DEVELOPMENT OF RNA-POLYMERASE PROMOTER CONTACTS DURING OPEN COMPLEX-FORMATION

We have charted the movements of Eσ32 RNA polymerase at the heat-shock promoter PgroE throughout open complex formation, using hydroxyl radical footprinting. In combination with methylation protection and DNase I experiments, these data suggest the following model for open complex formation. Eσ32 initially anchors itself in the upstream region of the promoter forming the first closed complex, RPC1; in this complex the enzyme makes backbone contacts in the -35 region of the promoter that are maintained throughout open complex formation. An isomerization follows resulting in a second closed complex, RPC2; in this complex the enzyme makes base-specific and backbone contacts in the -10 region that are almost identical to those found in the open complex. Thus, at the groE promoter, upstream contacts are established in RPc1 and downstream contacts in RPc2. A similar pattern of backbone contacts was obtained for Eσ32 bound in the open complex at two additional heat-shock promoters, suggesting that the overall topology of holoenzyme in the open complex is similar regardless of sequence variations in the promoter. © 1991.