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PMID: 6300835 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Attenuation control of pyrBI operon expression in Escherichia coli K-12.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 80 ·No. 2 ·1983-01-00 ·Pages 368-72

Turnbough CL, Hicks KL, Donahue JP

Abstract

The pyrBI operon of Escherichia coli K-12 encodes the subunits of the pyrimidine biosynthetic enzyme aspartate transcarbamylase (carbamoylphosphate:L-aspartate carbamoyltransferase, EC 2.1.3.2). Expression of this operon apparently is negatively regulated by the intracellular levels of UTP. To elucidate the regulatory mechanism in which UTP functions, the nucleotide sequence of the promoter-regulatory region of the pyrBI operon was determined and DNA fragments containing this region were transcribed in vitro. These experiments revealed a rho-independent transcriptional terminator (attenuator) located only 23 base pairs before the promoter-proximal end of the structural genes. Transcription initiated upstream at either of two potential pyrBI promoters was efficiently (approximately equal to 98%) terminated at this site, indicating that the regulation of pyrBI expression involves attenuation control. Additional features identified suggest a model for regulation in which the relative rates of UTP-dependent transcription within the pyrBI leader region and coupled translation of the leader transcript control transcriptional termination at the attenuator.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase/genetics Base Sequence Cloning, Molecular DNA Restriction Enzymes DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases/metabolism Escherichia coli/enzymology,genetics Genes Genes, Bacterial Genes, Regulator Operon Transcription, Genetic
Chemicals
Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases DNA Restriction Enzymes
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Turnbough C L
Hicks K L
Donahue J P
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33 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.80.2.368
Published
1983-01-00
Pages
368-72
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC393378
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM29466 · United States
Databases
GENBANK
J01667, J01668, J01669, J01670, J01671
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.80.2.368 PMC Full Text View journal details
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