title: New insights into regulation of the tryptophan biosynthetic operon in Gram-positive bacteria.
abstract: The tryptophan operon of Bacillus subtilis serves as an excellent model for investigating transcription regulation in Gram-positive bacteria. In this article, we extend this knowledge by analyzing the predicted regulatory regions in the trp operons of other fully sequenced Gram-positive bacteria. Interestingly, it appears that in eight of the organisms examined, transcription of the trp operon appears to be regulated by tandem T-box elements. These regulatory elements have recently been described in the trp operons of two bacterial species. Single T-box elements are commonly found in Gram-positive bacteria in operons encoding aminoacyl tRNA synthetases and proteins performing other functions. Different regulatory mechanisms appear to be associated with variations of trp gene organization within the trp operon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62271, Mexico.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutierrez-Preciado
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yanofsky
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Merino
mesh_terms: D001407:Bacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009876:Operon; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D014364:Tryptophan