title: Phage lambda gene Q antiterminator recognizes RNA polymerase near the promoter and accelerates it through a pause site.
abstract: The positive regulator encoded by phage lambda gene Q is a transcription antiterminator that affects RNA polymerase initiating at the phage late gene promoter, but not at other promoters. We show that this nucleotide-sequence-specific interaction of Q protein and RNA polymerase can occur while the enzyme is pausing after 16 nucleotides of the late gene transcript have been made. Furthermore, Q protein chases RNA polymerase from this early pause site, so that it both recognizes the enzyme and changes its transcription properties at this site. We suggest that the ability of Q-modified RNA polymerase to escape this pause reflects the change that allows it to go through terminators. We also show that NusA protein is required for efficient Q protein activity in vitro.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Grayhack
authors.forename: X J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005814:Genes, Viral; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D013698:Templates, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases