Mutational Analysis of the Region between vir Box and -35 Sequence in virE Promoter of pTiA6

To investigate how the dyad symmetry region (DSR) and the distance between vir box and -35 sequence of the virE promoter plays a role in virE gene expression, two mutants were constructed by base substitution and insertional mutagenesis. The base substitutional mutation, a AAlongrightarrowCG substitution at positions -39 and -40 on the DSR, showed the level of <TEX>$eta$</TEX>-galactosidase activity approximately 91% of the wild type virE promoter activity. Therefore, the native structure of the DSR seems to be not essential for virE expression. The insertional mutation, constructed by inserting 8 bp ClaI linker between -49 and -50, displayed the <TEX>$eta$</TEX>-galactosidase activity at 12% of the native virE promoter activity. However, this striking reduction appears to be not caused by destruction of the native DSR structure, but by shifting the vir box far from putative -35 sequence.