Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1988 Apr;170(4):1666–1671. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.4.1666-1671.1988

Regulation of fatty acid degradation in Escherichia coli: fadR superrepressor mutants are unable to utilize fatty acids as the sole carbon source.

K T Hughes 1, R W Simons 1, W D Nunn 1
PMCID: PMC211015  PMID: 2895101

Abstract

Localized mutagenesis of the fadR region of the Escherichia coli chromosome resulted in the isolation of two classes of fadR regulatory mutants. The first class was constitutive for the fatty acid degradative enzymes and presumably defective for fadR function. The second class was rarer and resulted in the inability to utilize fatty acids as a sole carbon source (Fad-). These fadR superrepressor mutants [fadR(S)] had greatly reduced levels of the beta-oxidative enzymes required for growth on fatty acids. The fadR(S) mutants reverted to Fad+ at a high frequency (10(-5], and the resulting Fad+ revertants were constitutive for expression of the fad enzymes (fadR). Merodiploid analysis showed the fadR(S) allele to be dominant to both fadR+ and fadR alleles.

Full text

PDF
1666

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bachmann B. J. Linkage map of Escherichia coli K-12, edition 7. Microbiol Rev. 1983 Jun;47(2):180–230. doi: 10.1128/mr.47.2.180-230.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bochner B. R., Savageau M. A. Generalized indicator plate for genetic, metabolic, and taxonomic studies with microorganisms. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 Feb;33(2):434–444. doi: 10.1128/aem.33.2.434-444.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bradford M. M. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem. 1976 May 7;72:248–254. doi: 10.1006/abio.1976.9999. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DiRusso C. C., Nunn W. D. Cloning and characterization of a gene (fadR) involved in regulation of fatty acid metabolism in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1985 Feb;161(2):583–588. doi: 10.1128/jb.161.2.583-588.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hong J. S., Ames B. N. Localized mutagenesis of any specific small region of the bacterial chromosome. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1971 Dec;68(12):3158–3162. doi: 10.1073/pnas.68.12.3158. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kleckner N., Roth J., Botstein D. Genetic engineering in vivo using translocatable drug-resistance elements. New methods in bacterial genetics. J Mol Biol. 1977 Oct 15;116(1):125–159. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(77)90123-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Klein K., Steinberg R., Fiethen B., Overath P. Fatty acid degradation in Escherichia coli. An inducible system for the uptake of fatty acids and further characterization of old mutants. Eur J Biochem. 1971 Apr;19(3):442–450. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1971.tb01334.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Low K. B. Escherichia coli K-12 F-prime factors, old and new. Bacteriol Rev. 1972 Dec;36(4):587–607. doi: 10.1128/br.36.4.587-607.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Maloy S. R., Nunn W. D. Role of gene fadR in Escherichia coli acetate metabolism. J Bacteriol. 1981 Oct;148(1):83–90. doi: 10.1128/jb.148.1.83-90.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nunn W. D. A molecular view of fatty acid catabolism in Escherichia coli. Microbiol Rev. 1986 Jun;50(2):179–192. doi: 10.1128/mr.50.2.179-192.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Nunn W. D., Giffin K., Clark D., Cronan J. E., Jr Role for fadR in unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1983 May;154(2):554–560. doi: 10.1128/jb.154.2.554-560.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Nunn W. D., Simons R. W., Egan P. A., Maloy S. R. Kinetics of the utilization of medium and long chain fatty acids by mutant of Escherichia coli defective in the fadL gene. J Biol Chem. 1979 Sep 25;254(18):9130–9134. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nunn W. D., Simons R. W. Transport of long-chain fatty acids by Escherichia coli: mapping and characterization of mutants in the fadL gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Jul;75(7):3377–3381. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.7.3377. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Overath P., Pauli G., Schairer H. U. Fatty acid degradation in Escherichia coli. An inducible acyl-CoA synthetase, the mapping of old-mutations, and the isolation of regulatory mutants. Eur J Biochem. 1969 Feb;7(4):559–574. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Overath P., Raufuss E. M. The induction of the enzymes of fatty acid degradation in Escherichia coli. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1967 Oct 11;29(1):28–33. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(67)90535-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Simons R. W., Egan P. A., Chute H. T., Nunn W. D. Regulation of fatty acid degradation in Escherichia coli: isolation and characterization of strains bearing insertion and temperature-sensitive mutations in gene fadR. J Bacteriol. 1980 May;142(2):621–632. doi: 10.1128/jb.142.2.621-632.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Simons R. W., Hughes K. T., Nunn W. D. Regulation of fatty acid degradation in Escherichia coli: dominance studies with strains merodiploid in gene fadR. J Bacteriol. 1980 Aug;143(2):726–730. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.2.726-730.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. VOGEL H. J., BONNER D. M. Acetylornithinase of Escherichia coli: partial purification and some properties. J Biol Chem. 1956 Jan;218(1):97–106. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. WILLSON C., PERRIN D., COHN M., JACOB F., MONOD J. NON-INDUCIBLE MUTANTS OF THE REGULATOR GENE IN THE "LACTOSE" SYSTEM OF ESCHERICHIA COLI. J Mol Biol. 1964 Apr;8:582–592. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(64)80013-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Weeks G., Shapiro M., Burns R. O., Wakil S. J. Control of fatty acid metabolism. I. Induction of the enzymes of fatty acid oxidation in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1969 Feb;97(2):827–836. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.2.827-836.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES