RNA-POLYMERASE BETA' SUBUNIT - A TARGET OF DNA BINDING-INDEPENDENT ACTIVATION

The bacteriophage N4 single-stranded DNA binding protein (N4SSB) activ ates transcription by the Escherichia coli sigma 70-RNA polymerase at N4 late promoters. Here it is shown that the single-stranded DNA bindi ng activity of N4SSB is not required for transcriptional activation. N 4SSB interacts with the carboxyl terminus of the RNA polymerase beta' subunit in a region that is highly conserved in the largest subunits o f prokaryotic and eukaryotic RNA polymerases.