Extended function of plasmid partition genes: the Sop system of linear phage-plasmid N15 facilitates late gene expression.

ABSTRACT: The mitotic stability of the linear plasmid-prophage N15 of Escherichia coli depends on a partition system closely related to that of the F plasmid SopABC. The two Sop systems are distinguished mainly by the arrangement of their centromeric SopB-binding sites, clustered in F (sopC) and dispersed in N15 (IR1 to IR4). Because two of the N15 inverted repeat (IR) sites are located close to elements presumed (by analogy with phage lambda) to regulate late gene expression during the lytic growth of N15, we asked whether Sop partition functions play a role in this process. In N15, a putative Q antiterminator gene is located 6 kb upstream of the probable major late promoter and two intrinsic terminator-like sequences, in contrast to lambda, where the Q gene is adjacent to the late promoter. Northe

SUBMITTER: Ravin NV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2394991 | biostudies-literature | 2008 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature