In vitro transcription of three different ribosomal RNA cistrons of E. coli; heterogeneity of control regions.

Ribosomal RNA synthesis from three different rRNA cistrons of E. coli, located on different phage DNAs was compared and found to have the same characteristics as regards chain length, salt and temperature dependence and the effect of ppGpp. However, some clear and reproducible quantitative differences between rRNA synthesis from the different templates both in presence and absence of ppGGpp were found. Rifampicin and heparin experiments showed that these differences were located at the initiation sites. We propose that heterogeneity exists in the RNA polymerase binding regions of the rRNA prmoters in E. coli.