Upstream curved sequences influence the initiation of transcription at the Escherichia coli galactose operon.

The two overlapping promoters that control mRNA synthesis at the galactose operon contain three phased stretches of adenine residues, located around positions -84.5, -74 and -63, with respect ot the start of the P1 promoter. As a result, the corresponding DNA sequence is bent, an anomaly that is relieved by the addition of small concentrations of drugs like distamycin A or netropsin. By abortive initiation assays performed on several DNA fragments derived from the wild-type promoter or from various mutants we show that the curved sequence increases the strength of the P1 promoter. In the absence of cyclic AMP (cAMP) and of the corresponding receptor protein (CRP), the upstream curved sequences enhance the rate of isomerization from the closed to the open complex at P1. This effect is abolished when distamycin A is bound in the bent region. In the presence of cAMP-CRP, a more drastic change is observed: activation of the gal P1 promoter takes place at a different formal step, depending whether the upstream curved sequence is present or not (enhancement of the rate of conversion from a closed to an open complex instead of an increase in the affinity of the enzyme during closed complex formation). These data, together with previous results obtained with other mutants of the gal control region, suggest that several closed complexes corresponding to different nucleoprotein arrangements are formed during open complex formation at gal P1, in the presence of CRP.     

Comparison of the binding sites for the Escherichia coli cAMP receptor protein at the lactose and galactose promoters

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis has been used to visualise and quantitate complexes between the Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) and DNA fragments containing the promoter region of either the E. coli galactose or lactose operons. We show that, although CRP binding to the gal fragment is weaker than binding to the lac fragment, in each case, stable complexes are formed between one dimer of CRP and one molecule of DNA. We have examined the effects of a series of deletions and point mutations in the gal promoter region on CRP binding. From the position of deletions and mutations which prevent the formation of stable complexes, we deduce the location and extent of the sequence at the CRP binding site. We show that it covers approximately the same length of sequence as the binding site at the lac promoter. Unlike the lac site, the gal site contains no palindromic sequence. We discuss the importance of symmetry in the sequence at CRP binding sites and the validity of CRP binding consensus sequences which have been proposed.     

Segment-specific mutagenesis of the regulatory region in the Escherichia coli galactose operon: isolation of mutations reducing the initiation of transcription and translation

Using hydroxylamine mutagenesis in vitro, mutations were introduced into a short DNA fragment containing the two overlapping promoters of the Escherichia coli galactose operon and the start of the first gal gene, galE. The mutagenised fragment was inserted into a lac expression plasmid. In such a vector, lac expression is controlled by the gal promoter region. Amongst eighteen candidates in which expression was reduced due to mutations in the gal fragment, twelve contained promoter mutations and six carried mutations that reduce the initiation of galE translation. The candidates in which promoter activity was reduced contained mutations affecting the promoter P1, which is dependent on the cyclic AMP-receptor protein complex (cAMP-CRP) for activation. All carried mutations in the sequence 5'GTGA3' at the CRP binding site. One of the twelve also contained a second mutation affecting the second promoter, P2, which normally functions in the absence of cAMP-CRP. Amongst the six candidates affecting galE translation, two contained a mutation that changes the initiator codon from AUG to AUA and almost completely suppresses galE expression. The mutations in the other four candidates affect the ribosome binding sequence, 5'GGAG3'. However, multiple mutations that abolish this sequence do not totally suppress galE expression, showing that there must be another way to guide ribosomes to the correct initiation site.     

Monoclonal antibodies that inhibit activation of transcription by the Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein

The properties of the two monoclonal antibodies which were found to inhibit cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP)-stimulated abortive initiation without affecting cAMP binding (Li, X.-M., and Krakow, J. S. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 4378-4383) have been characterized. Binding of monoclonal antibody (mAb) 66C3 to CRP is stimulated by cAMP while CRP binding by mAb 63B2 is not affected by cAMP. Binding of cAMP-CRP-mAb 63B2 to the lac P+ DNA is completely inhibited. Whereas cAMP-CRP forms a stable complex only at the CRP site 1 of the lac P+ promoter fragment, cAMP-CRP-mAb 66C3 binds to both site 1 and site 2. DNase I footprinting using a HpaII fragment carrying only the lac site 2 does not show any protection by cAMP-CRP-mAb 66C3. With the lac L8UV5 promoter, binding is not seen at either the L8 site 1 or the unaltered site 2. In the presence of 25% glycerol, cAMP-CRP-mAb 66C3 binds to both L8 site 1 and site 2. RNA polymerase is unable to bind to the cAMP-CRP-mAb 66C3-lac P+ complex. In the presence of RNA polymerase, cAMP-CRP forms a stable complex at the L8 site 1, the subsequent addition of mAb 66C3 results in the release of CRP. The CRP present in the lac P+ open promoter complex is partially resistant to subsequent incubation with mAb 66C3. The results provide further evidence regarding possible contacts between CRP and RNA polymerase involved in establishing the open promoter complex.