Identification and regulation of the glnL operator-promoter of the complex glnALG operon of Escherichia coli

We sequenced the 274-nucleotide intercistronic glnA-glnL region of Escherichia coli to localize regulatory regions postulated from genetic evidence. The transcriptional start of glnLp, identified by S1 nuclease mapping, preceded the structural gene by 32 bases. NR1, the glnG gene product and a repressor of glnLp, protected from DNase digestion a region of DNA between -12 and +15 from the transcriptional start. A mutation rendering glnLp insensitive to NRI was within the protected region in a-TGCA- sequence found in all nitrogen-regulated operons, providing evidence for involvement of this sequence in interactions with NRI. We also observed in the intercistronic region a potential rho-independent terminator preceding glnLp and a sequence previously found in other intercistronic regions.