Identification of transcription initiation sites for bacterial RNA polymerase and eukaryotic RNA polymerase B on the 5' end of the mouse beta-Globin gene.

Using a recombinant phage containing the mouse beta-Globin gene with lambda gtWES bacteriophage DNA, transcription initiation sites for Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and calf thymus RNA polymerase B were mapped at the 5' and 3' ends of the mouse beta-Globin gene. The bacterial enzyme was capable of initiating RNA synthesis at the 3' end site located at about 700 residues from the 3' end of the beta-Globin restriction enzyme map. Initiation at this site was more efficient than initiation at the known early lambda promotors (PL, PR). Calf thymus RNA polymerase B initiated transcription at the same sites as the bacterial enzyme but in this case maximum efficiency was at the 5' end site as compared to the 3' end site. Initiation of transcription occurs in the region of the d(T-A-T-A-A) sequence. Initiation efficiency at the 5' end site, as probed by the maximum rate of transcription, was shown to depend partly upon the presence of the adjacent sequences upstream and downstream of the 5' initiation site.