Skip to main content
PMC home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1984 Jul;3(7):1561–1565. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1984.tb02011.x

Role of attenuation in growth rate-dependent regulation of the S10 r-protein operon of E. coli.

J M Zengel, R H Archer, L P Freedman, L Lindahl
PMCID: PMC557559  PMID: 6378627

Abstract

We have investigated the transcription of the 11 gene S10 ribosomal protein operon of Escherichia coli under various growth conditions. The differential synthesis rate of structural gene message increases 2- to 2.5-fold immediately after a shift-up from glycerol minimal medium to glucose plus amino acids. After the initial increase, the transcription rate goes through several oscillations before reaching the new steady-state rate. By comparing the rates of transcription of leader and structural genes, we conclude that these oscillations are due predominantly to changes in the level of read-through at the S10 attenuator. This regulation of attenuation can account for most of the variations in protein synthesis from the S10 operon after a shift. We also measured the level of read-through in cells growing exponentially in different growth media. Over a 2.5-fold range in growth rates, the read-through changed less than 50%. Thus, regulation of attenuation cannot explain the growth-dependent regulation of ribosomal protein synthesis during steady-state growth. Apparently, additional mechanisms are required to control the expression of the S10 operon in exponentially growing cells.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

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

  1. Friesen J. D., Fiil N. P., von Meyenburg K. Synthesis and turnover of basal level guanosine tetraphosphate in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1975 Jan 10;250(1):304–309. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Gausing K. Regulation of ribosome production in Escherichia coli: synthesis and stability of ribosomal RNA and of ribosomal protein messenger RNA at different growth rates. J Mol Biol. 1977 Sep 25;115(3):335–354. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(77)90158-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ippen K., Shapiro J. A., Beckwith J. R. Transposition of the lac region to the gal region of the Escherichia coli chromosome: isolation of lambda-lac transducing bacteriophages. J Bacteriol. 1971 Oct;108(1):5–9. doi: 10.1128/jb.108.1.5-9.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Jinks-Robertson S., Gourse R. L., Nomura M. Expression of rRNA and tRNA genes in Escherichia coli: evidence for feedback regulation by products of rRNA operons. Cell. 1983 Jul;33(3):865–876. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90029-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lindahl L., Archer R., Zengel J. M. Transcription of the S10 ribosomal protein operon is regulated by an attenuator in the leader. Cell. 1983 May;33(1):241–248. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90353-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lindahl L. Intermediates and time kinetics of the in vivo assembly of Escherichia coli ribosomes. J Mol Biol. 1975 Feb 15;92(1):15–37. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(75)90089-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lindahl L., Zengel J. M. Expression of ribosomal genes in bacteria. Adv Genet. 1982;21:53–121. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2660(08)60297-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lindahl L., Zengel J. M. Operon-specific regulation of ribosomal protein synthesis in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Dec;76(12):6542–6546. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.12.6542. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Miura A., Krueger J. H., Itoh S., de Boer H. A., Nomura M. Growth-rate-dependent regulation of ribosome synthesis in E. coli: expression of the lacZ and galK genes fused to ribosomal promoters. Cell. 1981 Sep;25(3):773–782. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90185-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Post L. E., Arfsten A. E., Reusser F., Nomura M. DNA sequences of promoter regions for the str and spc ribosomal protein operons in E. coli. Cell. 1978 Sep;15(1):215–229. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90096-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Yates J. L., Nomura M. E. coli ribosomal protein L4 is a feedback regulatory protein. Cell. 1980 Sep;21(2):517–522. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90489-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Zengel J. M., Mueckl D., Lindahl L. Protein L4 of the E. coli ribosome regulates an eleven gene r protein operon. Cell. 1980 Sep;21(2):523–535. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90490-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES