Isolation and characterization of nuclear RNA polymerase II from chicken myeloblastosis cells

Nuclear RNA polymerases of chicken myeloblastosis cells were solubilized and fractionated by diethylaminoethyl-Sephades A25 column chromatography. Both alpha-amanitin-insenstitive (polymerase I) and- sensitive (polymerase II) species were isolated. Polymerase activity, contained two peaks of enzyme (IIa and IIb), which were further purified by glycerol gradient centrifugation. The partially purified enzymes were characterized by their requirement of four nucleoside triphosphates and metal ions and by their sensitivity to several inhibitors. The enzymes were compared with RNA polymearases derived from normal chickent bone marrow cells,and the total extractable myeloblastosis than in bone marrow cells. Polymearse II from both cell types was shown to be sensitive to cytosine arabinoside triphosphate inhibiton.