Organization and Characterization of the Promoter Elements of the rRNA Operons in the Slow-Growing Pathogen .

The slow-growing, nontuberculous mycobacterium possesses two rRNA operons, and , located downstream from the and genes, respectively. Here, we report the sequence and organization of the promoter regions of these two operons. In the operon, transcription can be initiated from the two promoters, named P1 and PCL1, while in , transcription can only start from one, called P1 .

Strategies for Targeting Gene Therapy in Cancer Cells With Tumor-Specific Promoters.

Cancer is the second cause of death worldwide, surpassed only by cardiovascular diseases, due to the lack of early diagnosis, and high relapse rate after conventional therapies. Chemotherapy inhibits the rapid growth of cancer cells, but it also affects normal cells with fast proliferation rate. Therefore, it is imperative to develop other safe and more effective treatment strategies, such as gene therapy, in order to significantly improve the survival rate and life expectancy of patients with cancer.