Nucleic Acids Research, 1981, Vol. 9, No. 3 519-528
© 1981
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY |
In vitro transcription of bacteriophage T4 tRNA gene cluster from two different promoters
Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie 8033 Martinsried bei München, GFR
Received December 1, 1980. Analysis of primary transcripts made by iEscherichia coli RNA polymerase on T4 DNA containing an intact or partially deleted tRNA gene cluster demonstrates that the T4 tRNA genes are transcribed from two promoters differing in their strength. The stronger (P1) and the weaker (P2) promoters are located at distances of 1 kb and 1.5 kb from tne tRNA genes, respectively. Selective initiation of individual transcripts with dinucleotides shows that P1 and P2 promoters contain the sequences TAT and CAC respectively. The two-promoter organisation of the tRNA cluster may reflect two superimposed mechanisms of gene expression in T4-infected bacteria.