Summary
We report the nucleotide sequence of a promoter recognized by RNA polymerase from the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. This promoter, which was isolated from B. subtilis phage SP01 DNA, is homologous to promoters for Escherichia coli RNA polymerase; the sequences of the “-35 region” and the “Pribnow box” were 5′TTGACT and 5′CATAAT, respectively (T is the thymine analog 5-hydroxymethyluracil in SP01 DNA). These sequences each differed by only a single base pair from the preferred sequences for E. coli promoters. Not surprisingly, the SP01 promoter was actively transcribed in vitro by E. coli RNA polymerase as well as by B. subtilis RNA polymerase.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Avila J, Hermoso JM, Viñuela E, Salas M (1971) Purification and properties of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from Bacillus subtilis vegetative cells. Eur J Biochem 21:526–535
Berg D, Barrett K, Chamberlin M (1971) Purification of two forms of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and of sigma component. Methods Enzymol 21:506–519
Berkner KL, Folk WR (1977) Polynucleotide kinase exchange reaction. J Biol Chem 252:3176–3184
Burgess RR, Travers AA, Dunn JJ, Bautz EKF (1969) Factor stimulating transcription by RNA polymerase. Nature (London) New Biol 221:43–46
Davison BL, Leighton T, Rabinowitz JC (1979) Purification of Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase with heparinagarose. In vitro transcription of ϕ29 DNA. J Biol Chem 254:9220–9226
Donis-Keller H, Maxam AM, Gilbert W (1977) Mapping adenines, guanines, and pyrimidines in RNA. Nucleic Acid Res 4:2527–2538
Ehrlich SD (1978) DNA cloning in Bacillus subtilis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75:1433–1436
Geiduschek EP, Brody EN, Wilson DL (1968) Some aspects of RNA transcription. In: Pullman B (ed) Molecular associations in biology. Academic Press Inc New York, p 168
Kreft J, Bernhard K, Goebel W (1978) Recombinant plasmids capable of replication in B. subtilis and E. coli. Mol Gen Genet 162:59–67
Lee G, Hannett NM, Korman A, Pero J (1980) Transcription of cloned DNA from Bacillus subtilis phage SP01: Requirement for hydroxymethyluracil-containing DNA by phage-modified RNA polymerase. J Mol Biol 139:407–422
Losick R, Shorenstein RG, Sonenshein AL (1970) Structural alteration of RNA polymerase during sporulation. Nature (London) New Biol 227:910–913
Lowe PA, Hager DA, Burgess RR (1979) Purification and properties of the σ subunit of Escherichia coli DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Biochemistry 18:1344–1352
Maniatis T, Jeffrey A, van de Sande H (1975) Chain length determination of small double- and single-stranded DNA molecules by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Biochemistry 14:3787–3794
Maxam AM, Gilbert W (1977) A new method for sequencing DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 74:560–564
Miozarri G, Yanofsky C (1978) Naturally occurring promoter down mutation: Nucleotide sequence of the trp promoter/operator/leader region of Shigella dysenteriae 16. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75:5580–5584
Pero J, Hannett NM, Talkington C (1979) Restriction cleavage map of SP01 DNA: General location of early, middle, and late genes. J Virol 31:156–171
Rosenberg M, Court D (1979) Regulatory sequences involved in the promotion and termination of RNA transcription. Annu Rev Genet 13:319–353
Shorenstein RG, Losick R (1973) Comparative size and properties of the sigma subunits of ribonucleic acid polymerase from Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 248:6170–6173
Siebenlist U, Gilbert W (1980) Contacts between Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and an early promoter of phage T7. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 77:122–126
Siebenlist U, Simpson RB, Gilbert W (1980) E. coli RNA polymerase interacts homologously with two different promoters. Cell 20:269–281
Stahl SJ, Chamberlin MJ (1977) An expanded transcriptional map of T7 bacteriophage. Reading of minor T7 promoter sites in vitro by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. J Mol Biol 112:577–601
Talkington C, Pero J (1977) Restriction fragment analysis of the temporal program of bacteriophage SP01 transcription and its control by phage-modified RNA polymerases. Virology 83:365–379
Talkington C, Pero J (1978) Promoter recognition by phage SP01-modified RNA polymerase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75:1185–1189
Talkington C, Pero J (1979) Distinctive nucleotide sequences of promoters recognized by RNA polymerase containing a phagecoded “σ-like” protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76:5465–5469
Wiggs JL, Bush JW, Chamberlin MJ (1979) Utilization of promoter and terminator sites on bacteriophage T7 by RNA polymerases from a variety of bacterial orders. Cell 16:97–109
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by E. Bautz
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lee, G., Talkington, C. & Pero, J. Nucleotide sequence of a promoter recognized by Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase. Molec. Gen. Genet. 180, 57–65 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267352
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267352