In vitro transcription close to the melting point of DNA: analysis of Thermotoga maritima RNA polymerase-promoter complexes at 75 degrees C using chemical probes.

The interaction of DNA dependent RNA polymerase of the extreme thermophile bacteria Thermotoga maritima with a promoter bearing DNA fragment was investigated in the temperature range from 20 to 85 degrees C. We show that the T. maritima RNA polymerase recognizes and utilizes the Escherichia coli T7 A1 promoter with an efficiency similar to that of the E.