FIS activates glnAp2 in Escherichia coli: role of a DNA bend centered at −55, upstream of the transcription start site

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters 2006-04, Vol.257 (1), p.99-105
• Main Authors: Huo, Yi-Xin, Nan, Bei-Yan, You, Cong-Hui, Tian, Zhe-Xian, Kolb, Annie, Wang, Yi-Ping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bacteriology; Base Sequence; Bending; Bends; Binding sites; Biological and medical sciences; cAMP receptor protein (CRP); Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA, Bacterial - chemistry; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; DNA, Bacterial - metabolism; E coli; Enhancer Elements, Genetic; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Escherichia coli Proteins - genetics; Escherichia coli Proteins - metabolism; factor for inversion stimulation (FIS); Factor For Inversion Stimulation Protein - genetics; Factor For Inversion Stimulation Protein - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genetics; Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase - chemistry; Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase - genetics; Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase - metabolism; Integration host factor; integration host factor (IHF); Metabolism. Enzymes; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Proteins; protein‐mediated DNA bending; Transcription initiation; Transcription, Genetic; σ54‐RNA polymerase (Eσ54)
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00150.x

Abstract A binding site for the Escherichia coli nucleoid binding protein FIS (factor for inversion stimulation) was identified upstream of a σ54-dependent promoter, glnAp2. The binding and bending center of FIS is positioned at −55 with respect to the transcription start site (+1). Binding of FIS at this site activates the transcription of glnAp2 both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we substituted the FIS-mediated DNA bending with other protein (cAMP receptor protein or integration host factor)-mediated DNA bending, without changing the position of the bending center. In vitro transcription assays indicated that all DNA bends centered at −55 activate transcriptional initiation of glnAp2, especially when linear templates were used.