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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

RhoC GTPase Activation Assay
Published on: August 22, 2010
A consensus motif common to all Rho-dependent prokaryotic transcription terminators
P Alifano1, F Rivellini, D Limauro
1Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Università di Napoli, Italy.
Abstract:
We have characterized at the molecular level several polar mutations in four different cistrons of the his operon of S. typhimurium. An analysis of the his-specific transcripts produced in vivo in the mutant strains, together with in vitro transcription assays, led to the identification of several cryptic Rho-dependent transcription termination elements within the his operon that are activated by the uncoupling of transcription and translation. Common features of these elements were sought and found with a computer program. We have identified a consensus motif, consisting of a cytosine-rich and guanosine-poor region, that is located upstream of the heterogeneous 3' endpoints of the prematurely terminated in vivo transcripts and that is present in all the Rho-dependent transcription terminators described thus far.
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