Year: 2012
Type: preprint
Abstract: Despite the prevalence of antisense transcripts in bacterial transcriptomes, little is known about how their synthesis is controlled. We report that a major function of the Escherichia coli termination factor Rho and its cofactor, NusG, is suppression of ubiquitous antisense transcription genome-wide. Rho binds C-rich unstructured nascent RNA (high C/G ratio) prior to its ATP-dependent dissociation of transcription complexes. NusG is required for efficient termination at minority subsets (~20%) of both antisense and sense Rho-dependent terminators with lower C/G ratio sequences. In contrast, a widely studied nusA deletion proposed to compromise Rho-dependent termination had no effect on antisense or sense Rho-dependent terminators in vivo. Global colocalization of the histone-like nucleoid-structuring protein (H-NS) with Rho-dependent terminators and genetic interactions between hns and rho suggest that H-NS aids Rho in suppression of antisense transcription. The combined actions of Rho, NusG, and H-NS appear to be analogous to the Sen1-Nrd1-Nab3 and nucleosome systems that suppress antisense transcription in eukaryotes.
Source: Genes & Development
Authors: Jason M. Peters, Rachel A. Mooney, Jeffrey A. Grass, Erik D. Jessen, Frances Tran, Robert Landick
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: GREAT LAKES BIOENERGY RESEARCH CENTER, G1094951202, G1116148587, G1286236842, G1592975470, G1955910074, G222180108, G3083819904, G419881185, G42916606, GREAT LAKES BIOENERGY RESEARCH CENTER, G4501827968, G498139845, G6657702422, G7205239661, TAS::89 0227:: TAS RECOVERY ACT - BIOENERGY RESEARCH CENTER CAPITAL EQUIPMENT - GLBRC, TAS::89 0227:: TAS RECOVERY ACT - BIOENERGY RESEARCH CENTER CAPITAL EQUIPMENT - GLBRC, G834277795, Structure/Function of Transcription Complex Regulation, G9000125143, G9000206238, G9000236647, Structure/Function of Transcription Complex Regulation, G969889393
OpenAlex ID: W2136067498