The promoters of the atp operon of Escherichia coli K12.

Abstract

The nucleotide sequence has been determined of a 900 bp segment of chromosomal DNA located between 2.6 and 3.5 kb left of the origin of replication, oriC. This segment, which overlaps with the known sequence of the atp operon coding for the eight subunits of the Escherichia coli K12 ATP synthase, contains two coding sequences with the same polarity (counterclockwise) as the atp genes: One of these, designated atpI, which codes for the N-terminal part of a 14 kD polypeptide, is located in front (upstream) of the atpB gene (the first structural gene in the atp operon), the other one codes for the C-terminal part of the gidB gene. The 606 bp segment located between the gidB and the atpI genes contains no coding sequences. By employing the nuclease S1 mapping technique, we have determined a promoter, designated atpIp, for the atp operon located in front of the atpI gene; two additional, weak transcription starts were located within the atpI gene. No transcription start sites were detected up to 1,000 bp upstream of the atpIp promoter, neither were any transcription start sites detected within the cluster of the eight structural atp genes. The atp operon transcription terminates at a site approximately 50 bp downstream from the atpC gene.