Transcription of negatively supercoiled plasmids containing the
CUP1 promoter by Pol II. (A) Map of the
insert in pCUP1C-less(410). 3′URF, sequence from the termination region
of the gene neighboring CUP1 in the yeast genome; UAS,
upstream activating sequences (binding sites for Ace1 and HSF); T,
putative TATA boxes; IE, initiation element (contains two point
mutations as described in the text); synthetic cassette, synthetic
C-less cassette. (B) Analysis of supercoiled
pCUP1C-less(410) preparations in two-dimensional chloroquine gels.
(Right) A mixture of plasmids prepared at superhelix
densities: 0, −0.08, −0.12, and −0.16 (corresponding to 0, 26, 40,
and 53 negative supercoils in a plasmid of 3474 bp).
(Left) As the right panel but with plasmid prepared at
native superhelix density (about −0.055) also added.
(C) Transcription of negatively supercoiled
pCUP1C-less(410) by purified Pol II. Analysis of radiolabeled
transcripts in a sequencing gel. -C, -G: transcripts synthesized in the
absence of CTP or GTP, respectively. Markers: pBR322 DNA digested with
MspI. Superhelix densities (σ) are indicated.
(D) Plot of amount of transcript initiated at the
CUP1 promoter (phosphorimager units) against the square
of the superhelix density for the data in C.