Studies with the Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Receptor and Stimulation of in Vitro Transcription of the Gal Operon

Induction of cyclic AMP-binding proteins by dibutyryl cyclic AMP in mouse neuroblastoma cells

Mouse neuroblastoma cells grown in the presence of 1 mM N6,O2'-dibutyryl-cyclic AMP showed a 3-fold increase in cyclic AMP-binding proteins. The role of dibutyryl cyclic AMP in the introduction of cyclic AMP-binding proteins in these cells has been studied. Induced cyclic AMP-binding proteins were observed in the cytoplasm 15 h after dibutyryl cyclic AMP treatment. The increase in cyclic AMP-binding proteins required RNA and protein synthesis. It is suggested that the 15-h lag occurs at the post-transcriptional and/or translational level. Cyclic AMP-binding proteins are found in both soluble and particulate cell fractions. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP increased binding proteins in both fractions. The control and dibutyryl cyclic AMP-induced binding proteins showed similar affinity for cyclic AMP. The data indicate that dibutyryl cyclic AMP caused the following sequential events: a 12-fold increase in cyclic AMP levels; a 40% increase in phosphodiesterase activity; and a 300% (3-fold) increase in cyclic AMP-binding proteins. It is suggested that the differentiation of mouse neuroblastoma cells involves increased levels of cyclic AMP and cyclic AMP-binding proteins.

Stimulation in trans of synthesis of E. coli gal operon enzymes by lambdoid phages during low catabolite repression

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 lambdapbio252 (pam, qam, "hl), lambdapbio256Hl and lambdaNNS7 we have concluded that the factor is the N gene product which is known for its anti- p(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 p 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.