Final answer:
The TATAAT sequence found in bacterial promoters is called the Pribnow box, a key part of the transcription initiation site for the sigma factor of RNA polymerase in bacteria.
Step-by-step explanation:
The TATAAT sequence in bacterial promoters is known as the Pribnow box after its discoverer, David Pribnow. This sequence is crucial in prokaryotic organisms and is found in the -10 region of bacterial promoters. The Pribnow box functions as the recognition site for the sigma factor of RNA polymerase during the initiation of transcription. It's the bacterial equivalent to the eukaryotic TATA box, which is found in the core promoter region of most eukaryotic genes and binds transcription factors, including the essential TATA-binding protein, as part of the process of transcription initiation.