title: Comparison of tryptophan biosynthetic operon regulation in different Gram-positive bacterial species.
abstract: The tryptophan biosynthetic operon has been widely used as a model system for studying transcription regulation. In Bacillus subtilis, the trp operon is primarily regulated by a tryptophan-activated RNA-binding protein, TRAP. Here we show that in many other Gram-positive species the trp operon is regulated differently, by tRNA(Trp) sensing by the RNA-based T-box mechanism, with T-boxes arranged in tandem. Our analyses reveal an apparent relationship between trp operon organization and the specific regulatory mechanism(s) used.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Preciado
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yanofsky
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Merino
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D023061:Gene Order; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009876:Operon; D010802:Phylogeny; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014364:Tryptophan