Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Negative regulation of β and β' synthesis by RNA polymerase

  • Published:
Molecular and General Genetics MGG Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The genes for the β and β' subunits of RNA polymerase, rpoB and rpoC, and the genes for the two ribosomal proteins, rplL and rplJ, are part of the β operon. Although this operon contains a single strong promoter, the genes of the operon are not always coordinately expressed in vivo. This has now been confirmed in vitro where the lack of coordinate expression has been shown to be correlated with the selective inhibition of rpoB and rpoC gene expression by RNA polymerase. Rifampicin, which stops the initiation of transcription, also relieves this autogenous inhibition of β and β' (ββ') synthesis. The inhibitory action of RNA polymerase and its reversal by rifampicin most likely occurs at a posttranscriptional or translational level.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barry G, Squires C, Squires CL (1980) Attenuation and processing of RNA from the rplJL-rpoBC transcription unit of Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:3331–3335

    Google Scholar 

  • Blumenthal RM, Lemaux PG, Neidhardt FC, Dennis PP (1976) The effects of the relA gene on the synthesis of aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis and other transcription and translation proteins in Escherichia coli B. Mol Gen Genet 149:291–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess RR, Jendrisak JJ (1975) A procedure for the rapid large-scale purification of Escherichia coli DNA-dependent RNA polymerase involving polymin P. Precipitation and DNA-cellulose chromatography. Biochemistry 14:4634–4638

    Google Scholar 

  • Fukuda R, Taketo M, Ishikama A (1978) Autogeneous regulation of RNA polymerase subunit synthesis in vitro. J Biol Chem 253:4501–4504

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayward RS, Fyfe SK (1978) Non-coordinate expression of the neigh-boring genes rplL and rpoB,C of Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet 160:77–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Kajitani M, Fukuda R, Ishikama A (1980) Autogenous and posttranscriptional regulation of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase synthesis in vitro. Mol Gen Genet 179:489–496

    Google Scholar 

  • Linn T, Scaife J (1978) Identification of a Single Promoter in E. coli for rplJ, rplL and rplBC. Nature 276:33–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Little R, Dennis P (1980) Regultion of RNA polymerase synthesis. J Biol Chem 255:3536–3541

    Google Scholar 

  • Maher DL, Dennis PP (1977) In vivo transcription of E. coli genes coding for rRNA, ribosomal proteins and subunits of RNA polymerase: Influence of the stringent control system. Mol Gen Genet 155:203–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura Y, Yura T (1976) Effects of rifampicin on synthesis and functional activity of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase in Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet 145:227–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Nomura M, Yates JL, Dean D, Post LE (1981) Feedback regulation of ribosomal protein gene expression in Escherichia coli: Structural homology between ribosomal RNA and ribosomal protein mRNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (in press)

  • Post LE, Strycharz GD, Nomura M, Lewis H, Dennis PP (1979) Nucleotide sequence of the ribosomal protein gene cluster adjacent to the gene for RNA polymerase subunit β in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76:1697–1701

    Google Scholar 

  • Reiness G, Yang H-L, Zubay G, Cashel M (1975) Effects of guanosine tetraphosphate on cell-free synthesis of Escherichia coli ribosomal RNA and other gene products. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72:2881–2885

    Google Scholar 

  • Taketo M, Ishikama H, Kirschbaum JB (1976) Altered synthesis and stability of RNA polymerase holoenzyme subunits in mutants of Escherichia coli with mutations in the β or β' subunit genes. Mol Gen Genet 147:139–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto M, Nomura M (1978) Cotranscription of genes for RNA polymerase subunits β and β' with genes for ribosomal proteins in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75:3891–3895

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang H-L, Ivashkiv L, Chen H-Z, Zubay G, Cashel M (1980) A cellfree coupled transcription translation system for investigation of linear DNA segments. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:7029–7033

    Google Scholar 

  • Zubay G (1974) In vitro synthesis of protein in microbial systems. Annu Rev Genet 7:267–285

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Huey Lang-Yang

    Present address: Department of Genetics, The Public Health Research Institute of the City of New York, 10016, New York, N.Y., USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fairchild Center for Biological Sciences, Columbia University, 10027, New York, N.Y., USA

    Huey Lang-Yang & Geoffrey Zubay

Authors
  1. Huey Lang-Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Geoffrey Zubay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by G. O'Donovan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lang-Yang, H., Zubay, G. Negative regulation of β and β' synthesis by RNA polymerase. Molec. Gen. Genet. 183, 514–517 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268773

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00268773

Keywords

Search

Navigation