Evidence for gene silencing in Haemophilus influenzae

Evidence for gene silencing of Haemophilus influenzae involved a β-subunit of RNA polymerase. The gene presumed silenced was rifampin resistance. The evidence that it was silencing, rather than dominance of a rifampin-sensitive marker, was that it took place when the rifampin resistance marker was on both a plasmid and the chromosome, without the presence of a rifampin-sensitive marker, as judged by lack of transformation of a rifampin-resistant cell to rifampin sensitivity by the plasmid. In addition, three compounds that are known to decrease gene silencing in eukaryotes (trichostatin A, sodium butyrate and 5-azacytidine) also decreased the presumed silencing in H. influenzae. Silencing of rifampin-resistant Escherichia coli did not take place with the plasmid from H. influenzae.