Suppose the lac operon partial diploid cap⁻ I⁺ P⁺ O⁺ Z⁻ Y⁺/ cap⁺ I⁻ P⁺ O⁺ Z⁺ Y⁻ is grown.
Is transcription of β-galactosidase and permease inducible, constitutive, or noninducible?

A bacterial operon is responsible for the production of the biosynthetic enzymes needed to make the hypothetical amino acid tisophane (tis). The operon is regulated by a separate gene, R. The deletion of R causes the loss of enzyme synthesis. In the wild-type condition, when tis is present, no enzymes are made; in the absence of tis, the enzymes are made. Mutations in the operator gene (O⁻) result in repression regardless of the presence of tis. Is the operon under positive or negative control? Propose a model for:

(a) Repression of the genes in the presence of tis in wild-type cells

(b) The mutations.

Four independent lac⁻ mutants (mutants A to D) are isolated in haploid strains of E. coli. The strains have the following phenotypic characteristics:

Mutant A is lac⁻, but transcription1 of operon genes is induced by lactose.

Mutant B is lac⁻ and has uninducible2 transcription of operon genes.

Mutant C is lac⁺ and has constitutive3 transcription of operon genes.

Mutant D is lac⁺ and has constitutive3 transcription of operon genes.

A microbiologist develops donor and recipient varieties of each mutant strain and crosses them with the results shown below. The table indicates whether inducible, constitutive, or noninducible transcription occurs, along with lac⁺ and lac⁻ growth habit for each partial diploid. Assume each strain has a single mutation.

Use this information to identify which lac operon gene is mutated in each strain.

A marine bacterium is isolated and shown to contain an inducible operon whose genetic products metabolize oil when it is encountered in the environment. Investigation demonstrates that the operon is under positive control and that there is a reg gene whose product interacts with an operator region (o) to regulate the structural genes, designated sg. In an attempt to understand how the operon functions, a constitutive mutant strain and several partial diploid strains were isolated and tested with the results shown in the following table. Host Chromosome F' Factor Phenotype Wild type None Inducible Wild type reg gene from mutant strain Inducible Wild type Operon from mutant strain Constitutive Mutant strain reg gene from wild type Constitutive Draw all possible conclusions about the mutation as well as the nature of regulation of the operon. Is the constitutive mutation in the trans-acting reg element or in the cis-acting o operator element?

Suppose the lac operon partial diploid cap⁻ I⁺ P⁺ O⁺ Z⁻ Y⁺/ cap⁺ I⁻ P⁺ O⁺ Z⁺ Y⁻ is grown.

Explain how genetic complementation contributes to the growth habit of this strain.

Suppose the lac operon partial diploid cap⁻ I⁺ P⁺ O⁺ Z⁻ Y⁺/ cap⁺ I⁻ P⁺ O⁺ Z⁺ Y⁻ is grown.

Will this partial diploid strain grow on a lactose medium?

The SOS repair genes in E. coli are negatively regulated by the lexA gene product, called the LexA repressor. When a cell's DNA sustains extensive damage, the LexA repressor is inactivated by the recA gene product (RecA), and transcription of the SOS genes is increased dramatically. One of the SOS genes is the uvrA gene. You are a student studying the function of the UvrA gene product in DNA repair. You isolate a mutant strain that shows constitutive expression of the UvrA protein. Naming this mutant strain uvrAᶜ, you construct the diagram shown above in the right-hand column showing the lexA and uvrA operons:

Describe two different mutations that would result in a uvrA constitutive phenotype. Indicate the actual genotypes involved.

Suppose that base substitution mutations sufficient to eliminate the function of the operator regions listed below were to occur. For each case, describe how transcription or life cycle would be affected.

lacO mutation in E. coli

For an E. coli strain with the lac operon genotype I⁺ P⁺ O⁺ Z⁺ Y⁺, identify the level of transcription of the operon genes in each growth medium listed. Specify transcription as 'none,' 'basal,' or 'activated' for each medium, and provide an explanation to justify your answer.

Growth medium contains lactose but no glucose.