Bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase travels far ahead of ribosomes in vivo.
We show that in Escherichia coli at 32 degrees C, the T7 RNA polymerase travels over the lacZ gene about eightfold faster than ribosomes travel over the corresponding mRNA. We discuss how the T7 phage might exploit this high rate in its growth optimization strategy and how it obviates the possible drawbacks of uncoupling transcription from translation.
Iost
I
I
Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique D1302), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France.
Guillerez
J
J
Dreyfus
M
M
D001483:Base Sequence; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007763:Lac Operon; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D013604:T-Phages / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D014764:Viral Proteins
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D014764:Viral Proteins; C062210:bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases