Dual transcription of the tryptophan operon translocated into the early region of gamma.

The mode of transcription of the trp operon translocated into the early region of bacteriophage lambda was studied. Synthesis of trp mRNA specific for the translocated trp operon in lambdatrp phage was assayed after infecting a bacteria carrying a deletion mutant (trpAE1), which lacks the whole trp operon but retains a trp regulator gene (trpR). To determine trp mRNA from lambdatrp, phage phi80trp was employed as a source of DNA in hybridization assays. trp mRNA synthesis by lambdatrpE-A, which possesses the intact trp operon, was found to be only partially repressed by fully activated trp repressor in strain trpAE1. On the other hand, trp mRNA synthesis by lambdatrpE-A in strain trpAE1 (lambda), lysogenic for lambda and therefore possessing lambda repressor, was completely repressed when the trp repressor was fully activated by the addition of excess tryptophan. trp mRNA synthesis from the trp operon segment in lambdatrpBA, which carries the trpA and trpB genes but does not possess the trp promoter and operator, was not affected at all by trp repressor but was regulated completely by lambda repressor. The possibility was excluded that the trp mRNA whose synthesis is insensitive to trp repressor is anti-messenger originating from the nonsense(r)-strand of the translocated trp operon of lambdatrp. These observations led to the conclusion that transcription of the translocated trp operon in lambdatrpE-A consists of two types; one is initiated at the trp promoter and is controlled by the trp repressor, another is initiated by a lambda promoter (PL of gene N) and is controlled by the lambda repressor.