Antitermination of transcription from an Escherichia coli ribosomal RNA promoter.

The Escherichia coli lac and ara promoters and rrnC ribosomal RNA promoter-leader region were fused to lacZYA. Transcription termination signals were introduced into the lac genes of these fusions by Tn9 and IS1 insertions. Measurement of lac enzymes from upstream and downstream of the insertions showed that termination signals resulting from these insertions are very efficient when transcription begins at lac or ara promoters but are very inefficient when transcription begins at the rrnC promoter-leader region. The rrnC promoter-leader region must, therefore, modify RNA polymerase to enable it to read through transcription termination signals.