title: Bacterial enhancer-binding proteins: unlocking sigma54-dependent gene transcription.
abstract: Bacterial transcription relies on the binding of dissociable sigma (sigma) factors to RNA polymerase (RNAP) for promoter specificity. The major variant sigma factor (sigma54) forms a stable closed complex with RNAP bound to DNA that rarely spontaneously isomerises to an open complex. ATP hydrolysis by bacterial enhancer-binding proteins is used to remodel the RNAP-sigma54-DNA closed complex. Recently, a wealth of structural information on bacterial enhancer-binding proteins has enabled unprecedented insights into their mechanism. These data provide a structural basis for nucleotide binding and hydrolysis, oligomerisation and the conversion of ATPase activity into remodelling events within the RNAP-sigma54 closed complex, and represent advances towards a complete understanding of the sigma54-dependent transcription activation mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Structural Biology, Division of Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rappas
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bose
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019281:Dimerization; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D011487:Protein Conformation; D051877:RNA Polymerase Sigma 54 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051877:RNA Polymerase Sigma 54