title: Revisited gene regulation in bacteriophage lambda.
abstract: The contribution of bacteriophage lambda to gene control research is far from over. A revised model of the lambda genetic switch includes extra cooperativity through octamerization of the cI repressor protein, mediated by long-range DNA looping. Structural analysis reveals remarkably subtle transcriptional activation by cI. The action of cI, activation by cII, and aspects of antitermination by N and Q all confirm the utility and versatility of simple, weak adhesive interactions mediated by nucleic acid tethers. New genetic and quantitative analysis of the lambda gene network is challenging cherished ideas about how complex behaviours emerge from this regulatory system.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Biochemistry, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia. ian.dodd@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: Ian B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: Keith E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Shearwin
authors.forename: J Barry
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Egan
mesh_terms: D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000235:genetics*; D001665:Binding Sites; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases