Summary
The infection of E. coli cells with different lambdoïd prophages triggers a stimulation of galactokinase synthesis when cells are grown in a medium giving rise to a mild catabolite repression (tryptone broth) with an inducer of the gal operon (fucose). These results show that during phage infection (or induction) some factor acting in trans is produced which is able to overcome efficiently catabolite repression of the kinase cistron. Using different strains of λpbio252 (Pam, Qam, δH1), λpbio256H1 and λNNS7 we have concluded that the factor is the N gene product which is known for its anti- ϱ (rho) action.
Studies of the whole gal operon in the same conditions show that epimerase unlike transferase and galactokinase is practically insensitive to catabolite repression by tryptone broth and that viral development has a low effect on it. This indicates that there is an internal modulation of gal operon expression. A mRNA termination site sensitive to the ϱ factor is known in the gal operon between galE and galT. Another site weaker than this one might exist between galE and operator-promoter region.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, W., Gottesman, M., Pastan, I.: Studies with the cyclic adenosine monophosphate receptor and stimulation of in vitro transcription of the galactose operon. J. biol. Chem. 249, 3592–3596 (1974)
Bücher, I.: Über ein phosphate über trongendes gäungsferment. B.B.A. 1, 292–314 (1947)
Buttin, G.: Mecanismes régulateurs dans la biosynthèse des enzymes du métabolisme du galactose chez E. coli K12. J. molec. Biol. 7, 164–182, 183–205, 610–631 (1963)
Castellazzi, M., Brachet, P., Eisen, H.: Isolation and characterization of deletions in bacterophage λ. Molec. gen. Genet. 117, 211–218 (1972)
Cohen, S., Chang, A.: Genetic expression in bacteriophage λ. III. Inhibition of E. coli nucleic acid and protein synthesis during λ development. J. molec. Biol. 49, 557–575 (1970)
Contesse, G., Crépin, M., Gros, F., Ullmann, A., Monod, J.: On the mechanism of catabolite repression. In: The lactose operon, (ed. J.R. Beckwith & D. Zipser). Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 1970
Contesse, G., Bracone-Malhié, A., Gros, F.: Interaction between λ or ϕ80 prophage induction and gal operon expression. J. molec. Biol. 73, 527–531 (1973)
Crombrugghe (de), B., Adhya, S., Gottesman, M., Pastan, I.: Effect of rho on transcription of bacterial operons. Nature (Lond.) New Biol. 241, 260–264 (1973)
Epstein, W., Rothman-Denes, L., Hesse, J.: Adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate as mediator of catabolite repression in Escherichia coli. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 72, no 6, 2300–2304 (1975)
Franklin, N.C.: Altered reading of genetic signals fused to the N operon of bacteriophage λ: Genetic evidence for modification of polymerase by the protein product of the N gene. J. molec. Biol. 89, 33–48 (1974)
Friedman, D., Wilgus, G., Mural, R.: Gene N regulator function of phage λ imm21: evidence that a site of N action differs from a site of N recognition. J. molec. Biol. 81, 505–516 (1973)
Greenblatt, J.: Regulation of the expression of the N gene of bacteriophage lambda. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 70, no 2, 431–434 (1973)
Greer, H.: The kiP gene of bacteriophage lambda. Virology 66, 589–604 (1975)
Hua, S., Markovitz, A.: Multiple regulation of the galactose operon. Genetic evidence for a distinct site in the galactose operon that responds to canR gene regulation in E. coli. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 71, no 2, 507–511 (1974)
Kalckar, H., Kurahashi, K., Jordon, E.: Hereditary defects in galactose metabolism in E. coli mutants; I. Determination of enzyme activities. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 54, 1776–1786 (1959)
Luzzati, D.: Regulation of λ exonuclease synthesis: role of the gene product and λ repressor. J. molec. Biol. 49, 515–519 (1970)
Pannekoek, H., Perbal, B., Pouwels, P.: The specificity of transcription in of the tryptophan operon of E. coli. Molec. gen. Genet. 132, 291–306 (1974)
Radding, C., Shreffler, D.: Regulation of λ exonuclease. II. Joint regulation of exonuclease and a new λ antigen. J. molec. Biol. 18, 251–261 (1966)
Roberts, J.W.: Termination factor for RNA synthesis. Nature (Lond.) 224 (1969)
Roberts, J.W.: The ϱ factor: termination and anti-termination in lambda. C.S.H.S.Q.B., 35, 121–126 (1970)
Schwatz, M.: On the function of the N cistron in phage lambda. Virology 40, 23–33 (1970)
Yarmolinsky, M.: Influence of phages on the synthesis of host enzymes of bacteria. Viruses, Nucleic acids and Cancer, 151–172 (1963)
Wayne, P.K., Rosen, O.M.: Cyclic 3′-5′-adenosine monophosphate in E. coli during transient and catabolic repression. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 71, no 4, 1436–1440 (1974)
Zalkin, H., Yanofsky, C., Squires, C.: Regulated in vitro synthesis of E. coli tryptophan operon messager ribonucleic acid and enzymes. J. biol. Chem. 249, 465–475 (1974)
Zubay, G., Schwartz, D., Beckwith, J.: Mechanism of activation of catabolite-sensitive genes: a positive control system. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 66, no 1, 104–110 (1970)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by F. Gros
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Petit-Koskas, E., Contesse, G. Stimulation in trans of synthesis of E. coli gal operon enzymes by lambdoid phages during low catabolite repression. Molec. Gen. Genet. 143, 203–209 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00266923
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00266923