Isoleucine and valine metabolism of Escherichia coli. XVI. Pattern of multivalent repression in strain K-12.

The levels of the five enzymes required for isoleucine and valine synthesis were examined under several growth conditions in strain K-12 of Escherichia coli and mutants derived from it. In strains with wild type repressibility, the same pattern of derepression was found on limiting isoleucine as is found to be constitutive in strain Tir-8, which has an altered isoleucine-activating enzyme. Homoserine dehydrogenase, which is essential for the biosynthesis of threonine and is normally derepressed on limiting isoleucine or threonine, is also derepressed in strain Tir-8. Threonine deaminase and homoserine dehydrogenase were partially repressed in strain Tir-8 by very high levels of isoleucine, but were not further derepressed over levels in minimal medium by limiting isoleucine.