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RepR protein expression on plasmid pIP501 is controlled by an antisense RNA-mediated transcription attenuation mechanism

Expression of the rate-limiting initiator protein RepR of plasmid pIP501 is controlled by the antisense RNAIII. Mutational alteration of individual G residues within the single-stranded loops of RNAIII led to an increase in copy number. In contrast to the G-rich single-stranded loops, two smaller AT-rich loops of RNAIII were found to be dispensable for its inhibitory function. Reciprocal mutations in the same loop compensated for each other's effect, and a destabilization of the major stem structure of RNAIII also resulted in an increased copy number. These data were consistent with the idea that the interaction of RNAIII with its target starts with the formation of a kissing complex between the single-stranded loops of both molecules. The repR mRNA leader sequence, which includes the target of RNAIII, is able to assume two alternative structures due to the presence of two inverted repeats the individual sequences of which are mutually complementary. In the presence of the antisense RNAIII, one of these inverted repeats (IR2) is forced to fold into a transcriptional terminator structure that prevents transcription of the repR gene. In the absence of RNAIII, formation of the transcriptional terminator is prevented and expression of the essential repR gene can proceed normally. This antisense RNA-driven transcriptional attenuation mechanism was supported by extensive deletional analysis and direct evidence that IR2 functions as a transcriptional terminator.