  3. GIAN CARLO SCHITO
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PESCE, A., CASOLI, C. & SCHITO, G. Rifampicin-resistant RNA polymerase and NAD transferase activities in coliphage N4 virions. Nature 262, 412–414 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/262412a0

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