Tatti K M, Moran C P
Nature. 1985;314(6007):190-2. doi: 10.1038/314190a0.
Bacillus subtilis possesses several forms of RNA polymerase, each differing in its sigma subunit and its specificity of promoter recognition. The sequential appearance of sigma subunits, which change the promoter recognition specificity of RNA polymerase, may have a key role in controlling the temporal pattern of gene expression required for endospore development in B. subtilis. Several genes that are expressed over relatively long periods of time during the developmental cycle are transcribed by more than one form of RNA polymerase, which initiate transcription from either tandem or overlapping promoter. The promoter region for the ctc gene is interesting because transcription is initiated at or near the same position by both sigma 37 RNA polymerase (E sigma 37), a minor form in growing cells, and sigma 29 RNA polymerase (E sigma 29), a form which appears approximately 2 h after the initiation of sproulation. Here we report that several base substitutions in the ctc promoter differentially affect the utilization of the promoter by E sigma 37 or E sigma 29.
枯草芽孢杆菌拥有多种形式的RNA聚合酶，每种形式的σ亚基及其对启动子的识别特异性都有所不同。σ亚基的顺序出现会改变RNA聚合酶的启动子识别特异性，这可能在控制枯草芽孢杆菌芽孢形成所需的基因表达时间模式中起关键作用。在发育周期中相对较长时间内表达的几个基因由不止一种形式的RNA聚合酶转录，这些RNA聚合酶从串联或重叠启动子起始转录。ctc基因的启动子区域很有趣，因为生长细胞中的一种次要形式——σ37 RNA聚合酶（Eσ37）和芽孢形成开始后约2小时出现的一种形式——σ29 RNA聚合酶（Eσ29）都在同一位置或其附近起始转录。在此我们报道，ctc启动子中的几个碱基替换对Eσ37或Eσ29对该启动子的利用有不同影响。
