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Journal of Bacteriology, June 2004, p. 3599-3608, Vol. 186, No. 11
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.11.3599-3608.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

DNA Binding Regions of Q Proteins of Phages {lambda} and {phi}80

Jingshu Guo* and Jeffrey W. Roberts{dagger}

Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14853

Received 3 December 2003/ Accepted 16 February 2004

Bacteriophage {lambda} gene Q protein and the related proteins of other lambdoid phages are transcription antiterminators that interact both with DNA in the late gene promoter segment and with RNA polymerase subunits. Using hybrids between Q of {lambda} and the related Q of phage 80, we characterized elements of both Q and DNA that contribute to the DNA binding function. In particular, we found a C-terminal segment of the protein that is responsible for binding specificity and an ~15 residue segment on a predicted alpha helix within this segment at which alanine substitutions decrease DNA binding. We identified a six-nucleotide segment located between the –35 and –10 promoter elements that confers binding specificity and is the site of point mutants that impair binding, and we isolated suppressors in {lambda} Q that restore binding function by increasing the overall binding affinity. We also identified putative zinc finger structures in both proteins.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biotechnology Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Phone: (607) 255-2430. Fax: (607) 255-2428. E-mail: jwr7{at}cornell.edu.

{dagger} Present address: Department of Genetics and Genomics, Roche Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA 94304.

Journal of Bacteriology, June 2004, p. 3599-3608, Vol. 186, No. 11
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.11.3599-3608.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Shao, Y., Wang, I.-N. (2009). Effect of Late Promoter Activity on Bacteriophage {lambda} Fitness. Genetics 181: 1467-1475 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Deighan, P., Diez, C. M., Leibman, M., Hochschild, A., Nickels, B. E. (2008). The bacteriophage {lambda} Q antiterminator protein contacts the {beta}-flap domain of RNA polymerase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105: 15305-15310 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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