Molecular Mechanisms of Transcription Initiation at gal Promoters and their Multi-Level Regulation by GalR, CRP and DNA Loop.
Studying the regulation of transcription of the gal operon that encodes the amphibolic pathway of d-galactose metabolism in Escherichia coli discerned a plethora of principles that operate in prokaryotic gene regulatory processes. In this chapter, we have reviewed some of the more recent findings in gal that continues to reveal unexpected but important mechanistic details. Since the operon is transcribed from two overlapping promoters, P1 and P2, regulated by common regulatory factors, each genetic or biochemical experiment allowed simultaneous discernment of two promoters. Recent studies range from genetic, biochemical through biophysical experiments providing explanations at physiological, mechanistic and single molecule levels. The salient observations highlighted here are: the axiom of determining transcription start points, discovery of a new promoter element different from the known ones that influences promoter strength, occurrence of an intrinsic DNA sequence element that overrides the transcription elongation pause created by a DNA-bound protein roadblock, first observation of a DNA loop and determination its trajectory, and piggybacking proteins and delivering to their DNA target.
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4255, USA. lewisdal@mail.nih.gov.
Dale E A
DE
Lewis
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4255, USA. adhyas@mail.nih.gov.
Sankar
S
Adhya
D001483:Base Sequence; D002373:Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005690:Galactose / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009876:Operon; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D061785:Transcription Initiation, Genetic
D002373:Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C050993:Galactose repressor proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C481662:crp protein, E coli; D005690:Galactose
DNA looping; activation; galactose operon; repression; transcription