title: Conformational flexibility of sigma(70) in anti-terminator loading.
abstract: In promoter DNA, the preferred distance of the -10 and -35 elements for interacting with RNA polymerase-bound sigma(70) is 17 bp. However, the Devi et al. paper in this issue of Molecular Microbiology demonstrates that when the C-terminal domain of sigma(70), including the 3.2 linker, is not attached to the core enzyme, distances between 0 and 3 bp can be accommodated. This attests to the great flexibility of the 3.2 linker. The particularly stable complex with the 2 bp separation may lend itself to structural studies of an early elongation complex containing sigma(70).
authors.affiliation: RNA Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106-4973, USA. pieter.dehaseth@case.edu
authors.forename: Pieter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: DeHaseth
authors.forename: Jonatha M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gott
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C066119:Q protein, Bacteriophage lambda; D012808:Sigma Factor; D014764:Viral Proteins; D004247:DNA; C081775:RNA polymerase sigma 70; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases