Professor Konstantin Severinov co-authored a novel preprint “Regulation of Gene Expression of phiEco32-like Bacteriophage 7-11”. The study is focused on Bacteriophage 7-11 infecting Salmonella enterica serovar Newport. This phage shares 41 homologous ORFs with Escherichia coli phage phiEco32. The authors of the study investigated the temporal pattern of 7-11 gene expression during the infection and compared it to the previously determined transcription strategy of phiEco32. Using primer extension and in vitro transcription assays we identified eight promoters recognized by host RNA polymerase holoenzyme. Further investigations showed that these promoters are characterized by a bipartite consensus GTAAtg-(16)-aCTA and are located upstream of late phage genes. Interestingly, the 7-11 late promoters are located at genome positions similar to those of phiEco32 middle and late promoters. Two early 7-11 promoters are recognized by RNA polymerase holoenzyme containing host primary σ70 factor. Unlike the case of phiEco32, no shut off of σ70-dependent transcription is observed during 7-11 infection and there are no middle promoters. Full text of the preprint is available here.