Expression of the lac operon in RNA polymerase mutants of Escherichia coli K12

Regulation of cyclic AMP synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12: effects of the rpoD800 sigma mutation, glucose, and chloramphenicol

An immediate 12-fold inhibition in the rate of beta-galactosidase synthesis occurs in Escherichia coli cells containing the mutant sigma allele rpoD800 after a shift to 42 degrees C. In the present study we characterize the nature of the inhibition. The severe inhibition of beta-galactosidase synthesis was partly relieved by cyclic AMP (cAMP). We inferred that the inhibition might be mediated by a decreased intracellular concentration of cAMP. Consistent with this inference, the rate of cAMP accumulation in mutant cells after a temperature upshift was depressed relative to that in wild-type cells. Glucose and chloramphenicol, two agents known to inhibit differentially beta-galactosidase mRNA synthesis, caused a similar inhibition in the rate of cAMP accumulation. Thus, three diverse stimuli, glucose, chloramphenicol, and a temperature-sensitive sigma mutation, appear to affect beta-galactosidase synthesis by regulating the synthesis of cAMP.

Effect of ptsI and ptsH mutations on initiation of transcription of the Escherichia coli lactose operon

Mutations in the pts genes (which code for the enzyme I and HPr protein - the general components of the phosphoenolypyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system) lead to decreases in enzyme-inducible synthesis at the level of transcription. The intracellular content of cyclic AMP in the ptsIH mutant was severely diminished, while the ptsH bacteria contain the same amounts of this nucleotide as the wild-type cells. Nevertheless expression of the lac operon was diminished in the ptsH as well as in the ptsIH mutant. The exogenous cyclic AMP did not prevent repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis in a delta cya ptsI mutant in a wide range of concentrations in the growth medium (from 0.05 mM to 5 mM). The combination of ptsI or ptsH mutations with rpoC1 (synthesis of thermosensitive beta' subunit of RNA polymerase) leads to greater disturbance of beta-galactosidase production at the nonpermissive temperature than demonstrated in the pts+ rpoC1 strain. The stimulatory effect of exogenous cyclic AMP was more pronounced in pts rpoC1 than in pts+ rpoC1 bacteria. The data presented confirm the hypothesis that pts mutations alter the function of CRP in initiation of transcription.