title: Transcriptional analysis of the pst operon of Escherichia coli.
abstract: The pst operon of Escherichia coli, which encodes the phosphate-specific transport system, is composed of five genes, pstS, pstC, pstA, pstB and phoU, whose transcription is induced by phosphate starvation. A phosphate-regulated promoter located upstream of the most proximal gene ( pstS) controls the transcription of the entire operon. Though the full-length pst mRNA could be detected by an improved RT-PCR protocol, Northern analysis using several pst-specific probes failed to reveal this transcript. Instead, smaller but distinct pst mRNA species were evident. Primer-extension experiments localized the 5' ends of pst mRNAs within the operon. The data suggest that the full-length mRNA is rapidly processed post-transcriptionally.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374 São Paulo-SP CEP 05508-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aguena
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yagil
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spira
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000235:genetics*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D010710:Phosphates; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase