Stimulation of cytochrome synthesis in Escherichia coli by cyclic AMP

A cyclic AMP-requiring mutant of Escherichia coli K12 which grows slowly on glucose was found to contain reduced levels of cytochrome b₁ and cytochrome oxidase o. The addition of exogenous cyclic AMP stimulated the synthesis of these cytochrome components and restored growth on glucose to the normal rate observed with the parental strain. Cytochrome synthesis in the parental strain was also stimulated by exogenous cyclic AMP. These studies have provided evidence that cyclic AMP participates in regulating cytochrome synthesis in E. coli, and, coupled with other observations, have suggested a role for this cyclic nucleotide in controlling the construction and operation of the organism's membrane system.