Poising of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and its release from the sigma 38 C-terminal tail for osmY transcription.
Bacteria must adapt their transcription to overcome the osmotic stress associated with the gastrointestinal tract of their host. This requires the sigma 38 (rpoS) form of RNA polymerase. Here, chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments show that activation is associated with a poise-and-release mechanism in vivo. A C-terminal tail unique among sigma factors is shown to be required for in vivo recruitment of RNA polymerase to the promoter region prior to osmotic shock. C-terminal domain tail-dependent transcription in vivo can be mimicked by using the intracellular signaling molecule potassium glutamate in vitro. Following signaling, the barrier to elongation into the gene body is overcome and RNA polymerase is released to produce osmY mRNA.
Rosenthal
Adam Z
AZ
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Kim
Youngbae
Y
Gralla
Jay D
JD
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology; D020035:Holoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009997:Osmotic Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D033902:Periplasmic Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005971:Glutamates; D020035:Holoenzymes; D033902:Periplasmic Binding Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor; C074783:osmY protein, E coli; C106402:RNA polymerase Esigma(38); D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases