Abstract
An RNA polymerase III in vitro transcription system has been developed from the protist Acanthamoeba castellanii. The system is dependent on a cloned 5S RNA gene and utilizes a nuclear extract which contains all the necessary protein components. The system is assembled from completely homologous components. Primer extension and RNA sequencing analysis confirm that the in vitro 5S RNA transcript is identical to the 5S RNA isolated from cells. The transcription complex forms unusually rapidly on the 5S RNA gene and is stable to challenge by excess competitor templates. Several 5' deletion mutants were constructed and indicate that the region upstream of -33 is dispensable. Deletion to +16 show the region between -33 and +16 to be required for transcription, a region outside the canonical internal control region.