Skip to main content
Log in

Control of transcription initiation

  • Published:
Journal of Biosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mechanism of control of transcription initiation have expanded far beyond the classical operon concept. Control elements are multipartite and well separated from each other. Thetrans-factors bound to these sites make contacts with RNA polymerase: promoter complexes by DNA bending or looping to influence the initiation event. Activators and repressors are like two faces of the same coin and their function depends on the site of action, mode of interaction with DNA and also the nutritional status of the cell.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adhya S 1987 The galactose operon; inEscherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium (ed.) F C Neidhart (Washington DC: American Society of Microbiology) pp 1503–1511

    Google Scholar 

  • Adhya S 1989 Multipartite genetic control elements: communication by DNA loop;Annu. Rev. Genet. 23 227–250

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Balke V, Nagaraja V, Gindlesperger T and Hattman S 1992 Functionally distinct RNA polymerase binding sites in the phage Mu mom promoter region;Nucleic Acids Res. 20 2777–2784

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beckwith J 1987 The Operon: An historical account; inEscherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium (ed.) F C Neidhart (Washington DC: American Society of Microbiology) pp 1439–1443

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolker M and Kahmann R 1989 TheEscherichia coli regulatory protein Oxy R discriminates between methylated and unmethylated states of the phage Mu mom promoter;EM BO J. 8 2403–2410

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell J L and Kleckner N 1990E. coli oriC and the dnaA gene promoter are sequestered from dam methyl transferase following the passage of the chromosomal replication fork;Cell 62 967–979

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deuschle U, Gentz R and Bujard H 1986 Lac repressor blocks transcribing RNA polymerase and terminates transcription;Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 83 4134–4137

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn T M, Hahn S, Ogden S and Schleif R F 1984 An operator at — 280 base pairs that is required for repression of araBAD operon promoter; addition of DNA helical turns between the operator and promoter cyclically hinders repression;Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81 5017–5020

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodrich J A and McClure W R 1991 Competing promoters in prokaryotic transcription;Trends Biochem. Sci. 16 394–397

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith J, Hochschild A and Ptashne M 1986 DNA loops induced by cooperative binding of repressor;Nature (London) 322 750–752

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guarente L, Nye J S, Hochschild A and Ptashne M 1982 Mutant lambda phage repressor with a specific defect in its positive control function;Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79 2236–2239

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison S C and Aggarwal A K 1990 DNA recognition by proteins with the helix-turn-helix motif;Annu. Rev. Biochem. 59 933–969

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hawley D K and McClure W R 1982 Mechanism of activation of transcription initiation from the lambda Prm promoter;J. Mol. Biol. 157 493–525

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hochschild A, Irwin N and Ptashne M 1983 Repressor structure and the mechanism of position control;Cell 32 319–325

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hochschild A and Ptashne M 1986 Cooperative binding of repressors to sites separated by integral turns of the DNA helix;Cell 44 681–687

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoopes C B and McClure W R 1987 Strategies in regulation of transcription initiation; inEscherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium (ed.) F C Neidhart (Washington DC: American Society of Microbiology) pp 1231–1239

    Google Scholar 

  • Kustu S, North A K and Weiss D S 1991 Prokaryotic transcription enhancers and enhancer binding proteins;Trends Biochem. Sci. 16 397–402

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee J and Goldfarb A 1991 Lac repressor acts by modifying the initial transcribing complex so that it cannot leave the promoter;Cell 66 793–798

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maeda S, Ozawa Y, Mizuno and Mizushima S 1988 Stereospecific positioning of the cis-acting sequence with respect to the canonical promoter is required for activation of the omp C gene by a positive regulator, omp R inE. coli;J. Mol. Biol. 202 433–441

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malan T P, Kolb A, Buc H and McClure W R 1984 Mechanism of CRP-CAMP activation of lac operon transcription initation. Activation of P1 promoter;J. Mol. Biol. 180 881–909

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller J H and Reznikof W S 1978The operon. (New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra R K and Chatterji D 1993 Promoter search and strength of a promoter: two important means for regulation of gene expression isEscherichia coli;J. Biosci. 18 1–11

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ptashne M 1978 Lambda repressor function and structure; inThe Operon (eds) J H Miller and W S Reznikoff (New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) pp 325–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Raibaud O and Schwartz M 1984 Positive control of transcription initiation in bacteria;Annu. Rev. Genet. 18 173–206

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reitzer L J and Magasanik B 1986 Transcription of gln A inEscherichia coli is stimulated by activator bound to sites far from the promoter;Cell 45 785–792

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reznikoff W S, Siegele D A, Cowing D W and Gross C A 1985 The regulation of transcription initation in Bacteria;Annu. Rev. Genet. 19 355–387

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts D, Hoopes B C, McClure W R and Kleckner N 1985 IS 10 transposition is regulated by DNA adenine methylation;Cell 43 117–130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schleif R 1987 The Arabinose operon; inEscherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium; (ed.) F C Neidhart (Washington DC: American Society of Microbiology) pp 1473–1481

    Google Scholar 

  • Schleif R 1988 DNA Looping;Science 240 127–128

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sellitti M A, Pavco P A and Steege D A 1987 Lac repressor blocksin vivo transcription of lac control region DNA;Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 84 3199–3203

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shih M C and Gussin G N 1984 Role of eII protein in stimulating transcription initiation at the lambda Prepromoter;J. Mol. Biol. 172 489–506

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg N 1985 Evidence that adenine methylation influences DNA: protein interactions inE. coli;J. Bacteriol 164 490–493

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Straney S B and Crothers D M 1987 Lac repressor is a transient gene-activating protein;Cell 51 699–707

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tartaglia L A, Storz G and Ames B N 1989 Identification and molecular analysis of oxy R regulated promoters important for the bacterial adaptation to oxidative stress;J. Mol. Biol. 210 709–719

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vershon A K, Liao S M, McClure W R and Saur RT 1987 Interaction of the bacteriophage P22 Arc repressor with operator DNA;J. Mol. Biol. 195 323–331

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss D S, Batut J, Klose K E, Keener J and Kustu S 1991 The phosphorylated form of the enhancerbinding protein NTRC has an ATPase activity that is essential for activation of transcription;Cell 67 155–167

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu H M and Crothers D M 1984 The locus of sequence directed and protein induced DNA bending;Nature (London) 308 509–513

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Based on the lecture given at the Symposium on “Regulation of Gene Expression” held in Bangalore on January 20–21, 1992.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nagaraja, V. Control of transcription initiation. J Biosci 18, 13–25 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02703034

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02703034

Keywords

Navigation