Regulation of lysine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli K12

Abstract

A general survey of the regulation in lysine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli K12 is presented. No polygenic operon exists for the genes that code for enzymes of the lysine biosynthetic pathway. Lysyl-tRNA is not directly involved as a co-repressor in the pathway. Different regulation mechanisms must exist for the different enzymes. In the case of the last enzyme, diaminopimelate decarboxylase, its synthesis is induced in vivo by the lysine-sensitive aspartokinase under its non-inhibited allosteric conformation.