title: Regulation of the Escherichia coli nrd operon: role of DNA supercoiling.
abstract: An in vitro RNA transcription assay was used to investigate the regulation of the expression of the nrd promoter. Using a linear DNA template, we found that Fis protein, which has a positive effect on expression of the nrd promoter in an nrd-lacZ fusion in vivo, had a moderate negative effect in vitro. However, with a supercoiled DNA template as substrate, we found that Fis had a concentration-dependent positive effect on nrd transcription in vitro. This positive effect was not present on two templates that had 35- or 37-bp insertions between the Fis binding site and the nrd promoter. In the absence of Fis protein, a dramatic decrease in transcription was observed in templates with reduced supercoiling generated by the treatment with wheat germ topoisomerase I. Templates with insertions of 35 bp into an HpaII site at -102 or 37 bp into the MnlI site at -33 bp from the start of transcription failed to exhibit the DNA supercoiling sensitivity of the nrd promoter. Analysis of cells containing either of these two nrd-lacZ fusion constructs that has an insertion at the regulatory region by flow cytometry indicated that these two constructs, unlike the parental construct, were not cell cycle regulated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D035021:Factor For Inversion Stimulation Protein; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D034982:Integration Host Factors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D035021:Factor For Inversion Stimulation Protein; D034982:Integration Host Factors; C440502:integration host factor, E coli; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases