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. 1990 Aug;172(8):4529–4535. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.8.4529-4535.1990

The leucine regulon of Escherichia coli K-12: a mutation in rblA alters expression of L-leucine-dependent metabolic operons.

L R Tuan 1, R D'Ari 1, E B Newman 1
PMCID: PMC213284  PMID: 2165479

Abstract

We have isolated and characterized a highly pleiotropic Escherichia coli mutant affected in the activity of a number of enzymes involved in different metabolic pathways, all of which are regulated by leucine. Selected for its ability to grow with L-serine as sole carbon source, the rbl-1::Tn10 mutant had high levels of L-serine deaminase activity (due to increased transcription of the structural gene) and of another amino acid-degrading enzyme, L-threonine dehydrogenase, and decreased transcription of the operons serA and ilvIH, coding for biosynthetic enzymes. The rbl mutation suppressed the slow growth of a metK mutant, deficient in S-adenosylmethionine synthetase. Furthermore, metK mutants spontaneously accumulated faster-growing rbl-like derivatives, and a commonly used metK strain, RG62, carries such a mutation. The rbl gene is located near 20 min on the E. coli genetic map. All phenotypes of the rbl mutant could be observed in rbl+ strains cultivated in the presence of L-leucine, and exogenous L-leucine had little further effect on the rbl strains. We propose that the rbl gene product is the regulator of a global response to leucine.

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Selected References

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