title: Transcription regulation by bacteriophage T4 AsiA.
abstract: Bacteriophage T4 AsiA, a strong inhibitor of bacterial RNA polymerase, was the first antisigma protein to be discovered. Recent advances that made it possible to purify large amounts of this highly toxic protein led to an increased understanding of AsiA function and structure. In this review, we discuss how the small 10-KDa AsiA protein plays a key role in T4 development through its ability to both inhibit and activate bacterial RNA polymerase transcription.
authors.affiliation: Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 190 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States.
authors.forename: Leonid
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Minakhin
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Severinov
mesh_terms: D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology; D008954:Models, Biological; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C078876:AsiA protein, Enterobacteria phage T4; D014764:Viral Proteins; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases