Transcription of Simian virus 40 DNA in a HeLa whole cell extract

Extracts of HeLa cells containing RNA polymerase II and other factors recognize specific sites on linear simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA for initiation of transcription. The most prominent RNA products transcribed from the early region of SV40 and th E strand are initiated at sites 0.67 and 0.655 on the SV40 map. These two RNAs are synthesized by polymerase II. Their 5' termini were positioned by sizing transcripts that extend from the initiation site to the end of the template restriction endonuclease fragment, and by S1-nuclease mapping of unlabeled RNA using DNA probes labeled at their 5' termini. The limit of resolution of mapping of 5' termini is approximately 25 nucleotides. RNAs with 5' termini at similar positions have been found during characterization of mRNAs produced in infected cells. Thus, the whole cell extract is probably initiating transcription on linear SV40 DNA in vitro at the same sites as RNAs synthesized in vivo. Two other processes frequently involved in mammalian cell mRNA biosynthesis, creation of specific 3'-terminal polyadenine tracts and RNA splicing, were not detected during the course of these studies.