Effects of Polyamines on the Activities of Escherichia coli Ribonuclease I and II

Abstract

The effects of polyamines on the breakdown of synthetic polynucleotides [poly(A), poly(C), and poly(U)] by E. coli ribonuclease I [ribonucleate 3'-oligonucleotidohydrolase, EC 3. 1. 4. 23] and ribonuclease II [EC 3. 1. 4. 1] have been studied. The degradation of poly(C) by RNase II was stimulated by spermine and spermidine, while that of poly(A) by RNase II was not affected by polyamines. Under our standard experimental conditions, the breakdown of poly(U) by RNase II was inhibited slightly by polyamines. The stimulatory effect of spermine and spermidine on the breakdown of poly(C) occurred in the absence of monovalent cations but not in the absence of divalent cations. When polyamines were used as a stimulant of RNase II, the ratio of poly(C) degradation to poly(U) degradation was greater in the presence of inhibitors such as poly(G) than in their absence.
Although the breakdown of all synthetic polynucleotides by RNase I was stimulated by polyamines, the degree of stimulation by polyamines was in the order poly(C)>poly(A)_??_poly(U). However, the difference in degree of stimulation among polynucleotides decreased as monovalent cation concentration was increased.