The omega subunit of the RNA polymerase core directs transcription efficiency in cyanobacteria.
The eubacterial RNA polymerase core, a transcription machinery performing DNA-dependent RNA polymerization, consists of two α subunits and β, β' and ω subunits. An additional σ subunit is recruited for promoter recognition and transcription initiation. Cyanobacteria, a group of eubacteria characterized by oxygenic photosynthesis, have a unique composition of the RNA polymerase (RNAP) core due to splitting of the β' subunit to N-terminal γ and C-terminal β' subunits. The physiological roles of the small ω subunit of RNAP, encoded by the rpoZ gene, are not yet completely understood in any bacteria. We found that although ω is non-essential in cyanobacteria, it has a major impact on the overall gene expression pattern. In ΔrpoZ strain, recruitment of the primary σ factor into the RNAP holoenzyme is inefficient, which causes downregulation of highly expressed genes and upregulation of many low-expression genes. Especially, genes encoding proteins of photosynthetic carbon concentrating and carbon fixing complexes were down, and the ΔrpoZ mutant showed low light-saturated photosynthetic activity and accumulated photoprotective carotenoids and α-tocopherol. The results indicate that the ω subunit facilitates the association of the primary σ factor with the RNAP core, thereby allowing efficient transcription of highly expressed genes.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland and Department of Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
Liisa
L
Gunnelius
Kaisa
K
Hakkila
Juha
J
Kurkela
Hajime
H
Wada
Esa
E
Tyystjärvi
Taina
T
Tyystjärvi
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000201:enzymology*; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D046939:Synechocystis / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C113725:HspA protein, bacteria; C111232:RNA polymerase omega subunit; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases