Effect of anthracycline antibiotics on in vitro transcription of chromatin in a Sarcoma-180 whole cell extract.

A soluble extract capable of transcribing Sarcoma-180 chromatin and DNA in a cell-free transcription system was prepared from Sarcoma-180 mouse ascites tumour cells. Incorporation of [3H]UTP into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable fraction is (i) reduced by 50% on removing DNase I hypersensitive sites of chromatin and (ii) inhibited by DNA binding antitumour anthracyclines, suggesting that this cell-free assay represents true transcription of active genes of Sarcoma-180 chromatin. Preparation of this soluble extract from mouse ascites tumour cells thus presents a very convenient way of studying cell-free transcription of active genes of chromatin and effect of antitumour agents on chromatin transcription.