Allolactose
Encyclopedia
Allolactose is a disaccharide
similar to lactose
. It consists of the monosaccharide
s D-galactose
and D-glucose
linked through a β1-6 glycosidic linkage
instead of the β1-4 linkage of lactose. It may arise from by the occasional transglycosylation of lactose by β-galactosidase.
It is an inducer
of the lac operon
in Escherichia coli
. It binds to a subunit of the tetrameric lac repressor
, which results in conformational changes and reduces the binding affinity of the lac repressor to the lac operator, thereby dissociating it from the lac operator. The absence of the repressor allows the transcription of the lac operon to proceed. A non-hydrolyzable analog of allolactose, isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), is normally used in molecular biology to induce the lac operon.
Disaccharide
A disaccharide or biose is the carbohydrate formed when two monosaccharides undergo a condensation reaction which involves the elimination of a small molecule, such as water, from the functional groups only. Like monosaccharides, disaccharides form an aqueous solution when dissolved in water...
similar to lactose
Lactose
Lactose is a disaccharide sugar that is found most notably in milk and is formed from galactose and glucose. Lactose makes up around 2~8% of milk , although the amount varies among species and individuals. It is extracted from sweet or sour whey. The name comes from or , the Latin word for milk,...
. It consists of the monosaccharide
Monosaccharide
Monosaccharides are the most basic units of biologically important carbohydrates. They are the simplest form of sugar and are usually colorless, water-soluble, crystalline solids. Some monosaccharides have a sweet taste. Examples of monosaccharides include glucose , fructose , galactose, xylose...
s D-galactose
Galactose
Galactose , sometimes abbreviated Gal, is a type of sugar that is less sweet than glucose. It is a C-4 epimer of glucose....
and D-glucose
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
linked through a β1-6 glycosidic linkage
Glycosidic bond
In chemistry, a glycosidic bond is a type of covalent bond that joins a carbohydrate molecule to another group, which may or may not be another carbohydrate....
instead of the β1-4 linkage of lactose. It may arise from by the occasional transglycosylation of lactose by β-galactosidase.
It is an inducer
Inducer
In molecular biology, an inducer is a molecule that starts gene expression.For a gene to be expressed, its DNA sequence must be copied to make a smaller, mobile molecule called messenger RNA , which carries the instructions for making a protein to the site where the protein is manufactured...
of the lac operon
Lac operon
The lac operon is an operon required for the transport and metabolism of lactose in Escherichia coli and some other enteric bacteria. It consists of three adjacent structural genes, lacZ, lacY and lacA. The lac operon is regulated by several factors including the availability of glucose and of...
in Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
. It binds to a subunit of the tetrameric lac repressor
Lac repressor
The lac repressor is a DNA-binding protein which inhibits the expression of genes coding for proteins involved in the metabolism of lactose in bacteria. These genes are repressed when lactose is not available to the cell, ensuring that the bacterium only invests energy in the production of...
, which results in conformational changes and reduces the binding affinity of the lac repressor to the lac operator, thereby dissociating it from the lac operator. The absence of the repressor allows the transcription of the lac operon to proceed. A non-hydrolyzable analog of allolactose, isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG), is normally used in molecular biology to induce the lac operon.