Multivalent regulation of the nusA operon of Escherichia coli

The rate of synthesis and intracellular content of the NusA protein, a transcription termination factor, were determined for wild-type and nusA and/or nusB mutants of Escherichia coli. Both the rate and content of NusA in wild-type strains were similar to that of the RNA polymerase sigma subunit, a transcription initiation factor, on a molar basis, and about 30%-40% the levels of RNA polymerase beta beta' subunits. At the stationary phase of cell growth, the values increased in parallel for both transcription factors up to approximately the level of the beta beta' subunits. In nus mutants, the rate of synthesis and the content of the sigma subunit were significantly increased. These observations together suggest that the two transcription factors are coordinately regulated.