This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Messer, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Messer, A.

Lactose Permeation Via the Arabinose Transport System in Escherichia coli K-12

^a Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97401

ABSTRACT

This paper describes the isolation and characterization of a mutant of Escherichia coli that transports lactose and its analog thiomethylgalactoside via the arabinose permeation system. Unlike transport via the lactose permease, this transport is not inhibited by thiodigalactoside, but was inhibited by arabinose, xylose, and fucose. The site of the mutation was in the arabinose C gene and confers constitutivity on the entire arabinose operon. Furthermore, this transport was found in 24 independently isolated arabinose-constitutive strains, and in strains which had been induced with arabinose and then starved to remove all traces of it. It was therefore concluded that lactose and thiomethylgalactoside are low-affinity substrates of at least one component of the normal arabinose permeation system.

¹ Present address: Department of Neuroscience, Children's Hospital Medical Center, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, Mass. 02115.