Abstract
TheSalmonella typhimurium leu-500 auxotrophic mutant grew when cultivated in minimal medium anaerobically, but not aerobically. This mutant carries an AT → CG mutation in the Pribnow box of the promoter region of the leucine operon and was found to be suppressible by anaerobic conditions. Analysis of the anaerobic gases revealed that hydrogen in the anaerobic gas mixture (85% N2, 10% CO2, 5% H2) is essential for the suppression of theleu-500 mutation. Whenleu-500 mutant cells were incubated in the presence of the hydrogen gas, the synthetic rates for the first and last gene products of theleu-500 operon were similar to those of the wild-type cells. It was concluded that the entire leucine operon was efficiently expressed inleu-500 when the cells were grown under the hydrogen gas-containing anaerobic environment. Thus, theleu-500 promoter mutant is a model system for regulation of gene expression by a specific atmospheric environment, i.e., hydrogen gas found in the anaerobic environment.
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Droffner, M.L., Yamamoto, N. The leucine operon carrying theleu-500 promoter mutation is expressed under anaerobic conditions. Current Microbiology 22, 293–297 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02091957
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02091957