title: A consensus motif common to all Rho-dependent prokaryotic transcription terminators.
abstract: We have characterized at the molecular level several polar mutations in four different cistrons of the his operon of S. typhimurium. An analysis of the his-specific transcripts produced in vivo in the mutant strains, together with in vitro transcription assays, led to the identification of several cryptic Rho-dependent transcription termination elements within the his operon that are activated by the uncoupling of transcription and translation. Common features of these elements were sought and found with a computer program. We have identified a consensus motif, consisting of a cytosine-rich and guanosine-poor region, that is located upstream of the heterogeneous 3' endpoints of the prematurely terminated in vivo transcripts and that is present in all the Rho-dependent transcription terminators described thus far.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Università di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alifano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rivellini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Limauro
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Carlomagno
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006639:Histidine; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009876:Operon; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012234:Rho Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics*; D013728:Terminator Regions, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012234:Rho Factor; D006639:Histidine