Phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system-mediated regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in Salmonella typhimurium

Abstract

The crr mutation was shown to affect the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system-mediated transient repression of the lac operon, intracellular cAMP levels, and sensitivity to inducer exclusion. Our results indicate that the presumed crr gene product, factor IIIGlc, plays a direct role in the regulation of inducer exclusion. We propose a mechanism in which inducer exclusion depends on both the level and state of phosphorylation of factor IIIGlc and the level of an inducer exclusion-sensitive transport system. The results of studies on the sensitivity to inducer exclusion of glycerol and maltose in cultures induced for short periods of time on these substrates (resulting in varying degrees of activity of the respective transport systems) support this model of inducer exclusion. Previously, the crp*-771 mutation has been shown to result in an altered cAMP receptor protein, which has a changed affinity for cAMP, and to affect the sensitivity for inducer exclusion of glycerol. Changes in other functions of the altered cAMP receptor protein were indicated by our results; these changes were in the roles of this protein in (i) the cAMP-dependent initiation of transcription of the lac operon and (ii) the regulation of intracellular cAMP levels and the export of cAMP. We propose that the crp*-771 mutation has an indirect effect in relieving inducer exclusion in repressed or hypersensitive strains, in which the crp*-771 mutation allows the synthesis of inducer exclusion-sensitive transport systems to higher levels than the levels found in strains containing wild-type cAMP receptor protein.