Maximum rrn promoter activity in Escherichia coli at saturating concentrations of free RNA polymerase

During fast growth, the rrn P1 promoters of Escherichia coli operate at their maximum strength, but below their maximum activity (V(max)), since they are not saturated with RNA polymerase. Since higher concentrations of free RNA polymerase are expected to be found in strains carrying rrn deletions, we have analyzed reported electron micrographs of rrn operons from rrn deletion strains growing at maximal rates (at 37 degrees C) in LB medium [1]. We conclude that, in a strain with four of the seven rrn operons inactivated by partial deletions, transcripts are initiated at rrn P1 promoters 1.6-fold more rapidly than in the wild-type strain and the entirety of the rrn operon is transcribed at a 1.5-fold higher average elongation rate due to shortened pauses in the 16S and 23S regions. Under this condition, traffic congestion occurs in front of a pause site in the 5' leader region of the rrn operon near the beginning of the 16S gene; the congestion extends all the way back to the promoter, impedes promoter clearance and limits the promoter activity to one initiation per 0.56 s. This corresponds to a promoter activity of 107 transcripts/min and is assumed to be close to the V(max) of rrn P1 promoters.

Varying rate of RNA chain elongation during rrn transcription in Escherichia coli

The value of the rRNA chain elongation rate in bacteria is an important physiological parameter, as it affects not only the rRNA promoter activity but also the free-RNA polymerase concentration and thereby the transcription of all genes. On average, rRNA chains elongate at a rate of 80 to 90 nucleotides (nt) per s, and the transcription of an entire rrn operon takes about 60 s (at 37 degrees C). Here we have analyzed a reported distribution obtained from electron micrographs of RNA polymerase molecules along rrn operons in E. coli growing at 2.5 doublings per hour (S. Quan, N. Zhang, S. French, and C. L. Squires, J. Bacteriol. 187:1632-1638, 2005). The distribution exhibits two peaks of higher polymerase density centered within the 16S and 23S rRNA genes. An evaluation of this distribution indicates that RNA polymerase transcribes the 5' leader region at speeds up to or greater than 250 nt/s. Once past the leader, transcription slows down to about 65 nt/s within the 16S gene, speeds up in the spacer region between the 16S and 23S genes, slows again to about 65 nt/s in the 23S region, and finally speeds up to a rate greater than 400 nt/s near the end of the operon. We suggest that the slowing of transcript elongation in the 16S and 23S sections is the result of transcriptional pauses, possibly caused by temporary interactions of the RNA polymerase with secondary structures in the nascent rRNA.

A guided tour: small RNA function in Archaea

In eukaryotes, the C/D box family of small nucleolar (sno)RNAs contain complementary guide regions that are used to direct 2'-O-ribose methylation to specific nucleotide positions within rRNA during the early stages of ribosome biogenesis. Direct cDNA cloning and computational genome searches have revealed homologues of C/D box snoRNAs (called sRNAs) in prokaryotic Archaea that grow at high temperature. The guide sequences within the sRNAs indicate that they are used to direct methylation to nucleotides in both rRNAs and tRNAs. The number of sRNA genes that are detectable within currently sequenced genomes correlates with the optimal growth temperature. We suggest that archaeal sRNAs may have two functions: to guide the deposition of methyl groups at the 2'-O position of ribose, which is an important determinant in RNA structural stability, and to serve as a molecular chaperones to help orchestrate the folding of rRNAs and tRNAs at high temperature.

Genome sequence of Halobacterium species NRC-1

We report the complete sequence of an extreme halophile, Halobacterium sp. NRC-1, harboring a dynamic 2,571,010-bp genome containing 91 insertion sequences representing 12 families and organized into a large chromosome and 2 related minichromosomes. The Halobacterium NRC-1 genome codes for 2,630 predicted proteins, 36% of which are unrelated to any previously reported. Analysis of the genome sequence shows the presence of pathways for uptake and utilization of amino acids, active sodium-proton antiporter and potassium uptake systems, sophisticated photosensory and signal transduction pathways, and DNA replication, transcription, and translation systems resembling more complex eukaryotic organisms. Whole proteome comparisons show the definite archaeal nature of this halophile with additional similarities to the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and other bacteria. The ease of culturing Halobacterium and the availability of methods for its genetic manipulation in the laboratory, including construction of gene knockouts and replacements, indicate this halophile can serve as an excellent model system among the archaea.

Homologs of small nucleolar RNAs in Archaea

In eukaryotes, dozens of posttranscriptional modifications are directed to specific nucleotides in ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) by small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs). We identified homologs of snoRNA genes in both branches of the Archaea. Eighteen small sno-like RNAs (sRNAs) were cloned from the archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius by coimmunoprecipitation with archaeal fibrillarin and NOP56, the homologs of eukaryotic snoRNA-associated proteins. We trained a probabilistic model on these sRNAs to search for more sRNAs in archaeal genomic sequences. Over 200 additional sRNAs were identified in seven archaeal genomes representing both the Crenarchaeota and the Euryarchaeota. snoRNA-based rRNA processing was therefore probably present in the last common ancestor of Archaea and Eukarya, predating the evolution of a morphologically distinct nucleolus.

Transcriptional analysis of the glutamate dehydrogenase gene in the primitive eukaryote, Giardia lamblia. Identification of a primordial gene promoter

We studied gene expression in the ancient eukaryote, Giardia lamblia, by taking advantage of assays developed recently in our laboratory, which allow new genetic analyses of this organism. We examined the transcription of a 2.2-kilobase segment of the Giardia genome that contains the glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) gene and a portion of a second open reading frame encoding an uncharacterized gene. Nuclear run-on analyses showed that the genes are transcribed as two separate units spaced less than 200 base pairs apart, and transcription of the GDH gene initiates just 3-6 nucleotides upstream of its translation start codon. We characterized the GDH promoter by transfecting Giardia with DNA constructs that used the GDH upstream sequence to drive the expression of a luciferase reporter gene. By deletion and mutational analyses, we localized promoter function to three motifs within a 50-base pair region of the GDH upstream sequence. Using band shift assays and UV cross-linking, we demonstrated specific binding of a 68-kDa protein from Giardia nuclear extracts to short poly(T) tracts contained within two of the sequence motifs on single-stranded DNA from the promoter region. This report describes one of the first functional gene promoter and its cognate DNA-binding protein in this primitive eukaryote.

