Distinctive nucleotide sequences of promoters recognized by RNA polymerase containing a phage-coded "sigma-like" protein.

We report the nucleotide sequences of two promoters for bacteriophage SP01 "middle" genes. These promoters are recognized by a modified form of Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase that contains a phage-coded "sigma-like" regulatory protein (gp28) in place of the bacterial sigma factor. Both promoters shared the identical hexanucleotide 5'A-G-G-A-G-A at about 35 base pairs preceding the start point of transcription and the identical heptanucleotide 5'-T-T-T-A-T-T-T (T is the thymine analog 5-hydroxymethyluracil in SP01 DNA) located about 10 base pairs preceding the transcriptional start point. The significance of these sequences in comparison with nucleotide sequences of promoters recognized by sigma-containing RNA polymerases is discussed.