IDENTIFICATION OF BASE-PAIRS IMPORTANT FOR OMPR-DNA INTERACTION

OmpR, the transcriptional regulator of the ompF and ompC porin genes, is a member of a novel class of DNA-binding proteins. The mechanism(s) by which this class of proteins interacts with target DNA sites is no t understood. To address this issue, we investigated the nature of the DNA sequences recognized by OmpR. A 36 bp DNA fragment was identified that is capable of supporting OmpR-DNA interaction in vivo. The base pairs within this region of DNA that are critical to this interaction were identified by isolating mutations within the fragment that hinder normal OmpR-DNA binding. The results obtained provide insights concer ning the nature of the sequences recognized by OmpR and also support a model in which co-operative binding is involved in OmpR-DNA interacti on.