Substrate requirements for a novel archaeal endonuclease that cleaves within the 5' external transcribed spacer of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius precursor rRNA

During ribosome biogenesis in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, at least three separate precursor endonucleolytic cleavages occur within the 144-nucleotide-long 5' external transcribed spacer (5' ETS) region of the rRNA operon primary transcript. The 5' ETS sequence contains three regions of very stable helical structure. One cleavage (5' to position -98) is in the single-stranded region between the 5' and the central helical domains; a second cleavage (5' to position -31) is in the single-stranded region between the central and the 3' helical domains; and a third cleavage is at the 5' ETS-16S junction (5' to position +1). The three sites share a common consensus sequence around the position of cleavage. We have used an in vitro pre-RNA processing assay to define some of the sequence and structural recognition elements necessary for the two precursor cleavages 5' to positions -98 and -31. Surprisingly, none of the three predominant helical domains are required for recognition or targeting of the cleavages, although their removal reduces the rate of cleavage site utilization. We show that the sequence AAG downward arrow (CA)UU encompassing each site contains at least some of the essential features for recognition and efficient targeting of the cleavages. Cleavage depends on the presence of a purine 5' and a uracil two nucleotides 3' to the scissile phosphodiester bond. Mutations to other bases at these critical positions are either not cleaved or cleaved very poorly. Finally, on the basis of intermediates that are produced during a processing reaction, we can conclude that the cleavages at positions 98 and 31 are not ordered in vitro.

RNA polymerase of Aquifex pyrophilus: implications for the evolution of the bacterial rpoBC operon and extremely thermophilic bacteria

A 16,226-bp fragment from the genome of Aquifex pyrophilus was sequenced, containing the genes for ribosomal proteins L1, L10, and L7/12 (rplAJL), DNA-directed RNA polymerase subunits beta and beta' (rpoBC), alanyl-tRNA synthetase (alaS), and subunit A of proteinase Clp (clpA). Enzymatic activity and extreme thermostability of purified A. pyrophilus RNA polymerase were verified. Transcription initiation on a DNA construct harboring the T7 A1 promoter was demonstrated by elongation of a 32P-labeled trinucleotide. Phylogenetic analyses of the two largest subunits of bacterial RNA polymerases (beta and beta') showed overall consistency with the 16S rRNA-based phylogeny, except for the positions of the hyperthermophiles A. pyrophilus and Thermotoga maritima and for the location of the root of the domain Bacteria. In the phylogenies for both RNA polymerase subunits beta and beta', A. pyrophilus was placed within the Gram-negative bacteria below the epsilon subdivision of the Proteobacteria. No support was found for the 16S rRNA-based hypothesis that A. pyrophilus might be the deepest branch of the Bacteria, but the cell wall-less mycoplasmas were found with a high confidence at the root of the Bacteria phylogenies. This raised doubts not only about whether the original Bacteria were indeed like the hyperthermophiles, but also concerning the value of single-gene phylogenies for hypotheses about the evolution of organisms.

Expression of lacZ from the promoter of the Escherichia coli spc operon cloned into vectors carrying the W205 trp-lac fusion

The expression of lacZ has been analyzed and compared in a series of promoter cloning vectors by measuring the amount of lacZ mRNA by hybridization and the amount of beta-galactosidase by standard enzymatic assay. Expression was driven by the promoter, Pspc, of the spc ribosomal protein operon. The vectors contained either the standard W205 trp-lac fusion with the trp operon transcription terminator, trpt, located in the lacZ leader sequence, or a deletion derivative that functionally inactivates trpt. In the presence of trpt, lacZ expression was temperature dependent so that increasing the growth temperature reduced the accumulation of lacZ mRNA and beta-galactosidase activity. The frequency of transcript termination at trpt was estimated to be near zero at 20 degreesC and at about 45% at 37 degreesC. The amount of Pspc-derived lacZ mRNA and the amount of beta-galactosidase produced per lacZ mRNA varied, depending on the mRNA 5' leader sequence between Pspc and lacZ. These results demonstrate that the quantitative assessment of promoter activities with promoter cloning vectors requires careful analysis and interpretation. One particular construct without trpt did not seem to contain fortuitous transcription or translation signals generated at the fusion junction. In this strain, lacZ expression from Pspc was compared at the enzyme activity and mRNA levels with a previously constructed strain in which lacZ was linked to the tandem P1 and P2 promoters of the rrnB operon. At any given growth rate, the different activities of beta-galactosidase in these two strains were found to reflect the same differences in their amounts of lacZ mRNA. Assuming that the promoter-lacZ fusions in these strains reflect the properties of the promoters in their normal chromosomal setting, it was possible to estimate the absolute transcription activity of Pspc and the relative translation efficiency of Pspc-lacZ mRNA at different growth rates. Transcription from the spc promoter was found to increase from about 10 transcripts per min at a growth rate of 1.0 doublings/h to a maximum plateau of about 23 transcripts per min at growth rates above 1.5 doublings/h. The translation frequency of lacZ mRNA expressed from Pspc was unaffected by growth rates.

Transcription analysis of two disparate rRNA operons in the halophilic archaeon Haloarcula marismortui

The genome of the halophilic archaeon Haloarcula marismortui contains two rRNA operons designated rrnA and rrnB. Genomic clones of the two operons and their flanking regions have been sequenced, and primary transcripts and processing intermediates derived from each operon have been characterized. The 16S, 23S, and 5S genes from the two operons were found to differ at 74 of 1,472 positions, 39 of 2,922 positions, and 2 of 122 positions, respectively. This degree of sequence divergence for multicopy (paralogous) rRNA genes was 10- to 50-fold or more higher than anticipated. The two operons exhibit other profound differences that include (i) the presence in rrnA and the absence in rrnB of tRNAAla and tRNACys genes in the intergenic and distal regions, respectively, (ii) divergent 5' flanking sequences, and (iii) distinct pathways for processing and maturation of 16S rRNA. Processing and maturation of 16S and 23S rRNA from rrnA operon transcripts and of 23S rRNA from rrnB operon transcripts follow the canonical halophilic pathway, whereas maturation of 16S rRNA from rrnB operon transcripts follows an unusual and different pathway that is apparently devoid of any 5' processing intermediate.

Initiation and velocity of chromosome replication in Escherichia coli B/r and K-12

The macromolecular composition and a number of parameters affecting chromosome replication were examined over a range of exponential growth rates in two common Escherichia coli strains, B/r and K-12 AB1157. Based on improved measurements of DNA after treatment of exponential cultures with rifampin, the cell mass per chromosomal replication origin (initiation mass) and the time required to replicate the chromosome from origin to terminus (C period) were determined. For these two strains, the initiation mass approached values of 8 x 10(-10) and 10 x 10(-10) units of optical density (at 460 nm) of culture mass per oriC, respectively, at growth rates above 1 doubling/h (at 37 degrees C). The amount of protein per oriC decreased with increasing growth rate for AB1157 and remained nearly constant for the B/r strain. The C period decreased for both strains in an essentially identical manner from about 70 min at 0.6 doublings/h to about 33 min at 3 doublings/h. From the initiation mass and C period, relative or absolute copy numbers for genes with known map locations can be accurately determined at different growth rates. At growth rates above 2 doublings/h, when chromosomes are highly branched, genes near the origin are about threefold more prevalent than genes near the terminus. At a growth rate of 0.6 doubling/h, this ratio is only about 1.7, which reflects the lower degree of chromosome branching.

