GENE REGULATION IN

PROKARYOTES
PRESENTED BY- Leenakshi Tyagi
MSC Botany (1st Sem.)
SUBMITTED TO - Dr. Rajiv Ranjan Sir
WHAT IS GENE REGULATION?

• Some genes needs to be coded only when needed by cell to save energy .
So as to regulate coding of them regulation is required.
• Housekeeping genes- Codes for rRNAs and synthesis of proteins involved
in translation. These genes expressed constitutively.
• In prokaryotes, the most common step for regulation is initiation of
transcription.
• First discovery of gene regulation system is the identification of lac operon
in E.coli by Jacob & Monod (1961)
• Prokaryotic transcriptional regulation is done by gene regulatory proteins
i.e., Activator and Repressor.
• Activator---> binds to target regulatory sequence near promoter and
results in positive regulation.
• Repressor ----> binds to its target regulatory sequence (operator) and
results in negative regulation
• Two types of gene regulation –
Inducible regulation – Genes remains non expressed until and unless
they are induced by inducer. E.g. lac operon
Repressible regulation – Genes continue to express till their activities are
suppressed by repressor. E.g. trp operon
Hence,it is also called feed-back repression.
 What is operon?

• An operon is a unit of gene expression and regulation which includes

structural genes , promoter and cis-acting regulatory sequences
recognized by regulatory gene products.
• All the genes in an operon are expressed as single unit i.e., give
polycistronic mRNA.
• Two types of operon—
Inducible operon
Repressible operon
 Lac operon (Negatively controlled inducible operon)

• Components of lac operon-

Inhibitor gene( i ) codes for repressor protein
Operator site (o) where repressor binds
 lac Z codes for beta-galactosidase
 lac Y codes for lactose permease
 lac A codes for transacetylase (acetyltransferase)
OFF CONDITION- As lactose is absent in environment no need of enzymes for
lactose metabolism.
 Repressor protein produced by regulator gene binds to operator site.
 RNA polymerase at promoter site can’t move over operator region because
it is blocked.
 Without RNA polymerase there is no expression of structural genes hence
no enzymes are formed.
ON CONDITION- As lactose is present, its metabolism is done to be needed
so needs to codes for enzymes.
 Allolactose from lactose bind to repressor protein and results in
configurational change in repressor (forming inducer-repressor complex)
which makes it inactive and doest not binds to operator.
 RNA polymerase binds to promoter site and transcription takes place
efficiently.
 Later on 3 enzymes proteins are produced by translation.
 CATABOLITE REPRESSION

• Both glucose and lactose present in environment. First glucose is utilized

than lactose is used.
• CAP----> Catabolite activator protein also known as CRP(cAMP receptor
protein)
• CAP acts as sensor of glucose with cAMP.
• Glucose more-----> cAMP less
Glucose less----> cAMP more
• cAMP + CAP complex binds to CAP binding site.
Trp operon(Negatively controlled repressible operon)

• trp is an important and expensive amino acid needed by bacteria

• If trp present---> trp operon OFF
If trp absent---> trp operon ON
• trp operon consists of-
 Promoter region (p+o)
 Leader sequence
 trp E ,trp D, trp C , trp B , trp A
ON CONDITION- Aporepressor produced by regulator gene is an inactive
repressor and does not attach with operator
• RNA polymerase moves from promoter to structural genes over operator.
• Structural genes transcribe and translate 5 types of enzymes needed for
biosynthesis of tryptophan.
OFF CONDITION- As bacteria get enough trp from environment it doesn’t
need to produce trp by own self hence, trp operon needed to be off.
• Co-repressor(tryptophan) binds to aporepressor to produce active
repressor which binds with operator and blocks it.
• RNA polymerase cannot move over operator hence transcription is
blocked.
ON CONDITION

OFF CONDITION
THANK YOU