Identification of a second promoter for the metY-nusA-infB operon of Escherichia coli.

The metY-nusA-infB operon of Escherichia coli encodes functions involved in both transcription and translation. Previous studies have identified a single promoter, P0, that directs transcription of the entire operon. We have identified a second promoter, P-1, that also is positioned to transcribe the complete operon. P-1 is located 50 base pairs upstream of and oriented in the same direction as P0. Sequences associated with P-1 have features suggestive of regulatory elements. P-1 differs from any previously described naturally occurring E. coli promoter by having -35 and -10 sequences that perfectly match the procaryotic promoter consensus hexamer sequences, although the spacing between the two elements is 1 base pair more than optimal. We demonstrate that P-1 is active in vivo.