title: The binding site of the transcriptional activator VirG from Agrobacterium comprises both conserved and specific nonconserved sequences.
abstract: Virulence genes of Agrobacterium tumefaciens are transcriptionally activated in response to phenolic compounds and certain sugars. The transcription activator VirG specifically binds to fragments containing the conserved vir box sequence present in the promoter region of all vir genes. This study shows that both the vir box as well as specific nonconserved sequences downstream of the vir box are required for VirG binding and transcriptional activation. Insertion of the identified VirG binding site into the lac promoter resulted in transcriptional activation of this heterologous promoter in response to the plant phenolic signal molecule acetosyringone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roitsch
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Nester
mesh_terms: D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C058483:virG protein, Shigella flexneri