X-ray Crystal Structure of Escherichia coli RNA Polymerase σ70 Holoenzyme

Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the most studied bacterial RNAP and has been used as the model RNAP for screening and evaluating potential RNAP-targeting antibiotics. However, the x-ray crystal structure of E. coli RNAP has been limited to individual domains. Here, I report the x-ray structure of the E. coli RNAP sigma(70) holoenzyme, which shows sigma region 1.1 (sigma(1.1)) and the alpha subunit C-terminal domain for the first time in the context of an intact RNAP. sigma(1.1) is positioned at the RNAP DNA-binding channel and completely blocks DNA entry to the RNAP active site. The structure reveals that sigma(1.1) contains a basic patch on its surface, which may play an important role in DNA interaction to facilitate open promoter complex formation. The alpha subunit C-terminal domain is positioned next to sigma domain 4 with a fully stretched linker between the N- and C-terminal domains. E. coli RNAP crystals can be prepared from a convenient overexpression system, allowing further structural studies of bacterial RNAP mutants, including functionally deficient and antibiotic-resistant RNAPs.