Assymetric annealing of an RNA linked DNA molecule isolated during the initiation of bacteriophage T7 DNA replication

Abstract

An RNA linked DNA molecule has been isolated from T7 infected cells after pulse labeling with 3H-Tdr. This molecule binds almost exclusively to the R strand of T7 DNA. Recent results (1,2,3) have indicated that an RNA molecule may act as a primer to initiate DNA replication in bacteria and bacteriophage systems. Thus, at the initiation of DNA replication in bacteriophage T7 infected cells, one ought to be able to isolate a ribopolynucleotide covalently attached to a growing deoxypolynucleotide chain. In this communication, we report the isolation and partial characterization of such a molecule.