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Attenuation in the control of expression of bacterial operons

Nature volume 289, pages 751–758 (1981)Cite this article

Abstract

Bacterial operons concerned with the biosynthesis of amino acids are often controlled by a process of attenuation. The translation product of the initial segment of the transcript of each operon is a peptide rich in the amino acid that the particular operon controls. If the amino acid is in short supply translation is stalled at the relevant codons of the transcript long enough for the succeeding segment of the transcript to form secondary structures that allow the transcribing RNA polymerase molecule to proceed through a site that otherwise dictates termination of transcription. This site is the attenuator; the process is attenuation.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305, USA

    Charles Yanofsky

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Yanofsky, C. Attenuation in the control of expression of bacterial operons. Nature 289, 751–758 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/289751a0

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