Gene Regulation and

The Operon

Aurnab Ghose; 190115

190116
Same genome!
 Types of Gene Regulation

• What is the difference between inducible,

repressible, and constitutive genes?
 What is an operon?
• A regulatable stretch of DNA that produces a
mRNA with multiple polypeptide coding
regions (each with their own translation start
sites)
• Useful if all the gene products are required for
the same biochemical activity

• Regulated genes in bacteria

– are organized into operons
 lac operon
Repressor
gene Promoter Operator lac Z lac Y lac A

DNA
Transcription Repressor
protein
mRNA

Ribosome Translation
 Promoter Region
• Regulatory switch for transcriptional-level
control of operon
• Repressor protein
– binds to operator sequence
– prevents transcription
• RNA polymerase
– bound to promoter
– is blocked from transcribing structural genes
• If repressor is not bound to operator
– transcription proceeds
 Inducible Genes
• If lactose is present
– is converted to
allolactose (inducer)
– binds to repressor
protein
– changes repressor s
shape

• Altered repressor
– cannot bind to
operator
– operon is transcribed
 lac operon
Repressor
gene Promoter Operator lac Z lac Y lac A

RNA Transcription
polymerase
mRNA
mRNA

Translation
Inducer Transacetylase
(allolactose) Lactose
permease
β-galactosidase
Repressor
protein
Enzymes for lactose metabolism
(inactive)
 Positive Control
• Some inducible operons are under positive control
• Activator protein binds to DNA
– stimulates transcription of gene
• CAP (Catabolite Activator Protein) activates lac operon
– binds to promoter region
– stimulates transcription by tightly binding RNA polymerase
• To bind to lac operon
– CAP requires cyclic AMP (cAMP)
• cAMP levels increase
– as glucose levels decrease
 Promoter
RNA polymerase
Repressor gene CAP- – binding site
binding site Operator lac Z lac Y lac A

DNA

mRNA
RNA polymerase
binds poorly

CAP
(inactive)

Allolactose

Repressor
protein (inactive)

(a) Lactose high, glucose high, cAMP low.

 Promoter
CAP- RNA polymerase
Repressor binding site – binding site
gene Operator lac Z lac Y lac A

DNA
RNA polymerase Transcription
binds efficiently
mRNA
mRNA
CAP

Translation Galactoside
cAMP transacetylase
Lactose permease
β -galactosidase
Allolactose
Enzymes for lactose metabolism
Repressor
protein (inactive)

(b) Lactose high, glucose low, cAMP high.

 Repressible Genes
• A repressible operon (trp operon)
– is normally turned on
– Genes for metabolic pathways that synthesize cellular
components

• Repressor protein
– is synthesized in inactive form
– cannot bind to operator

• A metabolite (metabolic end product)

– acts as corepressor
 trp operon
Repressor gene
Promoter Operator trp E trp D trp C trp B trp A

DNA
RNA polymerase Transcription

mRNA
mRNA

Translation
Repressor protein Enzymes of the tryptophan biosynthetic
(inactive) pathway

Tryptophan

(a) Intracellular tryptophan

levels low.
 Repressible Genes
• With high intracellular corepressor levels
– corepressor molecule binds to repressor
– changes repressor s shape

• Altered repressor
– binds to operator
– turns off transcription of operon
 trp operon
Repressor gene
Promoter Operator trp E trp D trp C trp B trp A

DNA
Active repressor – corepressor
complex

mRNA

Inactive repressor protein

Tryptophan
(corepressor)

(b) Intracellular tryptophan levels high.

 Constitutive Genes
• Are neither inducible nor repressible
– active at all times

• Regulatory proteins
– produced constitutively
• catabolite activator protein (CAP)
• repressor proteins

• Regulatory proteins
– recognize and bind to specific base sequences in DNA

• Activity of constitutive genes

– controlled by binding RNA polymerase to promoter regions