Spectroscopic studies of Congo red binding to RNA polymerase

The azo dye Congo Red has a high affinity for nucleotide-binding enzymes. We have studied the binding of Congo Red to RNA polymerase by circular dichroism (CD) and difference absorption spectroscopy, steady-state kinetics, and nitrocellulose filter-binding. Induced CD shows that a large number of Congo Red molecules bind to the holoenzyme. CD also demonstrates that the core enzyme at low ionic strengths has a distinctive Congo Red binding site which is not present in the holoenzyme, nor in the core enzyme at higher ionic strengths or in the pressece of poly(dT). CD studies indicate that Congo Red can readily displace double-stranded polynucleotides (T7 DNA or poly[d(A-T)]) from RNA polymerase. Single-stranded DNA (poly(dT) and T7 DNA in open complexes) is not displaced from RNA polymerase except at high Congo Red concentrations. Both kinetics and nitrocellulose filter-binding measurements support this conclusion. Difference spectra indicate that the bound Congo Red molecules undergo stacking. We postulate that RNA polymerase binds Congo Red in a region with which a segment of DNA normally interacts, and that Congo Red is a potent inhibitor because the stacked dye has a polyanionic character.