In:
BMC Molecular Biology, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 12, No. 1 ( 2011-12)
Abstract:
Gene expression in Escherichia coli is regulated by several mechanisms. We measured in single cells the expression level of a single copy gene coding for green fluorescent protein (GFP), integrated into the genome and driven by a tetracycline inducible promoter, for varying induction strengths. Also, we measured the transcriptional activity of a tetracycline inducible promoter controlling the transcription of a RNA with 96 binding sites for MS2-GFP. Results The distribution of GFP levels in single cells is found to change significantly as induction reaches high levels, causing the Fano factor of the cells' protein levels to increase with mean level, beyond what would be expected from a Poisson-like process of RNA transcription. In agreement, the Fano factor of the cells' number of RNA molecules target for MS2-GFP follows a similar trend. The results provide evidence that the dynamics of the promoter complex formation, namely, the variability in its duration from one transcription event to the next, explains the change in the distribution of expression levels in the cell population with induction strength. Conclusions The results suggest that the open complex formation of the tetracycline inducible promoter, in the regime of strong induction, affects significantly the dynamics of RNA production due to the variability of its duration from one event to the next.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1471-2199
DOI:
10.1186/1471-2199-12-21
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2011
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2041506-0
SSG:
12
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