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Journal of Bacteriology, October 2001, p. 6126-6134, Vol. 183, No. 20
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National
Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
20892
Received 14 May 2001/Accepted 16 July 2001
The Escherichia coli rapA gene encodes the RNA
polymerase (RNAP)-associated protein RapA, which is a bacterial member
of the SWI/SNF helicase-like protein family. We have studied the
rapA promoter and its regulation in vivo and determined
the interaction between RNAP and the promoter in vitro. We have found
that the expression of rapA is growth phase dependent,
peaking at the early log phase. The growth phase control of
rapA is determined at least by one particular feature of
the promoter: it uses CTP as the transcription-initiating nucleotide
instead of a purine, which is used for most E. coli
promoters. We also found that the rapA promoter is
subject to growth rate regulation in vivo and that it forms intrinsic
unstable initiation complexes with RNAP in vitro. Furthermore, we have
shown that a GC-rich or discriminator sequence between the
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.20.6126-6134.2001
Growth Phase and Growth Rate Regulation of the
rapA Gene, Encoding the RNA Polymerase-Associated
Protein RapA in Escherichia coli
10 and +1
positions of the rapA promoter is responsible for its
growth rate control and the instability of its initiation complexes
with RNAP.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratory of
Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 37, Room 2B16, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD
20892. Phone: (301) 402-9281. Fax: (301) 594-3611. E-mail: djjin{at}helix.nih.gov.
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