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. 1984 Jun;158(3):1204–1207. doi: 10.1128/jb.158.3.1204-1207.1984

Lactose inhibits the growth of Rhizobium meliloti cells that contain an actively expressed Escherichia coli lactose operon.

C R Timblin, M L Kahn
PMCID: PMC215578  PMID: 6427192

Abstract

Expression of the Escherichia coli lactose operon in Rhizobium meliloti 104A14 made the cells sensitive to the addition of the beta-galactosides lactose, phenyl-beta-D-galactoside, and lactobionic acid. Growth stopped when the beta-galactoside was added and viability decreased modestly during the next few hours, but little cell lysis was observed and the cells appeared normal. Protein synthesis was not inhibited. Growth was inhibited only when beta-galactosidase expression was greater than 160 U. Lactose-resistant mutants had defects in the plasmid-carried E. coli beta-galactosidase or beta-galactoside permease and in the R. meliloti genome. We speculate that uncontrolled production of galactose by the action of the lactose operon proteins was responsible for growth inhibition.

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Selected References

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

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