Evidence for an Altered Operator Specificity: Catabolite Repression Control of the Leucine Operon in Salmonella typhimurium

A mutation, GD-1, in the leucine operon imposed unusual growth characteristics upon a leucine auxotrophic strain bearing the leucine operator mutation, leu-500. The strain with the GD-1 mutation was able to grow on a minimal salts medium when citrate was the sole carbon source, but required leucine when glucose was present. Tests with a large number of carbohydrates suggest that in the strain bearing the GD-1 mutation the leucine biosynthetic enzymes are under catabolite repressor control. Recombination studies indicate that the GD-1 mutation is a secondary alteration of the leucine operator at or very close to the site of the leu-500 mutation. Mutations at the supX locus (previously termed su leu 500 and located on the chromosome between the cysteine B and tryptophan gene clusters) result in elimination of the catabolite repression effect. The data are interpreted as an indication that the GD-1 and leu-500 mutations alter the leucine operator with respect to its specificity of response to repressors.     

The leucine operon carrying theleu-500 promoter mutation is expressed under anaerobic conditions

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.     

On the regulation of D-ribose metabolism in E. coli B-r. I. Isolation and characterization of D-ribokinaseless and D-ribose permeaseless mutants

Summary A presumed single site mutation designated leu-500, affects both the basal expression and response to the leucine repression signal by the leucine operon of Salmonella typhimurium. The distantly located supX mutation suppresses the leucine auxotrophy imposed by the leu-500 mutation by raising the level of basal expression while maintaining the abnormal regulation. An additional type of suppressor mutation which is closely linked to the leu-500 locus restores essentially normal regulation but maintains the low repressed expression characteristic of the leu-500 strain. The leucine sufficiency of the leu-500 strain with the linked suppressor and the supX leu-500 strains is temperature conditional in that both types require leucine for growth at 42° but not at 37°. These results, which indicate that a single site mutation can simultaneously affect promoter-like and operator-like function, are discussed in terms of DNA superstructure.This investigation was supported by U.S. Public Health Service Research Grant GM-12551 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and is a portion of the work submitted by Lloyd H. Graf in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the hP. D. degree from Duke University. Lloyd H. Graf was the recipient of a predoctoral fellowship award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. R. O. Burns is the recipient of a Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences.     

Salmonella Locus Affecting Phosphoenolpyruvate Synthase Activity Identified by a Deletion Analysis

Strain leu-4017, derived from Salmonella typhimurium LT2, cannot utilize acetate, pyruvate, or citric acid cycle intermediates as sole sources of carbon. The mutation in this strain extends from the A cistron of the leucine operon to some point between leu and azi, presumably deleting one or more loci involved in the utilization of these compounds. One of these loci is required for phosphoenolpyruvate synthase activity.