Open AccessPurification and properties of a DNA-binding protein with characteristics expected for the Cro protein of bacteriophage lambda, a repressor essential for lytic growth.
Author(s) -
Atis Folkmanis,
Yoshinori Takeda,
Josef Simuth,
Gary N. Gussin,
Harrison Echols
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.73.7.2249
Subject(s) - repressor , lytic cycle , bacteriophage , lysogenic cycle , dna , biology , lambda phage , dna binding protein , microbiology and biotechnology , binding protein , biochemistry , gene , genetics , virus , escherichia coli , transcription factor
The Cro protein specified by bacteriophage lambda is a repressor essential for normal lytic growth of the virus, thus having a physiological role distinct from that of cI, the repressor that maintains lysogeny. We have purified a lambda-specific DNA-binding protein with the requirements for synthesis and biochemical activities expected for Cro protein from studies in vivo. As isolated, the protein appears to be a dimer of molecular weight approximately 18,000 with DNA-binding properties that are very similar, but not identical, to those of the cI protein. We infer that bacteriophage lambda uses the same regulatory region of DNA for two different DNA-binding repressor proteins with subtle differences in binding activity specialized for different physiological roles.