GcvA-mediated activation of gcvT-lacZ expression involves the carboxy-terminal domain of the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase

Abstract

Several LysR-type transcriptional regulators have been shown to require the carboxy-terminal domain of the alpha subunit (alphaCTD) of RNA polymerase to activate their target genes. We show here that GcvA, a LysR-type protein, also uses the alphaCTD to activate the Escherichia coli gcvTHP operon. Amino acid residues in the alphaCTD important for GcvA-dependent activation, however, have no effect on GcvA-mediated repression of the operon.