Regions specifying transcriptional termination and pausing in the bacteriophage SP01 terminal repeat

We have determined the nucleotide sequences of four termination sites recognized by Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase. These sites are located in the terminally repeated segment of the bacteriophage SP01 genome, where most early phage transcription occurs. The SP01 terminators have structures that are similar to those recognized by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, containing a region of dyad symmetry followed by a stretch of HMU residues in the noncoding DNA strand (HMU is substituted for T in SP01 DNA). We note that in a terminator that is only 60% efficient in vitro, there is a greater distance between these two conserved elements that exists in more efficient terminators. We also find that RNA polymerase molecules which elongate a transcript through a partial terminator often pause at this site.