Posttranscriptional control of bacteriophage lambda gene expression from a site distal to the gene

Abstract

The bacteriophage lambda int gene product, integrase, recombines the phage DNA with the host DNA at specific sites on each to accomplish lysogeny. The int gene is transcribed from two promoters, PL and PI, each regulated positively by lambda proteins. The expression of integrase is also controlled from a site, sib, in the b region of the phage genome. This is a unique regulatory site because it is located distal to the structural gene in relation to the promoters. The expression of int from the PL promoter is inhibited when sib is present. This effect appears to be specific for PL because sib does not cause inhibition of PI-dependent int synthesis. lambda mutants that contain alterations in the site have been isolated. Sequence analyses of the mutations reveal single base changes, spanning 37 base pairs (bp) in the b region, some 240 bp beyond the int gene. Another mutant, hef13, which has a phenotype similar to that of sib, introduces a nucleotide change within the same 37-bp region. The sib and hef mutations cluster within a region of dyad symmetry. Regulation of int synthesis by sib occurs after transcription of the int gene. There is no difference in the rate of PL-promoted int mRNA synthesis in either sib+ or sib- phage infections, yet int mRNA is less stable in the sib+ infection. Because RNase III host mutants are defective in sib regulation, processing of the PL mRNA at sib by this endoribonuclease may cause int mRNA decay and decrease int synthesis.