TRAJ SENSE RNA INITIATES AT 2 DIFFERENT PROMOTERS IN R100-1 AND FORMS2 STABLE HYBRIDS WITH ANTISENSE FINP RNA

RNase protection experiments show that the sizes of the two R100 finP molecules are 74 and 135 nucleotides. In an RNase III mutant, finP tra nscripts form stable double-stranded hybrids of 108bp and 68bp with tr aJ transcripts. RNase protection experiments also show that most R100- 1 transcripts originating in traM cross the traM-traJ intergenic regio n and end inside the untranslated leader region of traJ. Some extend i nto the traJ open reading frame. These findings mean that the antisens e finP RNA, thought to regulate traJ translation, must regulate traJ t ranscripts from both J and M promoters.