REPLICATION OF VIRAL RNA, IV. PROPERTIES OF RNA SYNTHETASE AND ENZYMATIC SYNTHESIS OF MS2 PHAGE RNA

Abstract

RNA synthetase, an enzyme induced in Escherichia coli following infection with the RNA phage MS2, has been partially purified in association with its natural template, the double-stranded replicative form of MS2 RNA. The holo-enzyme synthesizes MS2 viral RNA of the parental type in vitro in the absence of exogenous primers. Part of the product is double-stranded RNA indistinguishable from the replicative form of MS2 RNA formed in vivo. The results of this and the previous paper are discussed in relation to the mechanism of replication of viral RNA.