Mutations affecting regulation of methionine biosynthetic genes isolated by use of met-lac fusions

Fusions of the lac genes to the promoters of four structural genes in the methionine biosynthetic pathway, metA, metB, metE, and metF, were obtained by the use of the Mu d(Ap lac) bacteriophage. The levels of beta-galactosidase in these strains could be derepressed by growth under methionine-limiting conditions. Furthermore, growth in the presence of vitamin B12 repressed the synthesis of beta-galactosidase in strains containing a fusion of lacZ to the metE promoter, phi(metE'-lacZ+). Mutations affecting the regulation of met-lac fusions were generated by the insertion of Tn5. Tn5 insertions were obtained at the known regulatory loci metJ and metK. Interestingly, a significant amount of methionine adenosyltransferase activity remained in the metK mutant despite the fact that the mutation was generated by an insertion. Several Tn5-induced regulatory mutations were isolated by screening for high-level beta-galactosidase expression in a phi(metE'-lacZ+) strain in the presence of vitamin B12. Tn5 insertions mapping at the btuB (B12 uptake), metH (B12 dependent tetrahydropteroylglutamate methyltransferase), and metF (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) loci were obtained. The isolation of the metH mutant was consistent with previous suggestions that the metH gene product is required for the repression of metE by vitamin B12. The metF::Tn5 insertion was of particular interest since it suggested that a functional metf gene product was also needed for repression of metE by vitamin B12.