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Pathway Description
Operon: Elongation Factor
Escherichia coli
Category:
Metabolite Pathway
Sub-Category:
Signaling
Created: 2015-07-20
Last Updated: 2025-11-10
The tRNA-tufB operon in E. coli contains a total of five genes. Four of these encode tRNA molecules, while the final one encodes an elongation factor used in bacterial translation. The operon is regulated in two ways. It can be activated by the DNA-binding protein Fis, which binds upstream of the operon promoter and it increases gene transcription by altering the chromatin structure, making it easier for RNA polymerase to bind.
The operon can also be negatively regulated by guanosine 3'-diphosphate 5-'triphosphate (ppgpp), a compound that is produced in E. coli in response to stress. ppgpp binds to the promoter region of the operon and inhibits transcription from occurring.
The first four genes, thrU, tyrU, glyT and thrT are all transcribed into tRNA molecules. thrU and thrT are both threonine tRNAs with different anticodons (UGU and GGU), while tyrU is a tyrosine tRNA with the anticodin GUA, and glyT is a glycine tRNA with the anticodin UCC.
The fifth gene in the operon, tufB, encodes the elongation factor Tu 2 protein. This protein binds the activated tRNAs in the ribosome, allowing for transcription to take place, and as such it is necessary for cell growth and function.
References
Operon: Elongation Factor References
van Delft JH, Marinon B, Schmidt DS, Bosch L: Transcription of the tRNA-tufB operon of Escherichia coli: activation, termination and antitermination. Nucleic Acids Res. 1987 Nov 25;15(22):9515-30.
Pubmed: 3317280
Van Delft JH, Talens A, De Jong PJ, Schmidt DS, Bosch L: Control of the tRNA-tufB operon in Escherichia coli. 2. Mechanisms of the feedback inhibition of tufB expression studied in vivo and in vitro. Eur J Biochem. 1988 Aug 1;175(2):363-74. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1988.tb14205.x.
Pubmed: 2456927
An G, Friesen JD: The nucleotide sequence of tufB and four nearby tRNA structural genes of Escherichia coli. Gene. 1980 Dec;12(1-2):33-9. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(80)90013-x.
Pubmed: 7011904
Miyajima A, Shibuya M, Kuchino Y, Kaziro Y: Transcription of the E. coli tufB gene: cotranscription with four tRNA genes and inhibition by guanosine-5'-diphosphate-3'-diphosphate. Mol Gen Genet. 1981;183(1):13-9. doi: 10.1007/bf00270131.
Pubmed: 7035813
Blattner FR, Burland V, Plunkett G 3rd, Sofia HJ, Daniels DL: Analysis of the Escherichia coli genome. IV. DNA sequence of the region from 89.2 to 92.8 minutes. Nucleic Acids Res. 1993 Nov 25;21(23):5408-17. doi: 10.1093/nar/21.23.5408.
Pubmed: 8265357
Johnson RC, Ball CA, Pfeffer D, Simon MI: Isolation of the gene encoding the Hin recombinational enhancer binding protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 May;85(10):3484-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.10.3484.
Pubmed: 2835774
Koch C, Vandekerckhove J, Kahmann R: Escherichia coli host factor for site-specific DNA inversion: cloning and characterization of the fis gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Jun;85(12):4237-41. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.12.4237.
Pubmed: 2837762
Ball CA, Osuna R, Ferguson KC, Johnson RC: Dramatic changes in Fis levels upon nutrient upshift in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1992 Dec;174(24):8043-56. doi: 10.1128/jb.174.24.8043-8056.1992.
Pubmed: 1459953
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