Regulation of RNA polymerase throughout the growth of E.coli


Avantika Lal, NCBS Bangalore

In bacterial cells, a single RNA polymerase is responsible for transcription from all promoters. The transcriptional state of the cell depends on the affinity of different promoters for RNA polymerase and the availability of RNA polymerase to bind to them. In addition, multiple sigma factors compete to direct RNA polymerase to their specific target promoters. We study mechanisms that control the amount of RNA polymerase available for transcription and its binding to different sigma factors during different phases of growth, in the model bacterium E. coli. I will present results from transcriptome experiments as well as theoretical models to show how two molecules, Rsd and6S RNA, regulate transcriptiothroughout growth by interacting both directly and indirectly with RNA polymerase and sigma factors.