The catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) is not required for indole-3-acetic acid to activate transcription of the araBAD operon of Escherichia coli K-12.

Kline et al. (1980) have reported that indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and four other indole derivatives are able to substitute for cAMP in activating expression of the ara regulon of E. coli. We have examined this phenomenon in detail, utilizing fusions between the structural gene for beta-galactosidase and the promoters for the araBAD, araE, and araFG operons. We confirm that IAA potently stimulates transcription from the araBAD promoter. The effect is highly specific to araBAD, as IAA has no, or only slight, effects on the araE and araFG operons. However, contrary to the results of Kline et al., we find that the action of IAA does not require CAP. Thus, IAA fully stimulates the transcription of araBAD in a strain which bears a complete deletion of the crp gene.