Transient repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis by glucose-6-phosphate in a mutant of Escherichia coli lacking enzyme II specific for glucose in the phosphoenolpyruvate-sugar phosphotransferase system.

The effects of glucose and glucose-6-phosphate in initiating the repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis were studied using a mutant of Escherichia coli K12 which lacks glucose-specific enzyme II of the phosphoenolpyruvate-sugar phosphotransferase system. It was found that glucose-6-phosphate causes transient repression of beta-galactosidase synthesis but glucose does not cause transient repression in this mutant. Evidence was obtained that both the presence of an active transport system for glucose-6-phosphate in the cells and glucose-6-phosphate in the medium are necessary for the initiation of transient repression. No metabolism of glucose-6-phosphate is required. Upon depletion of glucose-6-phosphate in the medium the transient repression was reversed. After the reversal the rate of enzyme synthesis was high in the cells which had been exposed to a high concentration of glucose-6-phosphate. It was concluded that the translocation of glucose-6-phosphate across the membranes is the primary event which affects both the initiation of and the recovery from the transient repression. During the transient repression the cellular content of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate decreased significantly.