The duck alphaA globin but not the yeast actin gene is transcribed by a HeLa cell extract

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Abstract
We have investigated the transcription in a HeLa whole-cell extract of two evolutionary widely separated structural genes coding for duck alpha A globin and yeast actin. Transcription of isolated DNA fragments of the duck alpha A globin gene increases linearly up to relatively high concentrations of DNA. Size analyses and S1 mapping of the transcripts synthesized in vitro on either linear DNA fragments or supercoiled templates reveal that the alpha A globin RNA is initiated at the in vivo cap site and remains unspliced. The same assay conditions were used to transcribe the yeast actin gene. In contrast to the duck gene, size analyses and S1 mapping of the RNA products synthesized on both linear DNA fragments and the supercoiled template containing the actin gene show that the transcripts found in vitro do not stem from the in vivo cap site. The promoter of the yeast actin gene is not recognized in this system in vitro.