Formation of the 5' end pseudoknot in small subunit ribosomal RNA: involvement of U3-like sequences

Hughes (1996, J Mol Biol 259:645-654) proposed that the box A region of U3 snoRNA interacts by complementary base pairing with small subunit (ss) rRNA sequences within precursor (pre-) rRNA and through rearrangement and displacement mediates the formation of the universally conserved 5' end pseudoknot. We wondered how this conserved pseudoknot might be formed in the ss rRNAs of archaeal and bacterial organisms that lack a U3 RNA. In examining the 5' external transcribed spacer (5' ETS) region in pre-rRNA transcripts from some of these organisms, we noted the presence of U3 box A-like sequences. By analogy with the U3-ss rRNA intermolecular interaction, we suggest that the box A-like 5' ETS sequence interacts through intramolecular complementary base pairing with the 5' end pseudoknot sequences within pre-rRNA; rearrangement of this structure mediates the formation of the conserved 5' end pseudoknot. If correct, this means that some of the pre-rRNA maturation-folding functions provided in trans by snoRNAs in eukaryotic organisms may be provided in cis by the spacer sequences in pre-rRNA transcripts in some bacterial or archaeal organisms lacking snoRNAs.

Evolutionary divergence and salinity-mediated selection in halophilic archaea

Halophilic (literally salt-loving) archaea are a highly evolved group of organisms that are uniquely able to survive in and exploit hypersaline environments. In this review, we examine the potential interplay between fluctuations in environmental salinity and the primary sequence and tertiary structure of halophilic proteins. The proteins of halophilic archaea are highly adapted and magnificently engineered to function in an intracellular milieu that is in ionic balance with an external environment containing between 2 and 5 M inorganic salt. To understand the nature of halophilic adaptation and to visualize this interplay, the sequences of genes encoding the L11, L1, L10, and L12 proteins of the large ribosome subunit and Mn/Fe superoxide dismutase proteins from three genera of halophilic archaea have been aligned and analyzed for the presence of synonymous and nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions. Compared to homologous eubacterial genes, these halophilic genes exhibit an inordinately high proportion of nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions that result in amino acid replacement in the encoded proteins. More than one-third of the replacements involve acidic amino acid residues. We suggest that fluctuations in environmental salinity provide the driving force for fixation of the excessive number of nonsynonymous substitutions. Tinkering with the number, location, and arrangement of acidic and other amino acid residues influences the fitness (i.e., hydrophobicity, surface hydration, and structural stability) of the halophilic protein. Tinkering is also evident at halophilic protein positions monomorphic or polymorphic for serine; more than one-third of these positions use both the TCN and the AGY serine codons, indicating that there have been multiple nonsynonymous substitutions at these positions. Our model suggests that fluctuating environmental salinity prevents optimization of fitness for many halophilic proteins and helps to explain the unusual evolutionary divergence of their encoding genes.

Conserved sequence elements involved in regulation of ribosomal protein gene expression in halophilic archaea

A region of the Haloferax volcanii genome encoding ribosomal proteins L11e, L1e, L10e, and L12e was cloned and sequenced, and the transcripts derived from the cluster were characterized. Flanking and noncoding regions of the sequence were analyzed phylogenetically by comparison with the homologous sequences from two other halophilic archaea, i.e., Halobacterium cutirubrum and Haloarcula marismortui. Motifs, identified by high-level sequence conservation, include both transcriptional and translational regulatory elements and other elements of unknown function.

A NusG-like protein from Thermotoga maritima binds to DNA and RNA

The NusG-like protein from Thermotoga maritima was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Purified T. maritima NusG exhibited a generalized, non-sequence-specific and highly cooperative DNA and RNA binding activity. The complexes formed between nucleic acid and T. maritima NusG were unable to penetrate a polyacrylamide or agarose gel. The affinity of the protein for DNA was highest in buffers containing about 50 mM salt. The DNA-protein complexes could not be stained with ethidium bromide, were resistant to digestion by TaqI endonuclease, were able to be transcribed in vitro by T. maritima RNA polymerase, and contained a minimum of about 30 to 40 monomers of NusG per kb of duplex DNA. The protein had comparable affinities for duplex DNA and RNA but a lower affinity for single-stranded DNA. Electron microscopy showed that the DNA in the complex is condensed within a large structure that resembles the complex between DNA and histone-like protein Hcl from Chlamydia trachomatis. Neither the wild-type T. maritima nusG gene nor a deletion derivative more similar to the E. coli gene was able to substitute for the essential E. coli nusG. Two variants of the NusG protein were constructed, expressed, and purified: one contains only the entire 171-amino-acid insertion that is unique to T. maritima NusG, and the other has only the sequences present in NusG homologs from E. coli and other eubacteria. Both variants exhibited similar DNA and RNA binding behavior, although their apparent affinities were 5- to 10-fold lower than that of the wild-type T. maritima NusG.

Preribosomal RNA processing in archaea: characterization of the RNP endonuclease mediated processing of precursor 16S rRNA in the thermoacidophile Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

The hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius uses a novel RNA-containing endonuclease to excise and mature 16S rRNA from the precursor (pre) rRNA transcript. A cell-free processing system has been developed using an in vitro transcribed RNA substrate containing the entire 144 nucleotide 5' external transcribed spacer (5'ETS) and the first 72 nucleotides of 16S rRNA. The cell-free extract cleaves in the 5'ETS at positions -99, -31, and +1 (i.e., the 5'ETS-16S junction). These positions are at or near the positions cleaved in vivo during processing of the pre rRNA transcript. The processing activity has been purified between 100 and 200-fold and appears to contain five or six polypeptide components and perhaps as many as 10 different small RNA components. Using combined reverse transcription-PCR amplification, full or partial cDNA copies of two of the RNA components have been obtained. One of the RNAs exhibits sequence and structural similarities to eukaryotic U3 snoRNA. The processing activity has been shown to be inactivated by micrococcal nuclease. It can be reactivated by reconstituting using bulk RNA from S.acidocaldarius but not bulk RNA from distantly related organisms. The activity is also abolished by RNase H digestion in the presence of oligonucleotides complementary to the U3-like RNA. These results demonstrate that the U3-like RNA is an essential component of the pre rRNA processing RNP endonuclease. Furthermore, this RNP endonuclease is not a derived eukaryotic feature, instead its existence predates the divergence of archaea and eukaryotes.

Ribosomal RNA precursor processing by a eukaryotic U3 small nucleolar RNA-like molecule in an archaeon

An RNA-containing endonuclease that catalyzes the excision and maturation of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from the rRNA primary transcript (pre-rRNA) in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius has been characterized. The ribonucleoprotein was inactivated by micrococcal nuclease treatment and inactivation was reversed by reconstitution with bulk RNA. A 159-nucleotide RNA with sequence and structural similarity to U3 small nucleolar RNAs of eukaryotes copurified with the endonuclease activity. Oligonucleotide-targeted ribonuclease H inactivation of the U3-like RNA component also abolished processing activity. A motif within the U3 homolog is complementary to the region around the three cleavage sites in the pre-RNA substrate. Thus, U3-mediated processing of pre-rRNA is not specific to eukaryotes; its origin predates the divergence of archaea and eukaryotes.

