traJ sense RNA initiates at two different proMolers in R100‐1 and forms two stable hybrids with antisense finP RNA

RNase protection experiments show that the sizes of the two R100 finP molecules are 74 and 135 nucleotides. In an RNase III mutant, finP transcripts form stable double-stranded hybrids of 108 bp and 68 bp with traJ transcripts. RNase protection experiments also show that most R100-1 transcripts originating in traM cross the traM-traJ intergenic region and end inside the untranslated leader region of traJ. Some extend into the traJ open reading frame. These findings mean that the antisense finP RNA, thought to regulate traJ translation, must regulate traJ transcripts from both J and M promoters.