Translation of two nested genes in bacteriophage P4 controls immunity-specific transcription termination.

ABSTRACT: In phage P4, transcription of the left operon may occur from both the constitutive PLE promoter and the regulated PLL promoter, about 400 nucleotides upstream of PLE. A strong Rho-dependent termination site, timm, is located downstream of both promoters. When P4 immunity is expressed, transcription starting at PLE is efficiently terminated at timm, whereas transcription from PLL is immunity insensitive and reads through timm. We report the identification of two nested genes, kil and eta, located in the P4 left operon. The P4 kil gene, which encodes a 65-amino-acid polypeptide, is the first translated gene downstream of the PLE promoter, and its expression is controlled by P4 immunity. Overexpression of kil causes cell killing. This gene is the terminal part of a longer open reading frame,

SUBMITTER: Forti F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC94026 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature