title: Core-sigma interaction: probing the interaction of the bacteriophage T4 gene 55 promoter recognition protein with E.coli RNA polymerase core.
abstract: The bacterial RNA polymerase sigma subunits are key participants in the early steps of RNA synthesis, conferring specificity of promoter recognition, facilitating promoter opening and promoter clearance, and responding to diverse transcriptional regulators. The T4 gene 55 protein (gp55), the sigma protein of the bacteriophage T4 late genes, is one of the smallest and most divergent members of this family. Protein footprinting was used to identify segments of gp55 that become buried upon binding to RNA polymerase core, and are therefore likely to constitute its interface with the core enzyme. Site-directed mutagenesis in two parts of this contact surface generated gene 55 proteins that are defective in polymerase-binding to different degrees. Alignment with the sequences of the sigma proteins and with a recently determined structure of a large segment of sigma70 suggests that the gp55 counterpart of sigma70 regions 2.1 and 2.2 is involved in RNA polymerase core binding, and that sigma70 and gp55 may be structurally similar in this region. The diverse phenotypes of the mutants implicate this region of gp55 in multiple aspects of sigma function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Center for Molecular Genetics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0634, USA. jp@pharma.univ-montpl.fr
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Léonetti
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Geiduschek
mesh_terms: D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017354:Point Mutation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D014764:Viral Proteins
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012808:Sigma Factor; D014764:Viral Proteins; C106892:gene 55 protein, Enterobacteria phage T4; C081775:RNA polymerase sigma 70; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases