Gene-specific mRNA. II. Regulation of mRNA synthesis in E. coli after infection with bacteriophage T4.

Abstract

In E. coli B cells, infected with bacteriophage T4, transcription of the supposedly early function rII genes was found to occur throughout the latent period. The late function e gene, coding for the protein structure of phage lysozyme, was found to be transcribed immediately after infection, followed by a period of greatly reduced transcription. At later times the rate of transcription is found to increase again. The unusual kinetics of the production of lysozyme messengers have been interpreted as the result of a feedback mechanism for the regulation of mRNA synthesis. Upon entry of the phage genome, all genes are transcribed once, and only those genes whose messengers are translated continue to be transcribed.