Catabolite repression of the lac operon. The contribution of transcriptional repression

1. Experiments were carried out to distinguish the contributions of transcriptional and translational repression to catabolite repression of the lac operon. 2. In strain EZ16-3-G of Escherichia coli the synthesis of thiogalactoside transacetylase is directed by a gene situated on an episome, and the operator, promotor and regulator genes that lay cis to this gene have been deleted, so that the normal mechanism for controlling transcription is abolished. The extent of catabolite repression in this strain was much less than that in wild-type strains. 3. The same episome is responsible for the synthesis of thiogalactoside transacetylase in strain RM32/F′d25, and in this strain a second lac operon directs the synthesis of β-galactosidase under the control of a wild-type operator–promotor–regulator system. The extent of catabolite repression of thiogalactoside transacetylase in strain RM32/F′d25 was substantially more than in strain EZ16-3-G, but less than that of β-galactosidase in strain RM32/F′d25. 4. Since the synthesis of thiogalactoside transacetylase in these organisms is presumably subject to translational repression only, it is concluded that in strain RM32/F′d25 the synthesis of β-galactosidase is subject to both transcriptional and translational repression. It is also concluded that the extent of translational repression varies between strains.