GENE CONTROL IN INFECTION AND LYSOGENY BY PHAGE LAMBDA

描述（改编自研究者摘要）：基因表达 在正常和病理条件下是由RNA聚合酶介导的 酶是一个复杂的多亚基分子机器家族， 在进化中高度保守。RNA聚合酶的功能受到控制， 仅在基因获取水平（转录起始），但 在RNAP进行其顺序的酶过程中， 基因信息的读出。这种控制的一个重要例子是 在HIV病毒中，由其主要调节因子TAT基因介导。的 理解酶机制的核心模型 转录调控的抗终止蛋白是E. 大肠杆菌噬菌体λ，即修饰RNA聚合酶的Q蛋白 在其起始位点附近，但随后成为酶的亚基， 使其能够更有效地伸长并通过 转录终止信号。研究人员将研究重要的 Q多肽和RNA聚合酶亚基的元件 它们的物理和功能相互作用所需的， 特别是σ起始因子，其介导初始 Q蛋白与RNA聚合酶的接合，他将研究 改变Q修饰的RNA聚合酶的酶性质。他将 探讨转录终止的机制和方式， 其中调节蛋白干扰这一过程。

DESCRIPTION (adapted from the investigator's abstract): Gene expression in normal and pathological conditions is mediated by RNA polymerase enzymes, a family of complex, multisubunit molecular machines that is highly conserved in evolution. RNA polymerase function is controlled not only at the level of access to genes (transcription initiation), but also during enzyme progression as RNAP carries out its sequential readout of the gene message. An important example of such control occurs in HIV virus and is mediated by its major regulator, the TAT gene. The central models for understanding enzymatic mechanisms involved in transcriptional regulation are the antitermination proteins of the E. coli bacteriophage lambda, the Q protein, which modifies RNA polymerase near its initiation site, but then becomes a subunit of the enzyme, allowing it to elongate more efficiently and to progress through transcription termination signals. The investigator will study important elements of both the Q polypeptide and the subunits of RNA polymerase that are required for their physical and functional interaction, particularly the sigma initiation factor which mediates the initial engagement of Q protein with RNA polymerase, and he will examine the altered enzymatic properties of Q modified RNA polymerase. He will investigate the mechanism of transcription termination and the manner in which regulatory proteins interfere with this process.