Involvement of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase α subunit in transcriptional activation by the bacteriophage lambda CI and CII proteins

• Published in: Gene Vol. 122; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Wȩgrzyn, Grzegorz, Glass, Robert E., Thomas, Mark S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.12.1992; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Bacteriophage lambda - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; complementation; DNA-Binding Proteins; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases - metabolism; Escherichia coli - enzymology; Escherichia coli - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; lysogenization; Lysogeny; Microbiology; Mutation; Phage development; plaque morphology; positive control; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Replicative cycle, interference, host-virus relations, pathogenicity, miscellaneous strains; Repressor Proteins - genetics; Repressor Proteins - metabolism; rpoA mutants; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - metabolism; Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins; Virology; CRP; eol; moi; nt; Cm; rpoA mutants; bp; Ap; tsp; ptac; R; lysogenization; kb; wt; positive control; aa; ori; plaque morphology; plac; K B; complementation; k f; Phage development; IPTG; pfu; ts; Transcription; Enzyme; Escherichia coli; Siphoviridae; Lysogeny; RNA polymerase; In vitro; Host virus relation; Virus; Bacteria; Alpha-Peptide chain; Trans acting regulatory factor; Phage lambda; Phage; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0378-1119; 1879-0038
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-1119(92)90025-K

Escherichia coli cells harbouring the rpoA341 mutation produce an RNA polymerase which transcribes inefficiently certain operons subject to positive control. Here, we demonstrate that the rpoA41 allele also prevents lysogenization of the host strain by bacteriophage λ, a process dependent upon the action of two phage-encoded activators. This phenomenon was shown to arise from an inability to establish an integrated prophage rather than a failure to maintain the lysogenic state. The inability of the rpoA341 host to support lysogenization could be completely reversed by CII-independent expression of int and cI in trans. These results led us to propose that the inhibition of lysogenization arises from a defective interaction between the phage λ transcriptional activator CII and the mutant RNA polymerase at the phage promoters p I and p E . Finally, we also provide genetic evidence for impaired transcription of the cI gene from the CI-activated promoter, p M in the rpoA341 background.