Identification of upstream sequences essential for activation of a bacteriophage P2 late promoter.

We have carried out a mutational scan of the upstream region of the bacteriophage P2 FETUD late operon promoter, P(F), which spans an element of hyphenated dyad symmetry that is conserved among all six of the P2 and P4 late promoters. All mutants were assayed for activation by P4 delta in vivo, by using a lacZ reporter plasmid, and a subset of mutants was assayed in vitro for delta binding. The results confirm the critical role of the three complementary nucleotides in each half site of the upstream element for transcription factor binding and for activation of transcription.

Programmed translational frameshift in the bacteriophage P2 FETUD tail gene operon.

The major structural components of the P2 contractile tail are encoded in the FETUD tail gene operon. The sequences of genes F(I) and F(II), encoding the major tail sheath and tail tube proteins, have been reported previously (L. M.