Characterization of the detachable Rho-dependent transcription terminator of the fimE gene in Escherichia coli K-12.

ABSTRACT: The fim genetic switch in the chromosome of Escherichia coli K-12 is an invertible DNA element that harbors the promoter for transcription of the downstream fim structural genes and a transcription terminator that acts on the upstream fimE regulatory gene. Switches oriented appropriately for structural gene transcription also allow fimE mRNA to read through, whereas those in the opposite orientation terminate the fimE message. We show here that termination is Rho dependent and is suppressed in a rho mutant or by bicyclomycin treatment when fimE mRNA is expressed by the fimE gene, either from a multicopy recombinant plasmid or in its native chromosomal location. Two cis-acting elements within the central portion of the 314-bp invertible DNA switch were identified as contributors to Rho-depe

SUBMITTER: Hinde P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1317003 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature