DNA supercoiling affects in vitro transcription of two maize chloroplast genes differently

Abstract

Two adjacent, divergently transcribed, developmentally regulated genes of the maize chloroplast chromosome have different superhelical density/transcriptional activation profiles when transcribed in vitro by the homologous DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Promoter-specific transcription of the gene for the beta and epsilon subunits of coupling factor 1 (cf1BE) increases and plateaus from templates of increasing negative superhelicity, while transcription of the gene for ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit (rcL) rises and then falls. Maximal transcription from the two promoters occurs at different template negative superhelical densities and transcription of the two genes is stimulated to different degrees. The different superhelicity profiles alter the molar ratios of the two transcripts over an order of magnitude. Changes in DNA conformation represent one possible mechanism for the differential regulation of the genes.