title: Gene product dsbA of bacteriophage T4 binds to late promoters and enhances late transcription.
abstract: Gene product 33 of phage T4 is known to be essential in late transcription. Upstream from gene 33 and overlapping its 5' terminal sequence by 20 bp, we identified an open reading frame coding for a binding protein for double-stranded DNA (DsbA). Gene product DsbA is composed of 89 amino acid residues with a Mr of 10376 kDa. We purified this protein to homogeneity from over-expressing cells. Gel retardation assays reveal that it binds to DNA and footprint analyses disclose that it interacts preferentially with T4 late promoter regions. At the sites of binding the protein introduces nicks in double-stranded DNA. In vitro transcription assays performed with T4 late modified RNA polymerase on restriction fragments harbouring a T4 late promoter region prove that gene product DsbA enhances transcription from these promoter regions in the presence of gene product 33. Gene dsbA is distinct from gene das which maps close to this genomic region.
authors.affiliation: Arbeitsgruppe Molekulare Genetik, Lehrstuhl Biologie der Mikroorganismen, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, FRG.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gansz
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rüger
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D005814:Genes, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013604:T-Phages / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins; C068357:dsbA protein, Enterobacteria phage T4; D004247:DNA; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I