LAC-OPERON

MAHESH DAYYALA
BODA RAHUL

The control of gene

expression
Each

cell in the human contains all

the genetic material for the growth
and development of a human
Some of these genes will be need to
be expressed all the time
These are the genes that are
involved in of vital biochemical
processes such as respiration
Other genes are not expressed all
the time
They are switched on an off at need

Operons

An operon is a group of genes

that are transcribed at the
same time.

They usually control an

important biochemical
process.

They are only found in

prokaryotes.
Jacob, Monod & Lwoff
NobelPrize.org

Function of operon

A set of genes transcribed under the

control of an operator gene.

More specifically, anoperonis a

segment of DNA containing adjacent
genes including structural genes, an
operator gene, and a regulatory gene.

Anoperonis thus a functional unit of

transcription and genetic regulation

Do eukaryotic cells have

operons?
Operonsineukaryotes.

It was

thought that polycistronic

transcription is a characteristic of
bacteria and archaea,
where

many of the genes are

clustered inoperonscomposed
of two to more than ten genes.

 lacoperon(lactoseoperon)is

anoperonrequiredforthe
transport
andmetabolismoflactoseinEsc
herichiacoliandmany
otherentericbacteria.

 Althoughglucoseisthepreferred

carbonsourceformostbacteria,
thelacoperonallowsforthe
effectivedigestionoflactose
whenglucoseisnotavailable.

Generegulationof

thelacoperonwasthefirst
geneticregulatorymechanism
tobeunderstoodclearly,soit
hasbecomeaforemost
exampleofprokaryoticgene
regulation.

Structure of Lacoperon
Thelacoperon

consists of
threestructural genes, and
apromoter,
aterminator,regulator, and
anoperator. The three structural
genes are:lacZ,lacY, andlacA.

 lacZencodes-

galactosidase(LacZ), an
intracellularenzymethat
cleaves
thedisaccharidelactoseintoglu
coseand galactose

 lacYencodeslactose

permease(LacY), a
transmembranesymporterthat
pumps-galactosidesinto the
cell using a proton gradient in
the same direction.

 lacAencodesgalactoside

Oacetyltransferase(LacA), an
enzyme that transfers anacetyl
groupfrom acetyl-CoA togalactosides.

OnlylacZandlacYappear

to be
necessary for lactosecatabolism.

The control of the lac

operon

1. When lactose is
absent

A repressor protein is continuously synthesised. It sits

on a sequence of DNA just in front of the lac operon, the
Operator site
The repressor protein blocks the Promoter site
where the RNA polymerase settles before it starts
transcribing
Repressor
protein

DN
A

Regulator
gene

Operator
site

RNA
polymerase

Blocked

y
lac operon

2. When lactose is
present
A small amount of a sugar allolactose is formed

DN
A

within the bacterial cell. This fits onto the

repressor protein at another active site
(allosteric site)
This causes the repressor protein to change its
shape (a conformational change). It can no
longer sit on the operator site. RNA polymerase
can now reach its promoter site

2. When lactose is
present

DN
A

A small amount of a sugar allolactose is formed

within the bacterial cell. This fits onto the
repressor protein at another active site
(allosteric site)
This causes the repressor protein to change its
shape (a conformational change). It can no
longer sit on the operator site. RNA polymerase
can now reach its promoter site

z
y
Promotor site

3. When both glucose

and lactose are present

This explains how the lac operon is transcribed

only when lactose is present.

BUT.. this does not explain why the operon is

not transcribed when both glucose and lactose
are present.

 When

glucose and lactose are present RNA

polymerase can sit on the promoter site
but it is unstable and it keeps falling off
Repressor protein
removed

RNA polymerase
DNA

Promotor site

4. When glucose is
absent and lactose is

Another protein is needed, an activator protein.

present

This stabilises RNA polymerase.

The activator protein only works when glucose is
absent
In this way E. coli only makes enzymes to
metabolise Activator
other sugars in the absence of
glucose protein steadies
the RNA
polymerase

DN
A

Transcription

Promotor site

Summary
Carbohydrates Activator
protein

Repressor
protein

RNA
polymerase

lac Operon

+ GLUCOSE
+ LACTOSE

Not bound
to DNA

Lifted off
operator site

Keeps falling
off promoter
site

No
transcription

+ GLUCOSE
- LACTOSE

Not bound
to DNA

Bound to
operator site

Blocked by
the repressor

No
transcription

- GLUCOSE
- LACTOSE

Bound to
DNA

Bound to
operator site

Blocked by
the repressor

No
transcription

- GLUCOSE
+ LACTOSE

Bound to
DNA

Lifted off
Sits on the
operator site promoter site

Transcription

References
1. BioCoach Activity. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2016, from
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/biocoach/lacoper
on/glucose.html
2. Lac operon. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2016, from
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Lac_operon
3. Prokaryotic Gene Expression. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2016,
from
https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~mcclean/plsc431/prokaryo/proka
ryo2.htm