title: The Cro-like Apl repressor of coliphage 186 is required for prophage excision and binds near the phage attachment site.
abstract: The Apl protein of the temperature coliphage 186 represses transcription of the immunity repressor gene and down-regulates lytic transcription. It is shown here that an apl- mutant is competent for lytic development and establishes lysogeny normally but is defective in excision of the prophage. The Apl protein binds between the lytic and lysogenic promoters and also near the phage attachment site, suggesting that its role in excision is direct. Apl thus appears to act as an excisionase as well as a repressor. The pattern of Apl-induced DNase I enhancements indicates that the DNA is bent by Apl. Potential Apl recognition sequences are identified; these sequences are directly repeated several times across each binding region and are spaced 10 or 11 bases apart, suggesting that Apl binds to one face of the DNA helix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Egan
mesh_terms: D001287:Attachment Sites, Microbiological / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003090:Coliphages / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005814:Genes, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C016649:phage repressor proteins