Regulation of tyrosine and phenylalanine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli K-12: properties of the tyrR gene product.

A spontaneous amber tyrR mutant has been isolated in which constitutive synthesis of 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonic acid 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetase (tyr) and DAHP synthetase (phe) is suppressible by supC(-), supD(-), supF(-) and supU(-). This finding suggests the tyrR gene product is a protein. Derepression of DAHP synthetase (phe) in this and in seven other spontaneous tyrR mutants and in four Mu-1-induced tyrR mutants provides further evidence for the involvement of the tyrR gene product in phenylalanine biosynthesis. Evidence that the tyrR product is a component of repressor, rather than an enzyme involved in its synthesis or modification, comes from a study of a temperature-sensitive tyrR mutant. This mutant is of the thermolabile type, since derepression occurs rapidly and in the presence and absence of growth.