This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by King, R. A. Articles by Weisberg, R. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by King, R. A. Articles by Weisberg, R. A.

Suppression of Factor-Dependent Transcription Termination by Antiterminator RNA

Rodney A. King and Robert A. Weisberg^*

Section on Microbial Genetics, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2785

Received 13 June 2003/ Accepted 22 September 2003

Nascent transcripts of the phage HK022 put sites modify the transcription elongation complex so that it terminates less efficiently at intrinsic transcription terminators and accelerates through pause sites. We show here that the modification also suppresses termination in vivo at two factor-dependent terminators, one that depends on the bacterial Rho protein and a second that depends on the HK022-encoded Nun protein. Suppression was efficient when the termination factors were present at physiological levels, but an increase in the intracellular concentration of Nun increased termination both in the presence and absence of put. put-mediated antitermination thus shows no apparent terminator specificity, suggesting that put inhibits a step that is common to termination at the different types of terminator.

Present address: Biology Department, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101.