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(Converted)-5 - Journal of Cell and Molecular Biology - Haliç ...

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72 Nihal Büyükuslu<br />

the primary σ factors <strong>and</strong> has a sequence similarity to<br />

the HTH-DNA binding motif (Brennan <strong>and</strong> Matthews,<br />

1989; Gribskov <strong>and</strong> Burgess, 1986; Helmann <strong>and</strong><br />

Chamberlin, 1988; Straiger et al., 1989). A spacer<br />

region <strong>of</strong> variable length <strong>and</strong> sequence lies between the<br />

two subregions. It appears likely that the conserved<br />

HTH motif in subregion 4.2 may directly contact the<br />

–35 promoter region. Although two mutations, R584C<br />

<strong>and</strong> R588H, in this region <strong>of</strong> the E. coli σ 70 factor have<br />

been implicated in recognition <strong>of</strong> the –35 promoter<br />

sequence, a set <strong>of</strong> C-truncated σ 70 lacking the –35<br />

recognition domain can activate class II promoters (the<br />

pstS <strong>and</strong> P1gal), indicating that necessary contact or<br />

activation sites for the two activators lie at different<br />

positions in a segment <strong>of</strong> σ 70 extending from region 3.2<br />

to the upstream helix within region 4.2 (Kumar et al.,<br />

1994; Makino et al., 1993). Further evidence to support<br />

this suggestion came from the study by Jin et al.,<br />

(1995). Using protein-protein photo-crosslinking, they<br />

showed that the CRP site for galP1, a class 2 promoter,<br />

contacts with amino acids 530-539 <strong>of</strong> σ 70 region.<br />

All RNA polymerase holoenzymes containing σ 70 -<br />

related σs appear to function in a similar manner.<br />

However, σ 54 (σN), encoded by rpoN, is quite distinct,<br />

both structurally <strong>and</strong> functionally, from the σ 70 family.<br />

Among 17 sequenced rpoN genes, there is a high<br />

degree <strong>of</strong> conservation in the protein primary<br />

sequence, <strong>and</strong> three distinct regions can be identified<br />

(Merrick et al., 1987). Region I is the N-terminal<br />

region is suggested to be α-helical; it is rich in leucine<br />

<strong>and</strong> glutamine residues. Region II varies between 60 to<br />

110 residues in length, with essentially no sequence<br />

conservation. The C-terminal region III is highly<br />

conserved <strong>and</strong> contains two motifs; a potential helixturn-helix<br />

(HTH) motif <strong>and</strong> the ‘RpoN box’.<br />

σ 54 <strong>and</strong> σ 70 participate in different transcription<br />

mechanisms but bind the same core RNA polymerase<br />

(Gralla, 1991). Recent considerations suggest that σ 54<br />

should contain a minimum <strong>of</strong> two different elements<br />

Table 2: The E. coli sigma factors<br />

Sigma factor Gene Function<br />

for recognition <strong>of</strong> the –24 <strong>and</strong> –12 promoter regions.<br />

C-terminal deletions near to the HTH motif abolished<br />

DNA binding (Sasse-Dwight <strong>and</strong> Gralla, 1990).<br />

Indeed, specific amino acid substitutions in this region<br />

showed a similar phenotype (Coppard <strong>and</strong> Merrick,<br />

1991). Merrick <strong>and</strong> Chambers (1992) found a specific<br />

HTH mutation in K. pneumoniae σN (R363K)<br />

suppressed down mutations at position –13 in the<br />

glnAp2 promoter, suggesting that the conserved HTH<br />

region is involved in recognition <strong>of</strong> promoter-proximal<br />

sequences. Physical studies indicate that amino acids<br />

in a region from Asn312 to Arg345 in K. pneumoniae<br />

σN, just upstream <strong>of</strong> the HTH, crosslink to DNA in the<br />

presence or absence <strong>of</strong> core enzyme (Cannon et al.,<br />

1994). In contrast to the σ 70 family, activation <strong>of</strong> Eσ 54<br />

is not dependent on the presence <strong>of</strong> the C-terminal<br />

domain (Lee et al., 1993). Transcription by Eσ 54<br />

appears to be controlled by a mechanism that requires<br />

the use <strong>of</strong> an activator protein <strong>and</strong> ATP to catalyze<br />

formation <strong>of</strong> open complexes (Popham et al., 1989).<br />

Deletions in both region I <strong>and</strong> region III prevent opencomplex<br />

formation. During open-complex formation,<br />

region II has been proposed to play a role in triggering<br />

conformational changes for DNA melting (Sasse-<br />

Dwight <strong>and</strong> Gralla, 1990).<br />

The importance <strong>of</strong> σ S has been increasingly<br />

recognised in recent years. This sigma factor appears<br />

only as cells enter the stationary phase <strong>of</strong> growth. It is<br />

responsible for transcription <strong>of</strong> all <strong>of</strong> the genes whose<br />

products are required during stationary phase<br />

(Ishihama, 2000).<br />

Two families <strong>of</strong> σ factors have been characterised<br />

in detail. A number <strong>of</strong> different σ factors belonging to<br />

sigma families are presented in Table 2 according to<br />

the origin, genetic locus, <strong>and</strong> presumed function.<br />

The ω subunit<br />

The ω subunit, encoded rpoZ, is associated with both<br />

σ 70 rpoD Housekeeping function<br />

σ 54 RpoN (ntrA, glnF) Nitrogen-regulated gene transcription<br />

σ 32 RpoH Heat-shock gene transcription<br />

σ S RpoS Gene expression in stationary phase cells<br />

σ F RpoF Expression <strong>of</strong> flagellar operons<br />

σ FecI fecI Regulates the fec genes for iron dicitrate transport

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