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Promotion, termination, and anti-termination in the rpsU-dnaG-rpoD macromolecular synthesis operon of E. coli K-12

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Summary

The regulatory regions for the rpsU-dnaG-rpoD macromolecular synthesis operon have been fused to a structural gene whose product is readily assayed (the Cmr structural gene coding for chloramphenicol acetyl transferase, CAT). The promoters (P1, P2, P3, Pa, Pb, Phs) for the macromolecular synthesis operon have different strengths as shown by their relative abilities to drive expression of the CAT gene. Promoter occlusion by P1 can be demonstrated within this operon. Regions 5kb upstream have a profound effect on operon gene expression. There is a thermoinducible promoter located within the dnaG structural gene. One of the macromolecular synthesis operon promoters is under lexA control. Although the operon structure allows coordinate expression of rpsU, dnaG and rpoD these additional features suggest that expression of individual genes can be independently regulated in response to altered growth conditions.

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Abbreviations

Apr :

ampicillin resistance

CAT:

chloramphenicol acetyl transferase

Cmr :

chloramphenicol resistance

kb:

kilobase pair

orf:

open reading frame

P:

promoter

T:

terminator

Tcr :

tetracycline resistance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biochemistry Department, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, 10016, New York, NY, USA

    James R. Lupski, Ariel Altaba Ruiz & G. Nigel Godson

Authors
  1. James R. Lupski
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  2. Ariel Altaba Ruiz
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  3. G. Nigel Godson
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Communicated by O. Siddiqi

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Lupski, J.R., Ruiz, A.A. & Godson, G.N. Promotion, termination, and anti-termination in the rpsU-dnaG-rpoD macromolecular synthesis operon of E. coli K-12. Mol Gen Genet 195, 391–401 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341439

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341439

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