Interaction of rifamycins with mammalian nucleic acid polymerizing enzymes

Procedures were established for the isolation and partial purification of DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase and poly(A) polymerase activities from the cytoplasm and nuclei of NIH-Swiss mouse embryos. Based on the elution pattern of these enzyme activities from DEAE-cellulose and phosphocellulose columns in Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8.0, the apparent basicities of the enzymes can be arranged as follows: cytoplasmic(C) poly(A) polymerase greater than (C)DNA polymerase beta greater than (C)DNA polymerase alpha and nuclear(N) poly(A) polymerase greater than (N)DNA polymerase greater than (N)RNA polymerase I greater than (N)RNA polymerase II. Twenty rifamycins, including rifamycin B, rifamycin S, rifamycin SV, and rifamycin SV derivatives, were examined for their ability to inhibit the above mentioned nucleic acid polymerizing enzymes and Simian sarcoma virus type I (SSV-1) reverse transcriptase. Rifamycin SV 3'-formyldiphenylhydrazone, rifamycin SV 3'-formyl-n-octyloxime (AF/013) and rifamycin SV 3'-formyldiphenylmethyloxime (AF/05) inhibited all the tested enzyme activities. Rifamycin SV 3'-formylpropylphenyloxime (AF/015) inhibited cellular nucleic acid polymerase activities but not SSV-1 DNA polymerase activity. Rifamycin SV 3'-formyldinitrophenylhydrazone (AF/DNFL) strongly inhibited reverse transcriptase activity but did not inhibit cellular DNA polymerase activities. AF/DNFI slightly inhibited RNA and poly(A) polymerase activities. Rifamycin SV 3'-formyldipropylhydrazone (AF/DPI) and 2,6-dimethyl-4-N-benzyldemethyl-rifampicin (AF/ABDMP) slightly inhibited reverse transcriptase activity but did not inhibit cellular nucleic acid polymerase activities. Active rifamycin derivatives inhibited enzyme reactions by interacting with the enzyme proteins. Nascent polynucleotide chain elongation continued although at a reduced rate in the presence of inhibitor. The addition of increasing concentrations of nonionic detergent (Triton X-100) to rifamycin-inhibited enzyme reactions fully restored enzyme activities. The presence of highly lipophilic 3'-side chains on active rifamycins and the reversibility of enzyme inhibition by Triton X-100 suggest that the tested nucleic acid polymerizing enzymes may have hydrophobic regions with which inhibitory rifamycins interact.