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- **************************************
- * Sigma-70 factors family signatures *
- **************************************
-
- Sigma factors [1] are bacterial transcription initiation factors that promote
- the attachment of the core RNA polymerase to specific initiation sites and are
- then released. They alter the specificity of promoter recognition. Most
- bacteria express a multiplicity of sigma factors. Two of these factors, sigma-
- 70 (gene rpoD), generally known as the major or primary sigma factor, and
- sigma-54 (gene rpoN or ntrA) direct the transcription of a wide variety of
- genes. The other sigma factors, known as alternative sigma factors, are
- required for the transcription of specific subsets of genes.
-
- With regard to sequence similarity, sigma factors can be grouped into two
- classes: the sigma-54 and sigma-70 families. The sigma-70 family includes, in
- addition to the primary sigma factor, a wide variety of sigma factors, some of
- which are listed below:
-
- - Bacillus sigma factors involved in the control of sporulation-specific
- genes: sigma-E (sigE or spoIIGB), sigma-F (sigF or spoIIAC), sigma-G (sigG
- or spoIIIG), sigma-H (sigH or spo0C) and sigma-K (sigK or
- spoIVCB/spoIIIC).
- - Escherichia coli and related bacteria sigma-32 (gene rpoH or htpR) involved
- in the expression of heat shock genes.
- - Escherichia coli and related bacteria sigma-27 (gene fliA) involved in
- the expression of the flagellin gene.
- - Escherichia coli sigma-S (gene rpoS or katF) which seems to be involved
- in the expression of genes required for protection against external
- stresses.
- - Myxococcus xanthus sigma-B (sigB) which is essential for the late-stage
- differentiation of that bacteria.
-
- Alignments of the sigma-70 family permit the identification of four regions of
- high conservation [2,3]. Each of these four regions can in turn be subdivided
- into a number of sub-regions. We developed signature patterns based on the two
- best conserved sub-regions. The first pattern corresponds to sub-region 2.2;
- the exact function of this sub-region is not known although it could be
- involved in the binding of the sigma factor to the core RNA polymerase. The
- second pattern corresponds to sub-region 4.2 which seems to harbor a DNA-
- binding 'helix-turn-helix' motif involved in binding the conserved -35
- region of promoters recognized by the major sigma factors. The second pattern
- starts one residue before the N-terminal extremity of the HTH region and
- ends six residues after its C-terminal extremity.
-
- -Consensus pattern: D-[LIVMF](2)-[HEQS]-x-G-x-[LIVMFA]-G-L-[LIVMFYE]-x-[GSAM]-
- [LIVMAP]
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: ALL, except
- for Bacillus subtilis sigma-B and Vibrio parahaemolyticus flaS.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: NONE.
-
- -Consensus pattern: [STN]-x(2)-[DEQ]-[LIVM]-[GAS]-x(4)-[LIVMF]-[STG]-x(3)-
- [LIVMA]-x-[NQR]-[LIVMA]-[EQH]-x(3)-[LIVM]-x(2)-[LIVM]
- -Sequences known to belong to this class detected by the pattern: Almost all
- of them, with a few exceptions.
- -Other sequence(s) detected in SWISS-PROT: a Corynebacterium diphtheriae
- hypothetical protein.
-
- -Last update: June 1994 / Patterns and text revised.
-
- [ 1] Helmann J.D., Chamberlin M.J.
- Annu. Rev. Biochem. 57:839-872(1988).
- [ 2] Gribskov M., Burgess R.R.
- Nucleic Acids Res. 14:6745-6763(1986).
- [ 3] Lonetto M., Gribskov M., Gross C.A.
- J. Bacteriol. 174:3843-3849(1992).
-