64 – Transforming RNA as a template directing RNA and DNA synthesis in bacteria

In Niu and Segal (eds), The Role of RNA in reproduction and development. North Holland Publ.Co., 1973, pp.203-224. Available in English only ABSTRACT: Attempts were made to approach the mechanism by which the transfer of information is carried by transforming RNA from Escherichia coli. Transforming RNA, capable of inducing inherited changes in recipient cells, is used in vitro as a template by two distinct enzymes which mediate the transfer of information from RNA to RNA and DNA respectively. Using transforming RNA as a template, polynucleotide phosphorylase insensitive to rifampicin, synthesizes a product which was characterized as being a “copy” of template RNA. Reverse transcriptase, which can be physically separated from DNA polylerase, transcribes the transforming RNA into a complementary DNA product. According to hybridization experiments, DNA from Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformed by E. coli transforming RNA seems to contain one or less than one copy of complementary DNA.Read the full publication