Antibodies against the subunits of E.coli RNA polymerase as probes for subunit-specific binding of DNA and other ligands

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Abstract
Antibodies against the isolated subunits α, β, and β′ of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from E. coli have been prepared. They have been used to compare the extent of antibody-binding, as measured by complement fixation, to the isolated subunits and to the intact enzyme, in the absence and presence of ligands, such as inhibitors, nucleotides, nucleosides, oligo- and poly-nucleotides, and DNA of different composition. In many cases the results show a subunit-specific dependence of complement fixation upon the presence of a ligand and suggest a functional topography of the interaction between the subunits α, β, and β′ of RNA polymerase and defined nucleotide sequences and small ligands.