Analysis of mechanisms of activation and repression at bacterial promoters

In bacteria, the expression of transcription units is controlled by regulatory regions, that contain one or more promoters and binding sites for regulatory proteins that activate or repress expression in response to different signals. In this chapter, we explain the diverse approaches that can be used to understand the mechanisms by which the different factors intervene, and how the effects are integrated. Bioinformatics, genetics and biochemistry must be combined to understand the organisation of regulatory regions and the mechanisms by which transcription initiation is controlled.