Initial transcribed region sequences influence the composition and functional properties of the bacterial elongation complex
- 1 January 2011
- journal article
- Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Genes & Development
- Vol. 25 (1), 77-88
- https://doi.org/10.1101/gad.1991811
Abstract
The bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) holoenzyme consists of a catalytic core enzyme (α2ββ′ω) in complex with a σ factor that is essential for promoter recognition and transcription initiation. During early elongation, the stability of interactions between σ and the remainder of the transcription complex decreases. Nevertheless, there is no mechanistic requirement for release of σ upon the transition to elongation. Furthermore, σ can remain associated with RNAP during transcription elongation and influence regulatory events that occur during transcription elongation. Here we demonstrate that promoter-like DNA sequence elements within the initial transcribed region that are known to induce early elongation pausing through sequence-specific interactions with σ also function to increase the σ content of downstream elongation complexes. Our findings establish σ-dependent pausing as a mechanism by which initial transcribed region sequences can influence the composition and functional properties of the transcription elongation complex over distances of at least 700 base pairs.Keywords
This publication has 43 references indexed in Scilit:
- RNA Polymerase Elongation FactorsAnnual Review of Microbiology, 2008
- Prevalence of RNA polymerase stalling at Escherichia coli promoters after open complex formationMolecular Microbiology, 2008
- The elongation factor RfaH and the initiation factor σ bind to the same site on the transcription elongation complexProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2008
- An Alternate Mechanism of Abortive Release Marked by the Formation of Very Long Abortive TranscriptsBiochemistry, 2007
- Structural Basis for Converting a General Transcription Factor into an Operon-Specific Virulence RegulatorMolecular Cell, 2007
- The bacteriophage λQ anti‐terminator protein regulates late gene expression as a stable component of the transcription elongation complexMolecular Microbiology, 2006
- The Transition between Transcriptional Initiation and Elongation in E. coli Is Highly Variable and Often Rate LimitingMolecular Cell, 2006
- Initial Transcription by RNA Polymerase Proceeds Through a DNA-Scrunching MechanismScience, 2006
- Studies of the distribution of Escherichia coli cAMP-receptor protein and RNA polymerase along the E. coli chromosomeProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2005
- Holoenzyme Switching and Stochastic Release of Sigma Factors from RNA Polymerase In VivoMolecular Cell, 2005