Comparison of the Sensitivities of Two Escherichia coli Genes to In Vivo Variation of Lrp Concentration

Transcription of the Escherichia coli genes serA and gltBDF depends on the leucine-responsive regulatory protein, Lrp, and is very much decreased in an lrp mutant. By the use of an Lrp-deficient host and the lrp gene cloned under a plasmid-borne arabinose pBAD promoter, we varied the amount of Lrp present in the cell and showed that both genes were transcribed in proportion to the amount of Lrp synthesized. The affinity of serA for Lrp was four to five times greater than the affinity of gltD. Overproduction of Lrp was lethal to the cell.