Transcriptional analysis of the repressor gene of the temperate Streptomyces phage phi C31.

A 397-bp fragment that contained the 5' end of the coding region of the repressor gene of the temperature Streptomyces phage phi C31 was shown by in vivo promoter-probing to possess bidirectional promoter activity. In vitro runoff transcription experiments, and high resolution transcript mapping of mRNA species produced in vivo using both nuclease S1 and mung bean nuclease, indicated the probable presence of two promoters for the repressor gene with two further promoters oriented in the opposite direction. An inverted repeat sequence is situated 20 bp downstream from the translational stop codon of the repressor gene; high resolution transcript mapping revealed an mRNA endpoint close to this sequence, indicating its likely role as a transcriptional terminator.