Structure of the bacterial RNA polymerase promoter specificity sigma subunit.

The sigma subunit is the key regulator of bacterial transcription. Proteolysis of Thermus aquaticus sigma(A), which occurred in situ during crystallization, reveals three domains, sigma(2), sigma(3), and sigma(4), connected by flexible linkers. Crystal structures of each domain were determined, as well as of sigma(4) complexed with -35 element DNA.