In enteric bacteria products of nitrogen regulatory genes ntrA, ntrB and ntrC are known to regulate transcription both positively and negatively at glnA, the structural gene encoding glutamine synthetase [L-glutamate:ammonia-ligase (ADP-forming), EC 6.3.1.2]. We have characterized two types of cis-acting mutations in the glnA promoter-regulatory region. One type, which we have called promoter Up [glnAp (Up)], elevates transcription of glnA to high levels without need for ntr-mediated activation but leaves expression sensitive to ntr-mediated repression. The other type renders glnA transcription insensitive to repression but leaves it normally responsive to activation. Properties of the two types of promoter-regulatory mutations suggest that sites for ntr-mediated activation of glnA transcription are functionally distinct from sites for ntr-mediated repression.
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