title: Interference by PR-bound RNA polymerase with PRM function in vitro. Modulation by the bacteriophage lambda cI protein.
abstract: Activation of the weak PRM promoter by cI protein is an essential process in the establishment of lysogeny. Much evidence has accumulated that cI protein binds cooperatively to the operators OR1 and OR2 and that protein at the OR2 site contacts RNA polymerase to facilitate open complex formation at the PRM promoter. We had shown previously in vitro that RNA polymerase situated at the nearby PR promoter could interfere with open complex formation at PRM and that an additional mechanism of PRM activation in vitro involved cI-mediated RNA polymerase exclusion from PR. Here we further characterize this second indirect mode of activation. We demonstrate the addition of cI and inactivation of the PR promoter activate open complex formation at PRM similarly over the temperature range from 37 to 20 degrees C in which the extent of activation decreases from 8- to 2-fold. We also show that the binding of cI protein to OR1 is sufficient to effect an increase in the rate of synthesis of abortive RNA products at PRM. This result is difficult to explain based on direct cI-RNA polymerase contacts alone but is readily interpreted in terms of our previously proposed model involving the exclusion of an interfering RNA polymerase from binding at PR.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4935.
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Hershberger
authors: B C
authors: BC
authors: Mita
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Tripatara
authors: P L
authors: PL
authors: deHaseth
mesh_terms: D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009875:Operator Regions, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; C016649:phage repressor proteins; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases