Characterization of a non-histone chromosomal protein which stimulates RNA polymerase II

A non-histone chromosomal protein was extracted and purified 177-fold from rat liver nuclei which stimulated RNA synthesis in vitro catalyzed by wheat germ RNA polymerase II with either liver chromatin, or native or denaturated calf thymus DNA as template. The stimulatory non-histone chromosomal protein fraction was characterized as having a molecular weight of 66 000 and a pI = 8.2--9.0. No activity was found with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and liver chromatin. The binding of the stimulatory non-histone chromosomal protein occurred exclusively with the chromatin template and not with RNA polymerase II as assessed by its interference with actinomycin D but not with alpha-amanitin, respectively.