The AT richness and gid transcription determine the left border of the replication origin of the E. coli chromosome

Abstract

We have identified novel, cis-acting elements which enhance in vivo the replication activity of plasmids carrying the minimal oriC of Escherichia coli. These are (i) the AT rich sequence ('AT-cluster') which exists immediately left of the 13mer repeats and (ii) the gid transcriptional unit. The 'AT-cluster' was functionally replaced by an unrelated AT rich sequence. This was also the case for the left and middle 13mers; they were substituted by the AT rich fragment from mini-F plasmid. The left 13mer was replaced by the AT rich sequence which did not show the 'reduced helical stability' known as the important character of the 13mer region. In contrast to these results, the right 13mer sequence was strictly required. As to the effect of the transcription from the gid promoter, the minimal oriC was activated only when the transcription was directed away from the left side of it. mioC transcription proceeding toward the oriC had no effect on the activation. Mutations in the DnaA boxes were partially suppressed by gid transcription leaving oriC from the left side. From these results, we propose that the AT richness is a determinant to identify the left border of oriC. It is presumed that gid transcription introduces negative superhelicity at the AT rich region and facilitates DnaA dependent duplex opening.