Bacteriophage λ N protein inhibits transcription slippage by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase.
Transcriptional slippage is a class of error in which ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase incorporates nucleotides out of register, with respect to the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) template. This phenomenon is involved in gene regulation mechanisms and in the development of diverse diseases. The bacteriophage λ N protein reduces transcriptional slippage within actively growing cells and in vitro. N appears to stabilize the RNA/DNA hybrid, particularly at the 5' end, preventing loss of register between transcript and template. This report provides the first evidence of a protein that directly influences transcriptional slippage, and provides a clue about the molecular mechanism of transcription termination and N-mediated antitermination.
Molecular Control and Genetics Section, Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA.
Adam R
AR
Parks
Molecular Control and Genetics Section, Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA.
Carolyn
C
Court
Molecular Control and Genetics Section, Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA.
Lucyna
L
Lubkowska
Molecular Control and Genetics Section, Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA.
Ding J
DJ
Jin
Molecular Control and Genetics Section, Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA.
Mikhail
M
Kashlev
Molecular Control and Genetics Section, Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA courtd@mail.nih.gov.
Donald L
DL
Court
D010582:Bacteriophage lambda; D001483:Base Sequence; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000737:chemistry*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000821:virology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C059417:N protein, Bacteriophage lambda; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase