[Transcription of ribosomal protein genes rplKAJL and RNA-polymerase genes rpoBC in Escherichia coli cells: metabolic regulation of attenuation and the effect of rifampicin]

Abstract

The E. coli genes rplKAJL specifying ribosomal proteins L11, L1, L10, L7/L12 are co-transcribed with the genes rpoBC encoding the beta- and beta'-subunits of RNA polymerase, but are separated by the site of attenuation. The efficiency of attenuation within rplKAJL-rpoBC operon was determined as a ratio of rplKAJL transcription frequency to the same of rpoBC genes. The efficiency of attenuation was found to be a growth-rate dependent parameter of E. coli cells. At growth rate 1.2 doublings per hour the attenuation is rare and simultaneously increases with the increase in the growth rate (at mu = 1.2 doublings per hour the efficiency of attenuation is 4). Rifampicin (10-30 micrograms/ml) inhibits the transcription of both rplKAJL and rpoBC genes in fast growing cells but paradoxically stimulates their transcription in slowly growing cells. The stimulatory effect of rifampicin on rplKAJL genes transcription is supposed to be based on its ability to repress the ppGpp synthesis. The possible role of ppGpp in the regulation of transcription attenuation in rplKAJL-rpoBC operon is discussed.