The histone‐like nucleoid structuring protein H‐NS represses the Escherichia coli bgl operon downstream of the promoter
Open Access
- 19 March 2004
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Molecular Microbiology
- Vol. 52 (2) , 589-600
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2958.2004.04001.x
Abstract
Specificity of repression by the histone-like nucleoid structuring protein and pleiotropic regulator, H-NS, is exceptionally high in case of the Escherichia coli bgl (β-glucoside) operon. Here we present evidence that H-NS represses the operon at two levels. The binding of H-NS to an upstream silencer results in an ∼threefold repression of the catabolite gene regulator protein (CRP) dependent bgl promoter. In addition, H-NS binds to a silencer region located approximately 600–700 base pairs downstream of the promoter, within the coding region of first gene, bglG, resulting in a ∼sevenfold further decrease of expression. Repression by H-NS at the downstream silencer requires termination factor Rho and is reduced by translation of the bglG mRNA, but is independent of the promoter. This suggests that H-NS induces polarity of transcription by acting as a roadblock to the elongat-ing RNA polymerase. The control of the bgl operon by H-NS at two levels results in a highly specific repression.Keywords
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