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Operon
Operon
Regulated genes
Constitutive genes
Continuously expressed.
• Contents of an operon:
Promoter
Repressor
Operator (controlling site)
Coding sequences
Terminator
-galactosidase (lacZ)
•Transacetylase (lacA)
lacI: promoter-lacI-terminator
operon: promoter-operator-lacZ-lacY-lacA-terminator
Functional state of the E. coli lac operon in the absence of lactose
Functional state of the E. coli lac operon growing on lactose
Model of lac repressor tetramer (4 polypetides) protein
Summary of Jacob-Monod E. coli lac operon model
1. Operon is a cluster of genes; expression is regulated by operator-
repressor protein interactions, operator, and a promoter.
2. lac I gene possesses its own weak promoter and terminator; lacI
repressor proteins always exist in low concentration.
• lac operon promoter begins at -84 bp immediately after the lacI stop
codon and ends at -8 bp from the transcription start site.
• If amino acids are present in the growth medium E. coli will “import”
amino acids before it makes them.
• When amino acids are absent in the growth medium, genes are
“turned on” (or expressed) and amino acid synthesis occurs.
• Leader region (trpL) occurs between trpA-E coding genes and the
operator.
1. Repressor/operator interaction
1. Repressor/operator interaction
• When cells are starved for tryptophan, trp genes are expressed
maximally.
• Recall that a leader region (trpL) occurs between the operator and
the trpE sequence.
• Pause is long enough for a ribosome to load onto the mRNA and
begin translating just behind RNA polymerase.
Molecular model for attenuation (cont.):