1ai)Definition of operon

: a group of closely linked genes that produces a single messenger RNA molecule in transcription and that consists of
structural genes and regulating elements (such as an operator and promoter)

Type

An operon is a part of genetic material (or DNA) which acts as a single regulated unit having one or more structural genes,
an operator gene, a promoter gene, a regulator gene, a repressor and an inducer or corepressor (from outside). Operator,
promoter and regulator genes constitute the regulatory region.Operon systems are common in prokarytoes. The first
operon lас-operon was discovered by Jacob and Monad (1961). Later on a number of such operons were discovered, e.g.,
trp -operon, ara -operon, his – operon, vol -operon. Oper-ons are of two types, inducible and repressible.

Inducible Operon System – Lac Operon (Fig 6.34):

An inducible operon system is a regulated unit of genetic material which is switched on in response to the presence of a
chemical. It consists of the following parts:

 Inducible operons normally do not allow transcription of the genes—the switch

is off by default.
 The lac operon:
o The enzyme β-galactosidase is required to break down lactose (milk sugar, a
disaccharide) into its constituent monosaccharides.
o β-galactosidase is found in the lac operon, along with several other genes that
function in lactose metabolism.
 Somewhere else in the genome is a regulatory gene which produces a repressor
protein.
o The repressor protein is initially produced in active form.
o It therefore immediately diffuses and binds to the operator, switching
the lac operon off.
o This prevents transcription of the genes involved in lactose metabolism.

Repressible Operon System (Fig. 6.35):

Repressible operon system is commonly found in anabolic pathways. The operon is active and the enzymes produced by its
structural genes are normally present in the cell. The functioning of the operon is stopped when the concentration of an
end product crosses a threshold value. An example of repressible system is tryptophan or trp operon of Escherichia coli. It
was also worked out by Jacob and Monod and consists of the following:

 Repressible operons normally allow RNA polymerase to transcribe the genes—the

“switch” is on by default.
 When a protein called a repressor binds to the operator, transcription stops—the
switch is turned off.
o The repressor protein is coded for somewhere else (at the regulatory gene).
o It is continually being produced.
o It can diffuse through the cell to arrive at the operator.

1aii)

overview

Operons occur primarily in prokaryotes but also in some eukaryotes, including nematodes such as C. elegans and the fruit
fly, Drosophila melanogaster. rRNA genes often exist in operons that have been found in a range of eukaryotes including
chordates. An operon is made up of several structural genes arranged under a common promoter and regulated by a
common operator. It is defined as a set of adjacent structural genes, plus the adjacent regulatory signals that affect
transcription of the structural genes.5[11] The regulators of a given operon, including repressors, corepressors, and
activators, are not necessarily coded for by that operon. The location and condition of the regulators, promoter, operator
and structural DNA sequences can determine the effects of common mutations.

Operons are related to regulons, stimulons and modulons; whereas operons contain a set of genes regulated by the same
operator, regulons contain a set of genes under regulation by a single regulatory protein, and stimulons contain a set of
genes under regulation by a single cell stimulus. According to its authors, the term "operon" is derived from the verb "to
operate".[12]

An operon is made up of 3 basic DNA components:

Promoter – a nucleotide sequence that enables a gene to be transcribed. The promoter is recognized by RNA
polymerase, which then initiates transcription. In RNA synthesis, promoters indicate which genes should be used for
messenger RNA creation – and, by extension, control which proteins the cell produces.

Operator – a segment of DNA that a repressor binds to. It is classically defined in the lac operon as a segment between
the promoter and the genes of the operon.[14] The main operator (O1) in the lac operon is located slightly downstream
of the promoter; two additional operators, O1 and O3 are located at -82 and +412, respectively. In the case of a
repressor, the repressor protein physically obstructs the RNA polymerase from transcribing the genes.

Structural genes – the genes that are co-regulated by the operon.

Not always included within the operon, but important in its function is a regulatory gene, a constantly expressed gene
which codes for repressor proteins. The regulatory gene does not need to be in, adjacent to, or even near the operon to
control it.[15]

An inducer (small molecule) can displace a repressor (protein) from the operator site (DNA), resulting in an uninhibited
operon.

alternatively, a corepressor can bind to the repressor to allow its binding to the operator site. A good example of this type
of regulation is seen for the trp operon.

1bi)

The lac operon consists of three structural genes, and a promoter, a terminator, regulator, and an operator. The three
structural genes are: lacZ, lacY, and lacA.

lacZ encodes β-galactosidase (LacZ), an intracellular enzyme that cleaves the disaccharide lactose into glucose and
galactose.

lacY encodes Beta-galactoside permease (LacY), a transmembrane symporter that pumps β-galactosides including lactose
into the cell using a proton gradient in the same direction.

lacA encodes β-galactoside transacetylase (LacA), an enzyme that transfers an acetyl group from acetyl-CoA to β-
galactosides.

Only lacZ and lacY appear to be necessary for lactose catabolism.

PHOTO IN GROUPPPP

1bii)

Figure 18.4