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Biomedical subjects

A Ullmann

Publications and source records attributed to A Ullmann.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Catabolite repression in Escherichia coli mutants lacking cyclic AMP receptor protein.

Pleiotropic carbohydrate-positive pseudorevertants have been isolated from a specific class of rho-crp double mutants of Escherichia coli carrying both defective transcription termination protein, rho, and cyclic AMP receptor protein. The modulation of catabolite repression of beta-galactosidase, amylomaltase, and tryptophanase has been studied in the pseudorevertants. It has been found that these mutants exhibit catabolite repression. Because catabolite-sensitive operons can be expressed in the absence of functional cyclic AMP receptor protein, this would suggest on the one hand that the cyclic AMP-receptor protein complex is not the exclusive mediator of catabolite repression and on the other hand that rho might be involved in the regulation of catabolite-sensitive operons.

Cyclic AMP↗

Cyclic AMP as a modulator of polarity in polycistronic transcriptional units.

The degree of natural polarity in the lactose and galactose operons of Escherichia coli is affected by adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP). This effect, mediated by the cAMP receptor protein, is exerted at sites distinct from the promoter. Experiments performed with a mutant bearing a thermosensitive rho factor activity indicate that cAMP relieves polarity by interfering with transcription termination. Conflicting results in the literature concerning the role of cAMP receptor protein and cAMP in galactose operon expression can be reconciled by the findings that cAMP stimulates the expression of operator distal genes without significantly affecting the proximal genes. Therefore, it appears necessary to reevaluate the classification of the galactose operon as exhibiting cAMP-mediated catabolite repression at the level of transcription initiation.

Cyclic AMP↗

An immunological determination of specific activities of enzymes: its use in quantification of cross reactivity between enzymes of different origins.

An immunological method is presented which enables the determination of the specific activity of a pure enzyme without its extensive purification. The method consists essentially in the specific fixation of immunologically related enzymes to an immunoadsorbent containing specific antibodies raised against the wild-type form of the enzyme. We applied this method to determine the specific activity of plasmid-coded beta-galactosidases and to quantify the extent of cross-reaction between these enzymes and Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase.

Animals↗

Catabolite repression in Escherichia coli mutants lacking cyclic AMP.

The regulation of catabolite repression of beta-galactosidase has been studied in Escherichia coli mutants deleted for the adenyl cyclase gene (cya delta), and thus unable to synthesize cyclic AMP. It has been found that, provided a second mutation occurs either in the crp gene coding for the catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) or in the Lactose region, these mutants exhibit catabolite repression. If the catabolite repression seen in the mutant strains corresponds to the mechanism operating in wild-type cells the results would suggest that the intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP cannot be the unique regulator of catabolite repression.

Cyclic AMP↗

Catabolite modulator factor: physiological properties and in vivo effects.

Catabolite modulator factor (CMF) specifically inhibits the expression of operons sensitive to catabolite repression. Systems known to be catabolite independent are not affected by CMF. The rate of metabolism of CMF depends on the extent of catabolite repression: it is slow under conditions of strong repression and high in catabolically derepressed cells. Cyclic AMP does not interfere with the rate of CMF metabolism. It has been found that a certain class of crp mutants are partially resistant to the repressive effect of CMF. Our results provide considerable support for the existence of an additional negative control in the regulation of catabolite repression.

Cyclic AMP↗

Formylation of initiator tRNA methionine in procaryotic protein synthesis: in vivo polarity in lactose operon expression.

Eucaryotic and procaryotic organisms differ in two aspects of their translation machinery: polycistronic messengers are expressed as a sequence of individual proteins only in procaryotes, and the initiation of protein synthesis proceeds with an initiator tRNA which is found to be modified (formylated) in procaryotes and not in eucaryotes. In the present study, we show that formylation is required in vivo for the coordinate expression of the Escherichia coli lactose operon. Our experiments are consistent with a translation mechanism using dissociated ribosomes at the 5' end of the mRNA in a reaction that is only weakly dependent on formylation at this initiation step; the ribosomes then travel along the messenger and can reinitiate after the intracistronic barrier without dissociation. This latter initiation step is strongly dependent on the level of formylation: a low level of the formyl group, obtained by the antifolic agent trimethoprim, induces a strong polarity in the expression of the lactose operon. There exist mutant strains in which this polarity is much less apparent than in the wild type. We show here that such is the case of rpsL mutants. Ribosomes mutated in the S12 protein (rpsL) are found to be much more easily dissociated than the wild type. This might explain why the expression of the lactose operon on rpsL strains remains coordinated when the intracellular level of formylation is decreased.

Acetyltransferases↗

Quantitative ultramicro-scale immunoenzymic method for measuring Ig antigenic determinants in single cells.

The Fluoro Ultra Micro Enzyme Linked Immuno Assay (FUMELIA) allows one routinely and quantitatively to measure a few thousand antigenic determinants on single cells. Highly purified Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase has been coupled to specific antibodies. By use of the Parafilm microcuvette techniuqe, the activity of the antibody-conjugated beta-galactosidase is assayed with a conventional spectrophotofluorometer. Attempts were undertaken to sensitize FUMELIA even further, so as to be able to detect a very few antigenic sites. It seems that even in its present state of development FUMELIA is more sensitive for the quantitation of cell-associated antigens than are techniques in which radiolabeled reagents are used. The potential of FUMELIA is illustrated by the quantitative measurement of membrane-bound immunoglobulins on single lymphocytes. It could be shown that T-cells as well as C-cells can synthesize Ig antigenic determinants. Thus it seems likely that T-cell receptors will, after all, be found to be immunoglobulins.

Animals↗

Catabolite modulator factor: a possible mediator of catabolite repression in bacteria.

Water soluble extracts of Escherichia coli cells have been found to exert an extremely strong repressive effect upon the expression of catabolite sensitive operons. The compound responsible for this activity has been partially purified and proves to be of low molecular weight and heat stable. The effect of this compound, hereafter designated as catabolite modulator factor, is only partially antagonized by adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate. The possible role of catabolite modulator factor in the physiological regulation of catabolite repression is discussed.

Cyclic AMP↗

Expression and regulation of lactose genes carried by plasmids.

A number of plasmids carrying the lactose character have been studied. All of the plasmids examined so far code for proteins essential for lactose utilization, i.e., beta-galactosidase and galactoside permease. None of them carries enzymatically or immunologically detectable thiogalactoside transacetylase. The expression of the two enzymes is both negatively and positively controlled: they are inducible by different galactosides and are sensitive to catabolite repression. Since the plasmid-coded lactose systems have many features in common with the Escherichia coli lactose operon, it is suggested that the plasmids could have acquired the lactose genes from an E. coli chromosome.

Acetyltransferases↗