Activation of dormant bacterial genes by Nonomuraea sp. strain ATCC 39727 mutant-type RNA polymerase.

ABSTRACT: There is accumulating evidence that the ability of actinomycetes to produce antibiotics and other bioactive secondary metabolites has been underestimated due to the presence of cryptic gene clusters. The activation of dormant genes is therefore one of the most important areas of experimental research for the discovery of drugs in these organisms. The recent observation that several actinomycetes possess two RNA polymerase beta-chain genes (rpoB) has opened up the possibility, explored in this study, of developing a new strategy to activate dormant gene expression in bacteria. Two rpoB paralogs, rpoB(S) and rpoB(R), provide Nonomuraea sp. strain ATCC 39727 with two functionally distinct and developmentally regulated RNA polymerases. The product of rpoB(R), the expression of which increases

SUBMITTER: Tala A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2632078 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature