trp repressor interactions with the trp aroH and trpR operators. Comparison of repressor binding in vitro and repression in vivo

Interaction of the Escherichia coli trp repressor with the promoter-operator regions of the trp, aroH and trpR operons was studied in vivo and in vitro. The three operators have similar, but non-identical, sequences; each operator is located in a different segment of its respective promoter. In vivo repression of the three operons was measured using single-copy gene fusions to lacZ. The extent of repression varied from 300-fold for the trp operon, to sixfold for the aroH operon and threefold for the trpR operon. To determine whether differential binding of repressor to the three operators was responsible for the differences in repression observed in vivo, three in vitro binding assays were employed. Restriction-site protection, gel retardation and DNase footprinting analyses revealed that repressor binds to the three operators with almost equal affinity. It was also shown in an in vivo competition assay that repressor binds approximately equally well to each of the three operators. It is proposed that the differential regulation observed in vivo may be due to the different relative locations of the three operators within their respective promoters.     

Operator sequences of bacteriophages P22 and 21

We have determined the sequences of the left and right operators of bacteriophages P22 and 21. The corresponding operators of the two phages have nearly identical sequences, thus explaining how the repressor of each phage recognizes the operators of the other. Experiments probing the binding of repressor and operator show that each operator contains three repressor binding sites. The repressor binding sites are 18 base-pair, partially symmetric sequences. The dispersed symmetric sequence A.T.AAG.…CTT.A.T is highly conserved among the 12 repressor binding sites of the two phages. Four virulent mutations have been sequenced; all of them alter bases in the conserved sequence.     

The anatomy of a hypoxic operator in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Aerobic repression of the hypoxic genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mediated by the DNA-binding protein Rox1 and the Tup1/Ssn6 general repression complex. To determine the DNA sequence requirements for repression, we carried out a mutational analysis of the consensus Rox1-binding site and an analysis of the arrangement of the Rox1 sites into operators in the hypoxic ANB1 gene. We found that single base pair substitutions in the consensus sequence resulted in lower affinities for Rox1, and the decreased affinity of Rox1 for mutant sites correlated with the ability of these sites to repress expression of the hypoxic ANB1 gene. In addition, there was a general but not complete correlation between the strength of repression of a given hypoxic gene and the compliance of the Rox1 sites in that gene to the consensus sequence. An analysis of the ANB1 operators revealed that the two Rox1 sites within an operator acted synergistically in vivo, but that Rox1 did not bind cooperatively in vitro, suggesting the presence of a higher order repression complex in the cell. In addition, the spacing or helical phasing of the Rox1 sites was not important in repression. The differential repression by the two operators of the ANB1 gene was found to be due partly to the location of the operators and partly to the sequences between the two Rox1-binding sites in each. Finally, while Rox1 repression requires the Tup1/Ssn6 general repression complex and this complex has been proposed to require the aminoterminal regions of histones H3 and H4 for full repression of a number of genes, we found that these regions were dispensable for ANB1 repression and the repression of two other hypoxic genes.     

Multiple base-pair mutations in yeast

The nucleotide changes associated with both forward and reverse mutations at the CYC1 locus in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been investigated by sequencing the mutated gene product, iso-1-cytochrome c and, more directly, by sequencing appropriate DNA segments. Although the majority of these mutations are the result of single base-pair changes, approximately 10% are the result of multiple mutations and these occur predominantly at certain sites and with certain patterns. Most multiple base-pair changes occur within 20 nucleotides of each other and are generally within six nucleotides. On the basis of the frequencies and patterns of mutations, these nucleotide changes are considered to have occurred as single, concerted events, rather than as multiple independent mutations. Analysis of these mutations indicates that multiple base-pair changes can arise by widely differing mechanisms. We have recognized the following classes of mutations: multiple base-pair changes that yield (1) direct repeats or (2) inverted repeats of local DNA sequences; (3) substitutions of two tandem base-pairs; (4) frameshift and contiguous single base-pair substitutions; and (5) recombination of the CYC1 gene with a non-allelic gene, resulting in alterations within contiguous segments that can be over 150 nucleotides in length. Some of the multiple base-pair changes do not fall into any of these categories. We suggest mechanisms to account for each of these five classes.     

DNA Sequence Determinants of λ Repressor Binding in Vivo

The critical operator determinants for λ repressor recognition have been defined by analyzing the binding of wild-type repressor to a set of mutant operators in vivo. Base pair substitutions at six positions within the λ operator half-site impair binding severely, and define these base pairs as critical for operator function. One mutant operator binds repressor better than the consensus operator, and is a superoperator. The model proposed by M. Lewis in 1983 for the binding of λ repressor to its operator accurately predicts the observed operator requirements for binding in vivo, with several minor exceptions. The order of affinities of the six natural λ operators has also been determined.     

Interaction of tight binding repressors with lac operators. An analysis by DNA-footprinting

To increase our understanding of protein-DNA interaction in general, and in particular that of lac repressor with lac operator, we have investigated the interaction of tight binding (Itb) repressors with wild type (WT) operator and Oc operators. Nine Oc and a WT operator were cloned and sequenced. Three different Oc and an O+ were then chosen for the footprint analysis of six Itb repressors and WT repressor. Distinct protection patterns for the various repressor-operator pairs were observed at low repressor concentrations whereas, at high repressor concentrations, a stretch of 24 bases of the lower strand of the four different operators was protected in most cases. This protection pattern at high repressor concentration was almost completely redundant for all repressor-operator pairs, in spite of the fact that the affinities of the various pairs differed by more than three orders of magnitude. Two exceptions to this general observation were the two tight binding repressors R67 and R78a. These had been mapped in a region that codes for amino acid residues involved in subunit interaction. The two repressors showed reduced protection of O+ and of some Oc operators at the 3' (right) end of the lower strand. Dimethylsulfoxide, which is known to increase the affinity of O+ for repressor, did not increase the number of bases protected by WT repressor on the lower strand of O+. The footprinting results presented here clearly demonstrate that lac repressor can maximally protect about 24 bases of the lower strand of the operator and that the number and kind of interactions occurring in this region determine the strength of the repressor-operator interaction.