title: The coupling between ftsZ transcription and initiation of DNA replication is not mediated by the DnaA-boxes upstream of ftsZ or by DnaA.
abstract: The DnaA protein of Escherichia coli is a multi-functional protein which, In addition to promoting initiation of replication, can regulate the initiation or termination of transcription of a variety of genes. It acts by binding to DNA at a defined sequence, termed a DnaA-box. Three candidate DnaA-boxes which occur within the essential cell-division genes, ftsQ and ftsA, have been hypothesized to mediate the response of the downstream ftsZ gene to intracellular levels of DnaA, and thus to couple the processes of initiation and cell division. We show here that, although transcription from promoters upstream of ftsZ is increased when initiation of chromosome replication is blocked by DnaA inactivation, this response is not mediated by the DnaA-boxes near these promoters, nor is it specific to DnaA. We show, furthermore, that mutational inactivation of the putative DnaA-binding sites in the fts region of the chromosome does not lead to impaired growth or reduced survival of cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McAteer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masters
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D007763:Lac Operon; D008242:Lysogeny / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D013489:Suppression, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C066312:DnaA protein, Bacteria; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C065103:FtsA protein, Bacteria; C489310:FtsA protein, E coli; C068023:FtsQ protein, E coli; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria; D008565:Membrane Proteins