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W J Rutter

Publications and source records attributed to W J Rutter.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Yeast DNA-dependent RNA polymerase I. A rapid procedure for the large scale purification of homogeneous enzyme.

A procedure has been developed for the rapid purification of large amounts of yeast RNA polymerase I (A). The method involves batchwise treatment with phosphocellulose and DEAE-cellulose, ion filtration chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex, sucrose gradient centrifugation, and DNA-cellulose chromatography. The enzyme obtained is apparently homogeneous by sedimentation velocity analysis and has a specific activity of 300 nmol of UMP incorporated into RNA in 10 min per mg of protein. Between 30 and 45 mg of enzyme can be obtained in 5 days from 3.0 kg of yeast cells. The subunit composition of the enzyme was determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. The purified polymerase is composed of 11 putative subunits with molecular weights 185,000 (Ia), 137,000 (Ib), 48,000 (Ic), 44,000 (Id), 41,000 (Ie), 36,000 (If), 28,000 (Ig), 24,000 (Ih), 20,000 (Ii), 14,500 (Ij), and 12,000 (Ik). Yeast polymerase I separates into two forms when subjected to gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions. The main component which migrates faster contains all the subunits except the polypeptides Ic and If. The slow migrating component which is present in lower amounts contains all the subunits.

DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases↗

The neural crest and the origin of the insulin-producing and other gastrointestinal hormone-producing cells.

It has been proposed that the endocrine cells of the digestive tract derive from the neuroectoderm (neural crest). To test this hypothesis we removed the entire ectoderm, the precursor of the neural crest, of embryonic rats prior to the formation of the neural crest and cultured the mesoendoderm for 11 days. In every case where a pancreas developed, insulin was detected or B cells were observed. Thus, a neural crest origin for these cells is eiliminated.

Amines↗

Molecular structure of yeast RNA polymerase III: demonstration of the tripartite transcriptive system in lower eukaryotes.

Homogeneous RNA polymerase III (RNA nucleotidyltransferase III) has been obtained from yeast. The subunit composition of the enzyme was examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme is composed of 12 putative subunits with molecular weights 160,000, 128,000, 82,000, 41,000, 40,500, 37,000, 34,000, 28,000, 24,000, 20,000, 14,500, and 11,000. The high-molecular-weight subunits and several of the smaller subunits of yeast RNA polymerase III are clearly different from those of enzymes I and II, indicating a distinct molecular structure. However, the molecular weights of some of the small subunits (41,000, 28,000, 24,000, and 14,500) appear to be identical to those of polymerases I and II. Thus, it is possible that the three classes of enzymes in yeast have some common subunits. As in other eukaryotes, yeast polymerase II is inhibited by relatively low concentrations of alpha-amanitin; however, contrary to what has been found in higher eukaryotes, yeast polymerase III is resistant (up to 2 mg/ml) to alpha-amanitin, while yeast polymerase I is sensitive to high concentrations of the drug (50% inhibition at 0.3 mg/ml). These results establish the existence of RNA polymerase III in yeast and provide a structural basis for the discrimination of the three functional polymerases in eukaryotes.

Amanitins↗

5-bromodeoxyuridine may alter the differentiative program of the embryonic pancreas.

The thymidine analog, 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), inhibits the differentiation of the acinar cells of the embryonic rat pancreas, while having little effect on the growth of the tissue. The BrdU-treated pancreas contains elevated alkaline phosphatase and carbonic anhydrase activities, and, unlike the normal pancreas, contains numerous extracellular fluid-filled vacuoles, surrounded by ductlike cells. Both alkaline phosphatase and carbonic anhydrase activities are located preferentially in the ductlike cells lining the vacuoles. The biochemical, morphological, and functional features of these epithelial cells are therefore characteristic of the normal pancreatic duct cell. Thus, in the exocrine pancreas, BrdU seems to alter the normal program of differentiation by favoring the functional duct cells while inhibiting the differentiation of acinar cells.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Increased thermal stability of chromatin containing 5-bromodeoxyuridine-substituted DNA.

The replacement of thymidine by 5-bromodeoxyuridine in DNA leads to a greatly enhanced stability of chromatin from hepatoma tissue culture or embryonic rat pancreas, as measured by thermal chromatography on hydroxylapatite. The increased stability is directly correlated with the degree of bromodeoxyuridine substitution. On the other hand, the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine into DNA results in a modest stabilization of purified DNA. Substitution of nucleotide also alters slightly the hyperchromicity profile generated during the thermal denaturation of purified DNA and chromatin. The observed changes can best be explained by an altered interaction between the bromodeoxyuridine-DNA and other chromatin components, presumably proteins. These results suggests that the selective effects of bromodeoxyuridine on cytodifferentiation may be due to an increased affinity of regulatory proteins for bromodeoxyuridine-DNA.

Animals↗