New insights into the regulatory mechanisms of ppGpp and DksA on Escherichia coli RNA polymerase-promoter complex

2015

The stringent response modulators, guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) and protein DksA, bind RNA polymerase (RNAP) and regulate gene expression to adapt bacteria to different environmental conditions. Here, we use Atomic Force Microscopy and in vitro transcription assays to study the effects of these modulators on the conformation and stability of the open promoter complex (RPo) formed at the rrnA P1, rrnB P1, its discriminator (dis) variant and lambda pR promoters. In the absence of modulators, RPo formed at these promoters show different extents of DNA wrapping which correlate with the position of UP elements. Addition of the modulators affects both DNA wrapping and RPo stability in a promo…