The rIIA gene of bacteriophage T4. II. Regulation of its messenger RNA synthesis.

When the rII genes are first introduced into cells which had been previously infected by T4 phage deleted for these genes, the kinetics of synthesis of rIIA and rIIB RNA are rapid and identical. We show that this rapid synthesis depends on a functional motA gene for rIIB, but not for rIIA, RNA synthesis. By primer-extension mapping of T4 messenger RNA, we find three promoters close to the rIIA gene. One of them is an early promoter just before the rIIA.1 gene; it is used under all conditions tested. Another is in the coding portion of the rIIA.1 gene; it is weak, primarily because of a 19-bp spacing between the -10 and -35 elements, and its use is stimulated by T4 functions. The third is a motA-dependent (middle) promoter which has an unusual CCCGCTT box at -33. We present results which suggest that none of these promoters is likely to be the site at which the motB and motC gene products exercise their major influence on rIIA RNA synthesis.