Monday,
1/28/13
Control of
Prokaryotic (Bacterial) Genes
AP Biology
2007-2008
Bacterial metabolism
Bacteria need to respond quickly to
changes in their environment

if they have enough of a product,
need to stop production

if they find new food/energy source,
need to utilize it quickly
STOP
GO
AP Biology
Remember Regulating Metabolism?
Feedback inhibition



product acts
as an allosteric
inhibitor of
1st enzyme in
tryptophan pathway
You continue to
produce enzymes, but
stop them from working
but this is wasteful
production of enzymes
AP Biology
-
= inhibition
-
Different way to Regulate Metabolism
Gene regulation

-
instead of blocking
enzyme function,
block transcription
of genes for all
enzymes in
tryptophan pathway
= inhibition
Now, that’s a
good idea from a
lowly bacterium!
AP Biology
-
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
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

operator = DNA binding site of repressor protein
AP Biology
So how can these genes be turned off?
Repressor protein (produced from dif. gene in dif. location)
binds to DNA at operator site
 blocking RNA polymerase
 blocks transcription

AP Biology
Operon model
Operon:
operator, promoter & genes they control
serve as a model for gene regulation
RNA
polymerase
RNA
repressor
TATA
polymerase
gene1
gene2
gene3
gene4
1
2
3
4
enzyme1
enzyme2
enzyme3
enzyme4
mRNA
promoter
DNA
operator
Repressor protein turns off gene by
blocking
AP BiologyRNA polymerase binding site.
repressor
= repressor protein
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 repressor
TATA
polymerase
gene1
gene2
gene3
gene4
1
2
3
4
enzyme1
enzyme2
enzyme3
enzyme4
mRNA
promoter
blocks (represses) transcription
DNA
trp
operator
trp
trp
repressor
repressor protein
trp
trp
trp
trp
trp
trp
conformational change in
AP Biologyprotein!
repressor
trp
repressor
tryptophan
trp
tryptophan – repressor protein
complex
Tryptophan operon
What happens when tryptophan is present?
Don’t need to make tryptophan-building enzymes
AP Tryptophan
Biology
is an allosteric regulator of the repressor protein
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
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 repressor
TATA
polymerase
induces transcription
gene1
gene2
gene3
gene4
1
2
3
4
enzyme1
enzyme2
enzyme3
enzyme4
mRNA
promoter

operator
repressor
lac
conformational change in
AP Biologyprotein!
repressor
lac
repressor
DNA
repressor protein
lactose
lactose – repressor protein
complex
Lactose operon
What happens when lactose is present?
Need to make lactose-digesting enzymes
Lactose is the allosteric regulator of the repressor protein
AP Biology
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
Homework
Chp.18.4 Guided Reading
Read pgs.352-356
 Be sure to carefully complete the
diagrams on the guided reading sheet
 DUE TOMORROW!!!


AP Biology
***Bring Textbook to class tomorrow!
Don’t be repressed!
How can I induce you
to ask Questions?
AP Biology
2007-2008
AP Bio – Tues 1/29/13
Review Prokaryotic Operons
Operon Activity
Turn in Guided Reading & Operon Chart
(back)
Homework: Print Chp.19 Eukaryotic Gene
Regulation Powerpoint from my.ccsd.net
FRIDAY  Gene Regulation Quiz
AP Biology
Operon model
Operon:
operator, promoter & genes they control
serve as a model for gene regulation
RNA
polymerase
RNA
repressor
TATA
polymerase
gene1
gene2
gene3
gene4
1
2
3
4
enzyme1
enzyme2
enzyme3
enzyme4
mRNA
promoter
DNA
operator
Repressor protein turns off gene by
blocking
AP BiologyRNA polymerase binding site.
repressor
= repressor protein
Repressible Operon:
usually functions in anabolic pathways
(synthesizing end products)
AP Biology
Example: Trp Operon
Inducible Operon:
usually functions in catabolic pathways,
digesting nutrients to simpler molecules
AP Biology
Example: lac Operon