scholarly journals Transcription Regulation by Tandem-Bound FNR at Escherichia coli Promoters

2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (20) ◽  
pp. 5993-6004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne M. L. Barnard ◽  
Jeffrey Green ◽  
Stephen J. W. Busby

ABSTRACT FNR is an Escherichia coli transcription factor that regulates the transcription of many genes in response to anaerobiosis. We have constructed a series of artificial FNR-dependent promoters, based on the melR promoter, in which a consensus FNR binding site was centered at position −41.5 relative to the transcription start site. A second consensus FNR binding site was introduced at different upstream locations, and promoter activity was assayed in vivo. FNR can activate transcription from these promoters when the upstream FNR binding site is located at many different positions. However, sharp repression is observed when the upstream-bound FNR is located near positions −85 or −95. This repression is relieved by the FNR G74C substitution mutant, previously identified as being defective in transcription repression at the yfiD promoter. A parallel series of artificial FNR-dependent promoters, carrying a consensus FNR binding site at position −61.5 and a second upstream DNA site for FNR, was also constructed. Again, promoter activity was repressed by FNR when the upstream-bound FNR was located at particular positions.

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (8) ◽  
pp. 6592-6601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance M. Mobley ◽  
Linda Sealy

ABSTRACT The Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) long terminal repeat (LTR) contains a transcriptionally potent enhancer and promoter that functions in a variety of cell types. Previous studies have identified the viral sequences required for enhancer activity, and characterization of these elements has provided insight into the mechanism of RSV transcriptional activity. The objective of this study was to better define the RSV LTR promoter by examining the transcription start site core (TSSC) region. Deletion of the TSSC resulted in complete loss of transcriptional activity despite the presence of a functional TATA box, suggesting that the TSSC is required for viral expression. Homologies within the TSSC to the DNA binding motif of YY1 suggested that it might regulate promoter activity. YY1 has been shown to regulate transcription in some cellular genes and viral promoters by binding to sites overlapping the transcription start site. Gel shift assays using YY1 antibody identified YY1 as one of three complexes that bound to the TSSC. Mutation of the YY1 binding site reduced RSV transcriptional activity by more than 50%, suggesting that YY1, in addition to other TSSC-binding factors, regulates RSV transcription. Furthermore, in vitro transcription assays performed with Drosophila embryo extract (devoid of YY1 activity) showed decreased levels of RSV transcription, while transient transfection experiments overexpressing YY1 demonstrated that YY1 could transactivate the RSV LTR ∼6- to 7-fold. We propose that the TSSC plays a vital role in RSV transcription and that this function is partially carried out by the transcription factor YY1.


1999 ◽  
Vol 181 (12) ◽  
pp. 3864-3868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilma Ross ◽  
Julia Salomon ◽  
Walter M. Holmes ◽  
Richard L. Gourse

ABSTRACT The transcription factor FIS has been implicated in the regulation of several stable RNA promoters, including that for the major tRNALeu species in Escherichia coli, tRNA1 Leu. However, no evidence for direct involvement of FIS in tRNA1 Leu expression has been reported. We show here that FIS binds to a site upstream of the leuVpromoter (centered at −71) and that it directly stimulatesleuV transcription in vitro. A mutation in the FIS binding site reduces transcription from a leuV promoter in strains containing FIS but has no effect on transcription in strains lacking FIS, indicating that FIS contributes to leuV expression in vivo. We also find that RNA polymerase forms an unusual heparin-sensitive complex with the leuV promoter, having a downstream protection boundary of ∼−7, and that the first two nucleotides of the transcript, GTP and UTP, are required for formation of a heparin-stable complex that extends downstream of the transcription start site. These studies have implications for the regulation of leuV transcription.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (21) ◽  
pp. E2899-E2905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina O. Vvedenskaya ◽  
Hanif Vahedian-Movahed ◽  
Yuanchao Zhang ◽  
Deanne M. Taylor ◽  
Richard H. Ebright ◽  
...  

During transcription initiation, RNA polymerase (RNAP) holoenzyme unwinds ∼13 bp of promoter DNA, forming an RNAP-promoter open complex (RPo) containing a single-stranded transcription bubble, and selects a template-strand nucleotide to serve as the transcription start site (TSS). In RPo, RNAP core enzyme makes sequence-specific protein–DNA interactions with the downstream part of the nontemplate strand of the transcription bubble (“core recognition element,” CRE). Here, we investigated whether sequence-specific RNAP–CRE interactions affect TSS selection. To do this, we used two next-generation sequencing-based approaches to compare the TSS profile of WT RNAP to that of an RNAP derivative defective in sequence-specific RNAP–CRE interactions. First, using massively systematic transcript end readout, MASTER, we assessed effects of RNAP–CRE interactions on TSS selection in vitro and in vivo for a library of 47 (∼16,000) consensus promoters containing different TSS region sequences, and we observed that the TSS profile of the RNAP derivative defective in RNAP–CRE interactions differed from that of WT RNAP, in a manner that correlated with the presence of consensus CRE sequences in the TSS region. Second, using 5′ merodiploid native-elongating-transcript sequencing, 5′ mNET-seq, we assessed effects of RNAP–CRE interactions at natural promoters in Escherichia coli, and we identified 39 promoters at which RNAP–CRE interactions determine TSS selection. Our findings establish RNAP–CRE interactions are a functional determinant of TSS selection. We propose that RNAP–CRE interactions modulate the position of the downstream end of the transcription bubble in RPo, and thereby modulate TSS selection, which involves transcription bubble expansion or transcription bubble contraction (scrunching or antiscrunching).


2000 ◽  
Vol 348 (3) ◽  
pp. 675-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle VAN SEUNINGEN ◽  
Michaël PERRAIS ◽  
Pascal PIGNY ◽  
Nicole PORCHET ◽  
Jean-Pierre AUBERT

Control of gene expression in intestinal cells is poorly understood. Molecular mechanisms that regulate transcription of cellular genes are the foundation for understanding developmental and differentiation events. Mucin gene expression has been shown to be altered in many intestinal diseases and especially cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Towards understanding the transcriptional regulation of a member of the 11p15.5 human mucin gene cluster, we have characterized 3.55 kb of the 5ʹ-flanking region of the human mucin gene MUC5B, including the promoter, the first two exons and the first intron. We report here the promoter activity of successively 5ʹ-truncated sections of 956 bases of this region by fusing it to the coding region of a luciferase reporter gene. The transcription start site was determined by primer-extension analysis. The region upstream of the transcription start site is characterized by the presence of a TATA box at bases -32/-26, DNA-binding elements for transcription factors c-Myc, N-Myc, Sp1 and nuclear factor ĸB as well as putative activator protein (AP)-1-, cAMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB)-, hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1-, HNF-3-, TGT3-, gut-enriched Krüppel factor (GKLF)-, thyroid transcription factor (TTF)-1- and glucocorticoid receptor element (GRE)-binding sites. Intron 1 of MUC5B was also characterized, it is 2511 nucleotides long and contains a DNA segment of 259 bp in which are clustered eight tandemly repeated GA boxes and a CACCC box that bind Sp1. AP-2α and GATA-1 nuclear factors were also shown to bind to their respective cognate elements in intron 1. In transfection studies the MUC5B promoter showed a cell-specific activity as it is very active in mucus-secreting LS174T cells, whereas it is inactive in Caco-2 enterocytes and HT-29 STD (standard) undifferentiated cells. Within the promoter, maximal transcription activity was found in a segment covering the first 223 bp upstream of the transcription start site. Finally, in co-transfection experiments a transactivating effect of Sp1 on to MUC5B promoter was seen in LS174T and Caco-2 cells.


2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (21) ◽  
pp. 6305-6314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Hirvonen ◽  
Wilma Ross ◽  
Christopher E. Wozniak ◽  
Erin Marasco ◽  
Jennifer R. Anthony ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The high activity of the rrnB P1 promoter inEscherichia coli results from acis-acting DNA sequence, the UP element, and atrans-acting transcription factor, FIS. In this study, we examine the effects of FIS and the UP element at the other sixrrn P1 promoters. We find that UP elements are present at all of the rrn P1 promoters, but they make different relative contributions to promoter activity. Similarly, FIS binds upstream of, and activates, all seven rrn P1 promoters but to different extents. The total number of FIS binding sites, as well as their positions relative to the transcription start site, differ at each rrn P1 promoter. Surprisingly, the FIS sites upstream of site I play a much larger role in transcription from most rrn P1 promoters compared to rrnBP1. Our studies indicate that the overall activities of the sevenrrn P1 promoters are similar, and the same contributors are responsible for these high activities, but these inputs make different relative contributions and may act through slightly different mechanisms at each promoter. These studies have implications for the control of gene expression of unlinked multigene families.


2017 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Kiesenhofer ◽  
Robert L. Mach ◽  
Astrid R. Mach-Aigner

ABSTRACTTrichoderma reeseican produce up to 100 g/liter of extracellular proteins. The major and industrially relevant products are cellobiohydrolase I (CBHI) and the hemicellulase XYNI. The genes encoding both enzymes are transcriptionally activated by the regulatory protein Xyr1. The first 850 nucleotides of thecbh1promoter contain 14 Xyr1-binding sites (XBS), and 8 XBS are present in thexyn1promoter. Some of these XBS are arranged in tandem and others as inverted repeats. One suchciselement, an inverted repeat, plays a crucial role in the inducibility of thexyn1promoter. We investigated the impact of the properties of suchciselements by shuffling them by insertion, exchange, deletion, and rearrangement ofciselements in both thecbh1andxyn1promoter. A promoter-reporter assay using theAspergillus nigergoxAgene allowed us to measure changes in the promoter strength and inducibility. Most strikingly, we found that an inverted repeat of XBS causes an important increase incbh1promoter strength and allows induction by xylan or wheat straw. Furthermore, evidence is provided that the distances ofciselements to the transcription start site have important influence on promoter activity. Our results suggest that the arrangement and distances ofciselements have large impacts on the strength of thecbh1promoter, whereas the sheer number of XBS has only secondary importance. Ultimately, the biotechnologically importantcbh1promoter can be improved byciselement rearrangement.IMPORTANCEIn the present study, we demonstrate that the arrangement ofciselements has a major impact on promoter strength and inducibility. We discovered an influence on promoter activity by the distances ofciselements to the transcription start site. Furthermore, we found that the configuration ofciselements has a greater effect on promoter strength than does the sheer number of transactivator binding sites present in the promoter. Altogether, the arrangement ofciselements is an important factor that should not be overlooked when enhancement of gene expression is desired.


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