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Transcriptional silencing by the mycobacteriophage L5 repressor
Author(s) -
Brown Kelly L.,
Sarkis Gary J.,
Wadsworth Curtis,
Hatfull Graham F.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/16.19.5914
Subject(s) - biology , repressor , gene silencing , genetics , transcription factor , gene
The success of a temperate bacteriophage is dependent upon its ability to completely shut down expression of its lytic genes during lysogenic growth. Mycobacteriophage L5 accomplishes this by an atypical phage repressor, gp71, which binds to multiple asymmetric DNA sites. L5 gp71 regulates transcription initiation at an early lytic promoter, P left , but also affects downstream gene expression at 'stoperator’ sites in the phage genome. The L5 genome is replete with stoperator sites located within short intergenic spaces in both the early and late lytic operons and oriented specifically with respect to transcription. Binding of gp71 to these sites results in a strong orientation‐dependent polar effect on downstream gene expression and global silencing of prophage gene expression.