Oligonudeotides complementary to a promoter over the region −8… + 2 as transcription primers forE. coliRNA polymerase

Abstract
Primer-dependent transcription by E. coli RNA polymerase on T7 promoter A2 has been studied. Synthetic deoxyribonucleotides complementary to the promoter over the region −8…+2 were taken as primers. A ribonucleoside residue was present at the 3′-end of some of these oligonucleotides. The octanucleotide complementary to the region −8…−1 appeared to be an active primer. Oligonucleotides having lengths from 3 to 6 nucleotide residues complementary to the promoter over the region −4…+2 also exhibited primer activity. The latter was some 5–10 times greater in the case of oligonuoleotides having a ribonucleoside residue at the 3′-end. Oligonucleotides which on complementary binding do not reach the center of phoaphodiester bond synthesis, as well as the decanucleotides (−8…+2) and octanucleotides (−6…+2) of both the ribo- and deoxyribo-series were inactive as primers.