Abortive cycling and the release of polymerase for elongation at the σ54-dependent glnAp2 promoter

Abstract

Transcription initiation at the σ54-dependent glnAp2 promoter was studied to follow the state of polymerase as RNA synthesis begins. σ54 polymerase begins transcription in abortive cycling mode, i.e. after the first bond is made, approximately 75% of the time the short RNA is aborted and synthesis must be restarted. Polymerase is capable of abortive initiation until it reaches a position beyond +3 and before +7, at which stage polymerase is released from its promoter contacts and an elongation complex is formed. Initial elongation is accompanied by two transcription bubbles, one moving with the polymerase and the other remaining at the transcription start site. The σ54-associated polymerase shows an earlier and more efficient transition out of abortive initiation mode than prior studies of σ70-associated polymerase.