Role of inducer exclusion in preferential utilization of glucose over melibiose in diauxic growth of Escherichia coli.

The role of inducer exclusion in diauxic growth of Escherichia coli on glucose and melibiose was investigated. The amounts of glucose and melibiose in the culture medium were determined during the diauxie. Glucose was consumed during the first growth cycle of the diauxie, and melibiose was consumed during the second cycle. The addition of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate to the culture medium released both transient and catabolite repressions on the melibiose operon by glucose. Biphasic growth without a transient lag phase was observed in the presence of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. Preferential utilization of glucose over melibiose was observed even under such conditions. Thus, it is clear that inducer exclusion alone is sufficient to ensure the preferential utilization of glucose over melibiose. Similar results were obtained from a glucose-lactose diauxie. Inducer exclusion itself was not affected by adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate.