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PMID: 6377309 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Multiple regulatory signals in the control region of the Escherichia coli carAB operon.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 81 ·No. 13 ·1984-07-00 ·Pages 4139-43

Bouvier J, Patte JC, Stragier P

Abstract

The first reaction in pyrimidine and arginine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli is catalyzed by a single enzyme, carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (EC 6.3.5.5), the product of the carAB operon. Expression of this operon is cumulatively repressed by arginine and pyrimidines. The nucleotide sequence of the carAB control region was determined and transcriptional starts were localized. Two adjacent promoters, 70 base pairs apart, appear to be used in vivo, the downstream one overlapping a typical arginine operator. The absence of any attenuation-like sequence excludes such a mechanism for pyrimidine-mediated repression. Various fragments of the carA promoter-proximal region were fused in vitro with the lacZ gene. Results obtained with these fusions indicate that (i) translation of the carA gene can be initiated in vivo without an AUG codon but very likely with an UUG or an AUU codon; (ii) the carAB downstream promoter is repressed by arginine; and (iii) the carAB upstream promoter is repressed by pyrimidines and subject to stringent control. When carried by a multicopy plasmid the carAB control region escapes repression by arginine and pyrimidines. The existence of a pyrimidine repressor, present in limiting amounts in the cell, is therefore postulated.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Arginine/pharmacology Base Sequence Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase (Glutamine-Hydrolyzing)/genetics Cytidine/pharmacology Escherichia coli/enzymology,genetics Genes Genes, Bacterial Genes, Regulator Ligases/genetics Operon/drug effects Protein Biosynthesis Transcription, Genetic Uracil/pharmacology
Chemicals
Uracil Cytidine Arginine Ligases Carbamoyl-Phosphate Synthase (Glutamine-Hydrolyzing)
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Bouvier J
Patte J C
Stragier P
References (34)
34 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.81.13.4139
Published
1984-07-00
Pages
4139-43
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC345384
Subset
IM
Databases
GENBANK
J01597
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.81.13.4139 PMC Full Text View journal details
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