Open AccessMechanism of erythromycin-induced ermC mRNA stability in Bacillus subtilis
Author(s) -
David H. Bechhofer,
Keika Zen
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.652
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1067-8832
pISSN - 0021-9193
DOI - 10.1128/jb.171.11.5803-5811.1989
Subject(s) - biology , bacillus subtilis , ribosome , messenger rna , ribosomal binding site , inducer , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , rna , genetics , bacteria
In Bacillus subtilis, the ermC gene encodes an mRNA that is unusually stable (40-min half-life) in the presence of erythromycin, an inducer of ermC gene expression. A requirement for this induced mRNA stability is a ribosome stalled in the ermC leader region. This property of ermC mRNA was used to study the decay of mRNA in B. subtilis. Using constructs in which the ribosome stall site was internal rather than at the 5' end of the message, we show that ribosome stalling provides stability to sequences downstream but not upstream of the ribosome stall site. Our results indicate that ermC mRNA is degraded by a ribonucleolytic activity that begins at the 5' end and degrades the message in a 5'-to-3' direction.