Separate pathways for excision and processing of 16S and 23S rRNA from the primary rRNA operon transcript from the hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus acidocaldarius: similarities to eukaryotic rRNA processing

In the hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, the mature 16S and 23S rRNA are generated by processing of a 5000-nucleotide transcript. Analysis of intermediates that accumulate in vivo indicates that the transcript contains 11 separate processing sites. The processing and maturation of 23S rRNA appears to follow the typical archaebacterial pathway, utilizing a bulge-helix-bulge motif within the 23S processing helix as the substrate for an excision endonuclease. The precursor 23S rRNA that is released is trimmed at its 5' and 3' ends to generate the mature 23S rRNA found in 50S ribosomal subunits. The pathway for processing and maturation of 16S rRNA is distinctive and does not use the bulge-helix-bulge motif in the 16S processing stem. Instead, the transcript is cleaved at several novel positions in the 5' leader and in the 3' intercistronic sequence. The excised precursor 16S is trimmed at the 5' end but an extra 60 nucleotides of what is normally spacer sequence is retained at the 3' end. The elongated 16S rRNA is present in active 30S subunits. An in vitro processing system for the 16S rRNA has been established. The RNA substrate containing the entire 144-nucleotide 5' leader and the first 72 nucleotides of 16S sequence is cleaved at the same positions observed in vivo by an endonuclease activity present in cell extract. These results demonstrate (i) that the 16S processing helix is neither utilized nor required for leader processing, and (ii) that complete maturation to the 5' end of 16S rRNA can occur in the absence of concomitant ribosome assembly and in the absence of all but the first 72 nucleotides of the 16S rRNA sequence. The endonuclease activity responsible for cleavage of the 5' leader substrate is sensitive to nuclease digestion, suggesting that it contains an essential RNA component. The cleavage sites appear to be located within regions of irregular secondary structure and have a consensus sequence of GAUUCC.

Molecular phylogenies based on ribosomal protein L11, L1, L10, and L12 sequences

Available sequences that correspond to the E. coli ribosomal proteins L11, L1, L10, and L12 from eubacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes have been aligned. The alignments were analyzed qualitatively for shared structural features and for conservation of deletions or insertions. The alignments were further subjected to quantitative phylogenetic analysis, and the amino acid identity between selected pairs of sequences was calculated. In general, eubacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes each form coherent and well-resolved nonoverlapping phylogenetic domains. The degree of diversity of the four proteins between the three groups is not uniform. For L11, the eubacterial and archaebacterial proteins are very similar whereas the eukaryotic L11 is clearly less similar. In contrast, in the case of the L12 proteins and to a lesser extent the L10 proteins, the archaebacterial and eukaryotic proteins are similar whereas the eubacterial proteins are different. The eukaryotic L1 equivalent protein has yet to be identified. If the root of the universal tree is near or within the eubacterial domain, our ribosomal protein-based phylogenies indicate that archaebacteria are monophyletic. The eukaryotic lineage appears to originate either near or within the archaebacterial domain.

Coupling between mRNA synthesis and mRNA stability in Escherichia coli

Transiently stable products derived from the endonuclease cleavage of transcripts from the secEnusG and rplKAJLrpoBC operons have been identified. Cleavage sites for RNase III occur in the leader of the secEnusG transcript and in the L12-beta intercistronic space of the rplKAJLrpoBC transcript. A single RNase E cleavage site was located in the L1-L10 intergenic space. Inactivation of RNase III and RNase E results respectively in a one- to twofold and a greater than 10-fold stabilization of five mRNA sequences from within the secE, nusG, L11-L1, L10 and beta encoding cistrons. The relative amounts of each of these five mRNA sequences were found to be nearly constant when measured either in the presence or absence of cleavage by RNase III or RNase E. This clearly implies that any increases in the stability of these mRNA sequences resulting from the inactivation of processing by RNase III or RNAase E are counterbalanced by changes in the mRNA synthesis rates. The mechanism that links mRNA synthesis to mRNA decay is not known.

Strain identification and 5S rRNA gene characterization of the hyperthermophilic archaebacterium Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

A commonly used laboratory Sulfolobus strain has been unambiguously identified as Sulfolobus acidocaldarius DSM639. The 5S rRNA gene from this strain was cloned and sequenced. It differs at 17 of 124 positions from the identical 5S rRNA sequences from Sulfolobus solfataricus and a strain apparently misidentified as S. acidocaldarius. Analysis of the transcripts from the 5S rRNA gene failed to identify any precursor extending a significant distance beyond the 5' or 3' boundary of the 5S rRNA-coding sequence. This result suggests that the primary transcript of the 5S rRNA gene corresponds in length (within 1 or 2 nucleotides) to the mature 5S rRNA sequence found in 50S ribosomal subunits.

Characterization of paralogous and orthologous members of the superoxide dismutase gene family from genera of the halophilic archaebacteria

Four species representing three genera of halophilic archaebacteria were examined for the presence of genomic sequences that encode proteins of the superoxide dismutase family. Three species, Halobacterium cutirubrum, Halobacterium sp. strain GRB, and Haloferax volcanii, contain duplicated (paralogous) genes of the sod family; a fourth species, Haloarcula marismortui, contains only a single gene. These seven genes were cloned and sequenced, and their transcripts were characterized by Northern (RNA) hybridization, S1 nuclease protection, and primer extension. The expression of one of the two genes in H. cutirubrum, Halobacterium sp. strain GRB, and Haloferax volcanii was shown to be elevated in the presence of paraquat, a generator of superoxide radicals. The other genes, including the single gene from Haloarcula marismortui, exhibited no elevated expression in the presence of paraquat. The 5' and 3' flanking regions of all the genes contain recognizable promoter and terminator elements that are appropriately positioned relative to the 5' and 3' transcript end sites. Between genera, the orthologous paraquat-responsive genes exhibit no sequence similarity in either their 5' or 3' flanking regions, whereas the orthologous nonresponsive genes exhibit limited sequence similarity but only in the 5' flanking region. Within the coding region, the two paralogous genes of Haloferax volcanii are virtually identical (99.5%) despite the absence of similarity in the flanking regions. In contrast, the paralogous genes of H. cutirubrum and Halobacterium sp. strain GRB are only about 87% identical. In the alignment of all seven sequences, there are nine codon positions where both the TCN and AGY serine codons are utilized; some or all of these may well be examples of convergent evolution.

Structure, function, and evolution of the family of superoxide dismutase proteins from halophilic archaebacteria

The protein sequences of seven members of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) family from halophilic archaebacteria have been aligned and compared with each other and with the homologous Mn and Fe SOD sequences from eubacteria and the methanogenic archaebacterium Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Of 199 common residues in the SOD proteins from halophilic archaebacteria, 125 are conserved in all seven sequences, and 64 of these are encoded by single unique triplets. The 74 remaining positions exhibit a high degree of variability, and for almost half of these, the encoding triplets are connected by at least two nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions. The majority of nucleotide substitutions within the seven genes are nonsynonymous and result in amino acid replacement in the respective protein; silent third-codon-position (synonymous) substitutions are unexpectedly rare. Halophilic SODs contain 30 specific residues that are not found at the corresponding positions of the methanogenic or eubacterial SOD proteins. Seven of these are replacements of highly conserved amino acids in eubacterial SODs that are believed to play an important role in the three-dimensional structure of the protein. Residues implicated in formation of the active site, catalysis, and metal ion binding are conserved in all Mn and Fe SODs. Molecular phylogenies based on parsimony and neighbor-joining methods coherently group the halophile sequences but surprisingly fail to distinguish between the Mn SOD of Escherichia coli and the Fe SOD of M. thermoautotrophicum as the outgroup. These comparisons indicate that as a group, the SODs of halophilic archaebacteria have many unique and characteristic features. At the same time, the patterns of nucleotide substitution and amino acid replacement indicate that these genes and the proteins that they encode continue to be subject to strong and changing selection. This selection may be related to the presence of oxygen radicals and the inter- and intracellular composition and concentration of metal cations.

The organization and expression of essential transcription translation component genes in the extremely thermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga maritima

A 5789-nucleotide-long EcoRI fragment from the genome of Thermotoga maritima, identified by cross-hybridization to L11, L1, L10, and L12 ribosomal protein gene sequences from Escherichia coli, was cloned and sequenced. The fragment encodes five tRNAs (tRNA(met1), anticodon complementary to AUG; tRNA(met2), AUG; tRNA(thr), ACA; tRNA(tyr), UAC; tRNA(trp), UGG), the transcription termination-antitermination factor nusG, the four 50 S subunit ribosomal proteins L11, L1, L10, and L12, and the amino-terminal portion of the RNA polymerase beta subunit protein. The five tRNA genes, the nusG gene, and the L11, L1, L10, and L12 ribosomal protein genes form a complex transcription unit. Transcripts appear to be initiated from an upstream promoter, P1, located in front of the tRNA(met1) gene and from three internal promoters: P2 is located immediately in front of the tRNA(met2) gene; PL10 is near the beginning of the L1-L10 intergenic space, and PL12 is at the end of the L10 gene sequence. The tRNA sequences are excised from the leader regions of the P1- and P2-initiated transcripts. Three putative but potentially important regulatory sequences were identified within this operon: an L1 translational control site, a transcription attenuator, and a strong rho-independent terminator. The strong terminator located distal to the L12 gene overlaps a fifth promoter, P beta, which is used to initiate transcripts of the downstream RNA polymerase beta subunit gene. The T. maritima NusG protein exhibits 43% amino acid sequence identity when aligned to the E. coli protein; the alignment is interrupted by a large 171-amino acid-long insertion into the T. maritima protein after codon 45.

Isolation and characterization of a NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase gene from the primitive eucaryote Giardia lamblia

Giardia lamblia is believed to be the earliest branching derivative from the eucaryotic lineage. Genomic and cDNA clones encoding the giardia NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase have been isolated and characterized. Southern hydridization using genomic DNA indicates that the gene encoding this activity is unique and single copy. Primer extension, S1 nuclease protection, and genomic and cDNA sequence analysis demonstrate that gene transcripts are initiated within a conserved AT-rich sequence element immediately preceding the ATG translation initiation codon and the short 5' untranslated region is not extended by transsplicing. The open reading frame is 1350 nucleotides in length and encodes a protein of 449 amino acids. The reading frame is not interrupted by introns and the primary transcript is probably not subjected to RNA editing. In the strictly anaerobic metabolism of giardia, NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase activity participates along with alanine aminotransferase, in the cyclic dissipation of reducing equivalents (NADPH) through the conversion of pyruvate to alanine. The deduced amino acid sequence of the giardia protein exhibits substantial homology to numerous fungal and eubacterial NADP-dependent glutamate dehydrogenases. Comparisons of alignment gap positions and amino acid identities indicate that the giardia sequence is at least as similar or more similar to the eubacterial sequence than it is to the fungal sequence. This supports the hypothesis that giardia diverged very early from the eucaryotic lineage.

Sequence heterogeneity between the two genes encoding 16S rRNA from the halophilic archaebacterium Haloarcula marismortui

The halophilic archaebacterium, Haloarcula marismortui, contains two nonadjacent ribosomal RNA operons, designated rrnA and rrnB, in its genome. The 16S rRNA genes within these operons are 1472 nucleotides in length and differ by nucleotide substitutions at 74 positions. The substitutions are not uniformly distributed but rather are localized within three domains of 16S rRNA; more than two-thirds of the differences occur within the domain bounded by nucleotides 508 and 823. This domain is known to be important for P site binding of aminoacylated tRNA and for 30-50S subunit association. Using S1 nuclease protection, it has been shown that the 16S rRNAs transcribed from both operons are equally represented in the functional 70S ribosome population. Comparison of these two H. marismortui sequences to the 16S gene sequences from related halophilic genera suggests that (i) in diverging genera, mutational differences in 16S gene sequences are not clustered but rather are more generally distributed throughout the length of the 16S sequence, and (ii) the rrnB sequence, particularly within the 508-823 domain, is more different from the out group sequences than is the rrnA sequence. Several possible explanations for the evolutionary origin and maintenance of this sequence heterogeneity within 16S rRNA of H. marismortui are discussed.

Comparison of the structure of archaebacterial ribosomal proteins equivalent to proteins L11 and L1 from Escherichia coli ribosomes

The sequences of two ribosomal proteins from two widely divergent species of archaebacteria, Halobacterium cutirubrum and Sulfolobus solfataricus, have been deduced from the structure of their respective genes. These two proteins were found to be equivalent to the L11 and L1 ribosomal proteins of the eubacterium Escherichia coli. Sequence comparison revealed that the archaebacterial L11e (equivalent to E. coli L11) proteins are longer than the eubacterial protein due to a C-terminal extension of about 30 residues. The archaebacterial L11e proteins, like the E. coli L11, are rich in proline residues; most of these are conserved. L11 is the most highly methylated protein in the E. coli ribosome. However, sites of methylation are generally not conserved in the archaebacterial L11e proteins. The region of highest sequence similarity between L11 and the archaebacterial L11e proteins is the N-terminal domain. This domain is believed to interact with release factor 1 during termination of translation. The amino acid sequences of the archaebacterial L1e proteins were compared to the eubacterial E. coli L1 and Bacillus stearothermophilus L1e sequences. The archaebacterial L1e proteins are slightly shorter at both their N- and C-termini. A region of high sequence similarity (7 of 14 residues) occurs near the center of the proteins.

RNA polymerase activity may regulate transcription initiation and attenuation in the rplKAJLrpoBC operon in Escherichia coli

The relationship between global RNA transcription capacity and transcript initiation, attenuation, and stability in the rplKAJLrpoBC operon of Escherichia coli has been examined. The rplKAJLrpoBC operon encodes in order the four large ribosome subunit proteins, L11, L1, L10, and L12, and the two large beta and beta' subunits of RNA polymerase. Operon transcripts are initiated at two promoters, PL11 and PL10. The L12-beta intergenic space contains a transcription attenuator which, during balanced growth, terminates about 80% of the transcripts exiting the L12 gene; the remaining transcripts read through into the beta and beta' encoding genes. The capacity for global transcription initiation was modulated using a strain carrying a temperature-sensitive, initiation-defective mutation in rpoC. Following a shift to 39 degrees C, the global transcription initiation capacity was reduced to about one-half the level at 30 degrees C. This partial restriction resulted in a decrease in the stability of distal beta mRNA, whereas the stability of proximal L11-L1 and L10-L12 mRNA was not changed. Measurements of the synthesis rates of L11-L1, L10-L12, and beta mRNAs relative to total RNA synthesis indicated that this operon was selectively transcribed when the initiation capacity of RNA polymerase was limited. The synthesis rates of L11-L1 and L10-L12 mRNA increased about 2-fold, whereas the synthesis rate of beta mRNA increased nearly 5-fold. The relative transcription of other ribosome component genes and the alpha subunit gene exhibited only a modest increase during the partial restriction. Protection from S1 nuclease was used to demonstrate that the preferential transcription within the operon of beta mRNA was the consequence of active regulation of termination-antitermination at the attenuator structure in the L12-beta intergenic space. These results demonstrate that global transcription capacity may be an important parameter in determining both initiation and attenuation of transcription of the rplKAJLrpoBC ribosomal protein-RNA polymerase operon.

Unusual evolution of a superoxide dismutase-like gene from the extremely halophilic archaebacterium Halobacterium cutirubrum

The archaebacterium Halobacterium cutirubrum contains a single detectable, Mn-containing superoxide dismutase, which is encoded by the sod gene (B. P. May and P. P. Dennis, J. Biol. Chem. 264:12253-12258, 1989). The genome of H. cutirubrum also contains a closely related sod-like gene (slg) of unknown function that has a pattern of expression different from that of sod. The four amino acid residues that bind the Mn atom are conserved, but the flanking regions of the two genes are unrelated. Although the genes have 87% nucleotide sequence identity, the proteins they encode have only 83% amino acid sequence identity. Mutations occur randomly at the first, second, and third codon positions, and transversions outnumber transitions. Most of the mutational differences between the two genes are confined to two limited regions; other regions totally lack differences. These two gene sequences are apparently in the initial stage of divergent evolution. Presumably, this divergence is being driven by strong selection at the molecular level for either acquisition of new functions or partition and refinement of ancestral functions in one or both of the respective gene products.

Sequence and transcriptional pattern of the essential Escherichia coli secE-nusG operon

Two genes, secE and nusG, situated between the tufB and ribosomal protein rplKAJL operons in the rif region at 90 min on the Escherichia coli chromosome, have been sequenced and characterized. The secE gene encodes a 127-amino-acid-long polypeptide, which is an integral membrane protein essential for protein export (P. J. Schatz, P. D. Riggs, A. Jacq, M. J. Fath, and J. Beckwith, Genes Dev. 3:1035-1044, 1989). The nusG gene encodes a 181-amino-acid-long polypeptide and is involved in transcription antitermination. The protein product of nusG is essential for bacterial viability. The secE-nusG genes are cotranscribed, with transcripts initiated at the PEG promoter and terminated at the Rho-independent terminator in the region of the rplK promoter. The majority of transcripts are processed at a number of sites in the 5' untranslated leader region by RNase III and are possibly also processed by a second unidentified nuclease. The role of transcript processing in the regulation of secE and nusG has not yet been established. The juxtaposition and coregulation of a protein export factor and a transcriptional factor raise questions concerning a functional connection between the two processes.

Sequence alignment and evolutionary comparison of the L10 equivalent and L12 equivalent ribosomal proteins from archaebacteria, eubacteria, and eucaryotes

The genes corresponding to the L10 and L12 equivalent ribosomal proteins (L10e and L12e) of Escherichia coli have been cloned and sequenced from two widely divergent species of archaebacteria, Halobacterium cutirubrum and Sulfolobus solfataricus. The deduced amino acid sequences of the L10e and L12e proteins have been compared to each other and to available eubacterial and eucaryotic sequences. We have identified the human P0 protein as the eucaryotic L10e. The L10e proteins from the three kingdoms were found to be colinear. The eubacterial L10e protein is much shorter than the archaebacterial-eucaryotic proteins because of two large deletions, one internal and one at the carboxy terminus. The archaebacterial and eucaryotic L12e proteins were also colinear; the eubacterial protein is homologous to the archaebacterial and eucaryotic L12e proteins, but has suffered rearrangement through what appear to be gene fusion events. Intraspecies comparisons between L10e and L12e sequences indicate the archaebacterial and eucaryotic L10e proteins contain a partial copy of the L12e protein fused to their carboxy terminus. In the eubacteria most of this fusion has been removed by the carboxy terminal deletion. Within the L12e-derived region, a 26-amino acid-long internal modular sequence reiterated thrice in the archaebacterial L10e, twice in the eucaryotic L10e, and once in the eubacterial L10e was discovered. This modular sequence also appears to be present as a single copy in all L12e proteins and may play a role in L12e dimerization, L10e-L12e complex formation, and the function of L10e-L12e complex in translation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Evolution and regulation of the gene encoding superoxide dismutase from the archaebacterium Halobacterium cutirubrum

The gene encoding the manganese-containing superoxide dismutase (SOD) of Halobacterium cutirubrum was isolated and characterized. The gene and 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions were located on a genomic DNA fragment of 1127 nucleotides. The deduced amino acid sequence is 200 residues long and has 39-42% identity with manganese-containing SODs of eubacteria and mitochondria. This homology may be due to either lateral transfer of the gene between eubacteria and archaebacteria or to high amino acid sequence conservation in the enzyme during the separate evolution of eubacteria and archaebacteria. Transcription of the gene initiates only about three nucleotides upstream of the translation initiation codon. The 5' end of the transcript does not contain a purine-rich Shine-Dalgarno sequence, and the promoter region does not contain consensus sequences found in other archaebacterial promoters. Termination of transcription occurs at 5 consecutive thymine residues that are preceded by a GC-rich region. The gene is basally expressed in anaerobically grown cells but is also inducible by paraquat, a generator of oxygen radicals. The same transcription initiation site is used in both types of expression, suggesting that one promoter is responsible for both basal and regulated expression. In addition to the single copy of the authentic SOD gene, the genome of H. cutirubrum contains a sequence that is very closely related to but does not code for the previously purified SOD of this organism.

Isolation and characterization of the rRNA gene clusters of Halobacterium marismortui

Two rRNA operons of Halobacterium marismortui were identified and cloned into plasmid pBR322 as 10- and 20-kilobase-pair (kbp) HindIII fragments, respectively. Restriction maps of the 10-kbp clone (pHH10) and an 8-kbp HindIII-ClaI subclone (pHC8) of the other operon were established. Southern hybridization of 16S, 23S, and 5S rRNA probes to the clones demonstrated that both operons code for the three rRNA species. By S1 nuclease analysis, the transcription initiation sites, some of the processing sites within the primary transcripts, and the boundaries of the mature 16S and 23S rRNA molecules were determined. Both operons are transcribed in vivo. Comparison of the two operons indicated that they are not identical. The most striking difference between the operons is the existence of three putative transcription initiation sites in one operon (HC8) and only one such site in the other operon (HH10). The regions surrounding these 5' transcript end sites share a high level of sequence similarity to each other and to the rRNA promoter regions of other halophilic archaebacteria. Analysis of the proximal 130 nucleotides of the two 16S rRNA genes indicated greater-than-expected sequence heterogeneity. There are a 2-base-pair insertion in the HC8 16S gene and 10 additional sites of nucleotide sequence heterogeneity.

Characterization of the L11, L1, L10 and L12 equivalent ribosomal protein gene cluster of the halophilic archaebacterium Halobacterium cutirubrum

We have cloned and characterized a 5.2 kb fragment of genomic Halobacterium cutirubrum DNA encoding two potential proteins of unknown function (ORF and NAB) and four proteins which are equivalent to the L11, L1, L10 and L12 ribosomal proteins of Escherichia coli (L11e, L1e, L10e and L12e). The ribosomal protein genes are clustered in the same order as that in E. coli although the transcription pattern differs. Transcripts characterized include (i) abundant monocistronic L11e and tricistronic L1e-L10e-L12e transcripts; (ii) less abundant bicistronic NAB-L11e and monocistronic NAB transcripts and (iii) a very rare ORF monocistronic transcript. The consensus sequence in the promoter region is TTCGA ... 4-10 nucleotides ... TTAA ... 25-26 nucleotides ... initiation site; termination generally occurs on poly(T) tracts following GC-rich regions. Poly(T) tracts in the sense strands within coding regions are notably absent; this is probably related to their participation in transcription termination and to the fact that these ribosomal protein genes are highly expressed and stoichiometrically balanced. In the third position of the codons G or C is utilized 87% of the time. The 74 nt long untranslated leader of the L1e-L10e-L12e transcript contains a region that has a sequence and structure almost identical to a region within the binding domain for the L1e protein in 23S rRNA and highly similar to the E. coli L11-L1 mRNA leader sequence that has been implicated in autogenous translational regulation. Other transcripts are initiated at or adjacent to the ATG translation initiation codon.

Structure and evolution of the L11, L1, L10, and L12 equivalent ribosomal proteins in eubacteria, archaebacteria, and eucaryotes

The genes corresponding to the L11, L1, L10, and L12 equivalent ribosomal proteins (L11e, L1e, L10e, and L12e) of Escherichia coli have been cloned and sequenced from two widely divergent species of archaebacteria, Halobacterium cutirubrum and Sulfolobus solfataricus, and the L10 and four different L12 genes have been cloned and sequenced from the eucaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Alignments between the deduced amino acid sequences of these proteins and to other available homologous proteins of eubacteria and eucaryotes have been made. The data suggest that the archaebacteria are a distinct coherent phylogenetic group. Alignment of the proline-rich L11e proteins reveals that the N-terminal region, believed to be responsible for interaction with release factor 1, is the most highly conserved region and that there is specific conservation of most of the proline residues, which may be important in maintaining the highly elongated structure of the molecule. Although L11 is the most highly methylated protein in the E. coli ribosome, the sites of methylation are not conserved in the archaebacterial L11e proteins. The L1e proteins of eubacteria and archaebacteria show two regions of very high similarity near the center and the carboxy termini of the proteins. The L10e proteins of all kingdoms are colinear and contain approximately three fourths of an L12e protein fused to their carboxy terminus, although much of this fusion has been lost in the truncated eubacterial protein. The archaebacterial and eucaryotic L12e proteins are colinear, whereas the eubacterial protein has suffered a rearrangement through what appear to be gene fusion events. Within the L12e derived region of the L10e proteins there exists a repeated module of 26 amino acids, present in two copies in eucaryotes, three in archaebacteria, and one in eubacteria. This modular sequence is apparently also present in the L12e proteins of all kingdoms and may play a role in L12e dimerization, L10e-L12e complex formation, and the function of the L10e-L12e complex in translation.

The expression of the superoxide dismutase gene in Halobacterium cutirubrum and Halobacterium volcanii

The gene encoding the Mn-containing superoxide dismutase (SOD) from Halobacterium cutirubrum has been cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence is homologous to the sequences of Fe and Mn SODs from eubacteria. The high degree of amino acid identity between the archaebacterial and eubacterial proteins suggests that a SOD gene may have been laterally transferred between eubacteria and archaebacteria sometime after the accumulation of atmospheric oxygen. Consensus elements of halobacterial promoters are found upstream of the coding region, however, the spacing between them and the transcription start site is greater than in other genes. Termination of transcription occurs in five consecutive T residues that are preceded by a GC-rich sequence that has short inverted repeats. In addition to the authentic SOD gene, H. cutirubrum also contains a putative pseudogene. The SOD levels and growth rates of H. cutirubrum and Halobacterium volcanii were tested in response to treatment by paraquat, an intracellular generator of superoxide. In H. volcanii the growth rate slowed, and SOD was strongly induced throughout prolonged treatment with paraquat. In H. cutirubrum the same effects were noticed initially, but after 48 h exposure to the drug, the growth rate increased and the SOD level decreased. Production of paraquat resistant mutants of H. cutirubrum may play a part in this process, however, some type of physiological adaptation is also probably required.

Organization of genes encoding the L11, L1, L10, and L12 equivalent ribosomal proteins in eubacteria, archaebacteria, and eucaryotes

Archaebacterial and eucaryotic cytoplasmic ribosomes contain proteins equivalent to the L11, L1, L10, and L12 proteins of the eubacterium Escherichia coli. In E. coli the genes encoding these ribosomal proteins are clustered, cotranscribed, and autogenously regulated at the level of mRNA translation. Genomic restriction fragments encoding the L11e, L1e, L10e, and L12e (equivalent) proteins from two divergent archaebacteria. Halobacterium cutirubrum and Sulfolobus solfataricus, and the L10e and L12e proteins from the eucaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been cloned, sequenced, and analyzed. In the archaebacteria, as in eubacteria, the four genes are clustered and the L11e, L1e, L10e, and L12e order is maintained. The transcription pattern of the H. cutirubrum cluster is different from the E. coli pattern and the flanking genes on either side of the tetragenic clusters in E. coli, H. cutirubrum, and Sulfolobus solfataricus are all unrelated to each other. In the eucaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae there is a single L10e gene and four separate L12e genes that are designated L12eIA, L12eIB, L12eIIA, and L12eIIB. These five genes are not closely linked and each is transcribed as a monocistronic mRNA; the L10e, L12eIA, L12eIB, and the L12eIIA genes are contiguous and uninterrupted, whereas the L12eIIB gene is interrupted by a 301 nucleotide long intron located between codons 38 and 39.

Transcription products from the rplKAJL-rpoBC gene cluster

Transcripts from the rplKAJL-rpoBC ribosomal protein-RNA polymerase gene cluster have been quantified and their ends mapped using RNA-DNA hybridization, sucrose density-gradient sedimentation, Northern hybridization and S1 nuclease protection. The results indicate that the most abundant transcript is the 2600 nucleotide tetracistronic L11-L1-L10-L12 mRNA initiated at the upstream major PL11 promoter and terminated at the transcription attenuator in the L12-beta intergenic space. Somewhat less abundant 1300 nucleotide L11-L1 and L10-L12 bicistronic transcripts were observed. The 3' ends of the L11-L1 transcripts were heterogeneous; most of the ends were localized to three sites within a 110 base-pair region in the L1-L10 intergenic space. This intergenic space encodes also the major PL10 promoter and the mRNA binding site for the L10 translational control protein. Two 5' ends were observed for L10-L12 bicistronic mRNA, one at the PL10 promoter and the other 150 nucleotides further downstream in a region in which promoter activity has not been detected. It is suggested that this second downstream 5' end is generated by processing of the transcripts initiated at the major PL10 promoter. No transcript initiation in the L10-L12 intergenic space was detected. About 80% of the transcripts reading through the L12 gene were terminated in the vicinity of the transcription attenuator that is responsible for the reduction in the expression of the downstream RNA polymerase genes. Transcripts reading through the attenuator were partially processed by RNase III within a potential hairpin structure in the RNA transcript. Processing appears to produce 3' and 5' transcript end sites separated by about ten nucleotides. No other major 5' ends were observed in the L12-beta intergenic space. These results indicate that the two major promoters, PL11 and PL10, are both utilized to drive the interrelated transcriptional expression of this ribosomal protein-RNA polymerase gene cluster.

Superoxide dismutase from the extremely halophilic archaebacterium Halobacterium cutirubrum

Halobacterium cutirubrum, a member of the archaebacteria, contains one superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1). This enzyme functions in the high-ionic-strength intracellular environment and protects the organism against the toxic effects of the superoxide anion. The enzyme has been purified to about 90% homogeneity by a four-step procedure which never removes it from conditions of high ionic strength. The subunits of the purified enzyme have a molecular weight of 25,000 and are possibly in tetrameric association. The enzyme shows anomalously high resistance to azide inhibition and sensitivity to inactivation by hydrogen peroxide. Metal analysis indicates 0.2 atom of Mn, less than 0.03 atom of Cu, and less than 0.001 atom of Fe per subunit. The low content of Mn may explain the low specific activity found for this enzyme compared with that of eubacterial enzymes. Optimum activity occurs in 2 M KCl; KCl gives about twice as much activity as NaCl over the range of 2 to 4 M. The enzyme appears to be related to those isolated from other archaebacteria but also exhibits several novel features.

Multiple promoters for the transcription of the ribosomal RNA gene cluster in Halobacterium cutirubrum

The archaebacterium Halobacterium cutirubrum has a single ribosomal RNA transcription unit in its genomic DNA. The 5'-flanking sequence preceding the proximal 16 S gene contains two imperfect and three perfect copies of a bipartate direct repeat sequence and the first half of a long nearly perfect inverted repeat sequence that surrounds the 16 S gene. Initiation of transcription occurs within a preserved eight base segment present in each of the five direct repeat sequences. The most upstream and least conserved repeat element represents the major transcription start site and this site appears to exhibit growth rate-dependent regulation. The primary transcripts are processed near a short discontinuity within the first half of the long inverted repeat sequence to produce the 5' end of precursor 16 S rRNA.

Autogenous posttranscriptional regulation of RNA polymerase beta and beta' subunit synthesis in Escherichia coli

Bacterial strains carrying poorly suppressed amber mutations in the RNA polymerase beta subunit gene (rpoB) exhibit regulatory compensation. This compensation allows these strains to produce an adequate content of RNA polymerase to support a near normal rate of growth despite the poorly suppressed amber mutation. The primary compensatory mechanism permitting the elevated expression functions by permitting a much more efficient (up to threefold) loading of ribosomes at the beta cistron translation initiation site on the mRNA. This result supports the concept that the production of beta and beta' RNA polymerase subunits are autogenously regulated at the level of mRNA translation; this translational mechanism is clearly distinct from the transcriptional mechanism regulating beta and beta' expression described previously (P. P. Dennis, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74:5416-5420, 1977).

Characterization of the ribosomal RNA gene clusters in Halobacterium cutirubrum

We present a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the structure and organization of a cloned ribosomal RNA gene cluster from the archaebacterial species Halobacterium cutirubrum. With the exception of a region in the middle of the 23 S rRNA gene, the DNA sequence of the entire gene cluster has been determined. The gene organization is similar to that found in typical eubacteria with the 16, 23, and 5 S genes occupying the proximal, middle, and distal positions, respectively. There appears to be no equivalent to the eucaryotic 5.8 S gene in H. cutirubrum. The cluster also contains two putative tRNA genes, an alanine tRNA gene in the 16-23 S intergenic space, and a cysteine tRNA gene distal to the 5 S rRNA gene. The 16 and 23 S rRNA genes are surrounded by long nearly perfect inverted repeat sequences which are presumably utilized along with other structural features of the RNA for the processing of 16 and 23 S rRNA from a large precursor transcript. The 5' sequence flanking the 16 S rRNA gene contains two imperfect copies, followed by three perfect copies of a bipartite direct-repeat unit. The sequence AAGTAA, believed to be an important component of the Halobacterium promotor, is present in the highly conserved portion of the direct repeat unit. In the 3' region flanking the 5 S rRNA gene there are sequences, a short inverted repeat followed by T5, and a G/C-rich region followed by an A/T-rich region, which may function in transcription termination. Genomic southern hybridization experiments clearly indicate that the ribosomal RNA genes are unique single-copy DNA in H. cutirubrum.

Promoter activity and transcript mapping in the regulatory region for genes encoding ribosomal protein S15 and polynucleotide phosphorylase of Escherichia coli

The genes encoding ribosomal protein S15 (rpsO) and polynucleotide phosphorylase (pnp) occupy adjacent positions and are oriented in the same direction on the Escherichia coli chromosomes. The nucleotide sequence of the region controlling the expression of these two genes has been determined. Two in-phase gene fusions between pnp and lacZ were constructed. The fusions define the translational reading frame of the pnp gene and indicate that the expression of pnp is independent of the upstream rpsO gene. Transcript mapping with nuclease S1 demonstrated that the two genes are transcribed from separate promoters and that the rpsO-pnp intergenic space contains a strong transcriptional terminator. The transcriptional start points have been localized.