Biomedical subjects

B L Wanner

Publications and source records attributed to B L Wanner.

58 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1980

Mutants affected in alkaline phosphatase, expression: evidence for multiple positive regulators of the phosphate regulon in Escherichia coli.

The expression of alkaline phosphatase (the product of the phoA gene) in Escherichia coli is believed to be subject to both positive control by the phoB gene product and negative control by the phoR gene product. We have isolated a large number of PhoA- mutants in the phoR- genetic background. Among mutants altered in the positive control of alkaline phosphatase, some were phoB mutants; others had a mutation in a new gene, designated phoM. We believe that the phoM gene codes for a positive regulator that acts together with the phoB gene product in phoA gene expressions.--The phoM phenotype was found to be masked in phoR+ strains. This and other evidence support a positive regulatory role for the phoR gene product as well.--Our experiments demonstrate that phoA is under positive control by three different positive regulators: the product of the phoB, phoM and phoR genes. The phoB gene product is always needed together with either the phoR or phoM gene product. In addition, the phoR gene product acts as a negative regulator.--We describe a model for phoA gene expression consistent with this new evidence.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMed1979

Escherichia coli pleiotropic mutant that reduces amounts of several periplasmic and outer membrane proteins.

We have isolated a mutant of Escherichia coli K-12 that is reduced from 6- to 10-fold in the amount of alkaline phosphatase found in the periplasmic space. The reduced synthesis is not due to effects at the level of transcription regulation of the phoA gene, the structural gene for the enzyme. In addition, the mutation (termed perA) responsible for this phenotype results in reduced amounts of possibly six or more other periplasmic proteins and at least three outer membrane proteins. One of the outer membrane proteins affected is protein IA (D. L. Diedrich, A. O. Summers, and C. A. Schnaitman, J. Bacteriol. 131:598-607, 1977). Although other possibilities exist, one explanation for the phenotype of the perA mutation is that it affects the cell's secretory apparatus.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMed1978

Regulation of lac operon expression: reappraisal of the theory of catabolite repression.

The physiological state of Escherichia coli with respect to (permanent) catabolite repression was assessed by measuring the steady-state level of beta-galactosidase in induced or in constitutive cells under a variety of growth conditions. Four results were obtained. (i) Catabolite repression had a major effect on fully induced or constitutive expression of the lac gene, and the magnitude of this effect was found to be dependent on the promoter structure; cells with a wild-type lac promoter showed an 18-fold variation in lac expression, and cells with the lacP37 (formerly lac-L37) promoter exhibited several hundred-fold variation. (ii) Exogenous adenosine cyclic 3',5'-monophosphoric acid (cAMP) could not abolish catabolite repression, even though several controls demonstrated that cAMP was entering the cells in significant amounts. (Rapid intracellular degradation of cAMP could not be ruled out.) (iii) Neither the growth rate nor the presence of biosynthetic products altered the degree of catabolite repression; all variation could be related to the catabolites present in the growth medium. (iv) Slowing by imposing an amino acid restriction decreased the differential rate of beta-galactosidase synthesis from the wild-type lac promoter when bacteria were cultured in either the absence or presence of cAMP; this decreased lac expression also occurred when the bacteria harbored the catabolite-insensitive lacP5 (formerly lacUV5) promoter mutation. These findings support the idea that (permanent) catabolite repression is set by the catabolites in the growth medium and may not be related to an imbalance between catabolism and anabolism.

Culture Media↗

PubMed1977

Physiological regulation of a decontrolled lac operon.

The expression of the lac operon was studied under a variety of growth conditions in induced and in constitutive cells of Escherichia coli that carried different catabolite-insensitive lac promoters. Use of such "decontrolled" lac operons permitted a study of the expression of an operon that was presumably subject only to passive control. Since the use of toluenized cells was demonstrated not to be completely reliable, all enzyme assays were performed on sonic supernatant fluids. The cells contained different catabolite-insensitive promoters, which included the L1 and UV5 lac promoters, as well as others isolated in this study. There were three major observations. First, small but real carbon source effects were seen. Second, there was only a small change in beta-galactosidase specific activity with changes in the growth rate. This result implies a limited transcription and/or translation capacity within the cell. Third, at rapid growth rates, most promoters exhibited a decreased expression. The UV5 promoter, which was the "strongest" promoter, was an exception. A mechanism to explain this promoter-dependent control is discussed.

Acetylesterase↗