ON THE CONSENSUS STRUCTURE WITHIN THE ESCHERICHIA-COLI PROMOTERS

Using the theoretical model of DNA curvature, we have studied about 11 2 different E. coli promoters with a view to obtain some common super structures associated with them. Out of the 112 promoters analyzed by theoretical gel electrophoresis permutation about 66 of them have thei r minima lying between the - 10 and the - 35 region. The analysis of t he bases at the minima reveals strong structural similarities. The dif ferences can account for the varying strengths of the promoters as wel l as for different degree with which the RNA polymerase binds to these regions. The effects of mutation in each of these 112 promoters and t heir changes in curvature dispersion have also been evaluated.