1. Control of
Prokaryotic (Bacterial) Genes
AP Biology
2007-2008

2. Bacterial metabolism
Bacteria need to respond quickly to
changes in their environment

STOP

GO
AP Biology
if they have enough of a product,
need to stop production
why? waste of energy to produce more
how? stop production of enzymes for synthesis
if they find new food/energy source,
need to utilize it quickly
why? metabolism, growth, reproduction
how? start production of enzymes for digestion

3. Remember Regulating Metabolism?
Feedback inhibition

product acts
as an allosteric
inhibitor of
1st enzyme in tryptophan
pathway

but this is wasteful
production of enzymes
Oh, I
remember this
from our
Metabolism Unit!
AP Biology
-
= inhibition
-

4. Different way to Regulate Metabolism
Gene regulation

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instead of blocking
enzyme function,
block transcription
of genes for all
enzymes in
tryptophan pathway
saves energy by
not wasting it on
unnecessary
protein synthesis
Now, that’s a
good idea from a
lowly bacterium!
-
= inhibition
-

5. Gene regulation in bacteria
Cells vary amount of specific enzymes
by regulating gene transcription

turn genes on or turn genes off
turn genes OFF example
if bacterium has enough tryptophan then it
STOP doesn’t need to make enzymes used to build
tryptophan
turn genes ON example
if bacterium encounters new sugar (energy
GO source), like lactose, then it needs to start
making enzymes used to digest lactose
AP Biology

6. Bacteria group genes together
Operon

genes grouped together with related functions
example: all enzymes in a metabolic pathway

promoter = RNA polymerase binding site
single promoter controls transcription of all genes in
operon
transcribed as one unit & a single mRNA is made

AP Biology
operator = DNA binding site of repressor protein

7. So how can these genes be turned off?
Repressor protein
binds to DNA at operator site
 blocking RNA polymerase
 blocks transcription

AP Biology

8. Operon model
Operon:
operator, promoter & genes they control
serve as a model for gene regulation
RNA
polymerase
RNA
TATA repressor
polymerase
gene1
gene2
gene3
gene4
1
2
3
4
enzyme1
enzyme2
enzyme3
enzyme4
mRNA
promoter
DNA
operator
Repressor protein turns off gene by
blocking RNA polymerase binding site.
AP Biology
repressor
= repressor protein

9. Repressible operon: tryptophan
Synthesis pathway model
When excess tryptophan is present,
it binds to tryp repressor protein &
triggers repressor to bind to DNA
RNA
polymerase

RNA
trp
TATArepressor
polymerase
blocks (represses) transcription
gene1
gene2
gene3
gene4
1
2
3
4
enzyme1
enzyme2
enzyme3
enzyme4
mRNA
promoter
operator
DNA
trp
trp
trp
repressor
repressor protein
trp
trp
trp
trp
trp
trp
conformational change in
AP Biology
repressor protein!
trp
repressor
tryptophan
trp
tryptophan – repressor protein
complex

10. Tryptophan operon
What happens when tryptophan is present?
Don’t need to make tryptophan-building
enzymes
Tryptophan
AP Biology
is allosteric regulator of repressor protein

11. Inducible operon: lactose
lac
lac
RNA
polymerase
lac
Digestive pathway model
lac
When lactose is present, binds
to
lac repressor protein & triggers
repressor to release DNA
lac
lac
lac

RNA
lac
TATA repressor
polymerase
induces transcription
gene3
gene4
gene1
gene2
1
2
3
4
enzyme1
enzyme2
enzyme3
enzyme4
mRNA
promoter
operator
repressor
lac
conformational change in
AP Biology
repressor protein!
lac
repressor
DNA
repressor protein
lactose
lactose – repressor protein
complex

12. Lactose operon
What happens when lactose is present?
Need to make lactose-digesting enzymes
Lactose is allosteric regulator of repressor protein
AP Biology

13. 1961 | 1965
Jacob & Monod: lac Operon
Francois Jacob & Jacques Monod
first to describe operon system
 coined the phrase “operon”

AP Biology
Jacques Monod
Francois Jacob

14. Operon summary
Repressible operon

usually functions in anabolic pathways
synthesizing end products

when end product is present in excess,
cell allocates resources to other uses
Inducible operon

usually functions in catabolic pathways,
digesting nutrients to simpler molecules

AP Biology
produce enzymes only when nutrient is
available
cell avoids making proteins that have nothing to do,
cell allocates resources to other uses

15. Don’t be repressed!
How can I induce you
to ask Questions?
AP Biology
2007-2008