Giant heterogeneous polyadenylic acid on vesicular stomatitis virus mRNA synthesized in vitro in the presence of S-adenosylhomocysteine

Abstract

An in vitro transcription system in which vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) mRNA species have been synthesized is described. In addition to purified VSV virions, which contain an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, this system contained a cytoplasmic cell extract that enhanced correct transcription. Gel electrophoretic analysis of the methylated polyadenylic acid [poly(A)]-containing VSV mRNA produced in this system in the presenct of S-adenosylmethionine showed the discrete VSV mRNA species. However, when unmethylated mRNA was synthesized in the presence of S-adenosylhomocysteine, the poly(A)-containing transcripts were large and heterogeneous in molecular weight and did not contain discrete VSV mRNA species. Two-dimensional fingerprint analysis of the methylated and unmethylated products suggested that identical nucleotide sequences were present in the RNAs. Further analysis showed the presence of very large heterogeneous poly(A), 200 to 2,000 nucleotides in lenght, in the unmethylated transcript. Proof that this large poly(A) was covalently linked to the correct VSV mRNA transcripts was obtained by removal of the poly(A) by hybirdization with oligodeoxythymidylic acid and digestion with RNase H. This digestion produced unmethylated VSV mRNA transcripts with the same discrete sizes as the deadenylated RNAs produced from VSV mRNA initially isolated from VSV-infected cells. The results suggest that there is a relationship between methylation at the 5'-end and polyadenylation at the 3'-end of VSV mRNA's. Furthermore, addition of the very large poly(A) does not affect the normal process of sequential transcription of the VSV genome, suggesting that this poly(A) addition is occurring independently of further transcription.