title: Cooperative stabilization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis rrnAP3 promoter open complexes by RbpA and CarD.
abstract: The essential mycobacterial transcriptional regulators RbpA and CarD act to modulate transcription by associating to the initiation complex and increasing the flux of transcript production. Each of these factors interacts directly with the promoter DNA template and with RNA polymerase (RNAP) holoenzyme. We recently reported on the energetics of CarD-mediated open complex stabilization on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis rrnAP3 ribosomal promoter using a stopped-flow fluorescence assay. Here, we apply this approach to RbpA and show that RbpA stabilizes RNAP-promoter open complexes (RPo) via a distinct mechanism from that of CarD. Furthermore, concentration-dependent stopped-flow experiments with both factors reveal positive linkage (cooperativity) between RbpA and CarD with regard to their ability to stabilize RPo The observation of positive linkage between RbpA and CarD demonstrates that the two factors can act on the same transcription initiation complex simultaneously. Lastly, with both factors present, the kinetics of open complex formation is significantly faster than in the presence of either factor alone and approaches that of E. coli RNAP on the same promoter. This work provides a quantitative framework for the molecular mechanisms of these two essential transcription factors and the critical roles they play in the biology and pathology of mycobacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Jayan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rammohan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz Manzano
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Garner
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prusa
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Christina L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Stallings
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA egalburt@biochem.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Galburt
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D005453:Fluorescence; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D007700:Kinetics; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D061785:Transcription Initiation, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases