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The binding protein-dependent transport of galactose and maltose occurs at a reduced but significant rate in Escherichia coli cells which have undergone a mild toluenization. Dihydrolipoate and 3-acetyl-NAD produce a severalfold stimulation of these transports in the toluenized cells. In parallel to the stimulation of galactose and maltose transport by dihydrolipoate and 3-acetyl-NAD, there is a stimulation by galactose and maltose of lipoamide dehydrogenase activities which seem to be related to the binding-protein-dependent transport of these sugars. The lipoamide dehydrogenase component of the pyruvate and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes (the lpd gene product) is not involved in this stimulation. These results are discussed in relation to our recent studies showing a possible involvement of lipoic acid and of the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenases in the binding-proteindependent transports.The energetics of binding-protein-dependent transports have been the subject of controversial propositions during the past ten years. The arsenate sensitivity of these transports, along with a requirement for a source of ATP, be it oxidative or glycolytic, has been generally interpreted to mean that binding-protein-dependent transports are driven by ATP [l-51. However, this interpretation has been questioned by results showing a lack of correlation between ATP levels and the activity of binding-protein-dependent transports under certain conditions [6, 71, and several results have shown that a membrane potential may be required [8, 91. In other studies, acetylphosphate has been implicated [lo]. We have recently observed that the binding-protein-dependent transport of ribose, galactose and maltose are specifically inhibited by 5-methoxyindole-Zcarboxylic acid [I I] a known inhibitor of 2-oxoacid dehydrogenases [12], are strongly reduced upon lipoic acid deprivation of a strain deficient in lipoic acid synthesis [13] and in several mutants affecting the pyruvate and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes (unpublished results). In this study, we present several results which suggest an involvement of lipoamide dehydrogenase activities (distinct from the lpd gene product) in the binding-protein-dependent transport of galactose and maltose.

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In Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli the high-affinity galactose transport system, which contains a periplasmic galactose-binding protein as an essential component, is encoded by the mgl genes. The entire mgl region of S. typhimurium is contained on a 6.3-kilobase EcoRI restriction fragment, which has been cloned into plasmid vectors. We determined the extent of the mgl region on this fragment by TnS mutagenesis, examination of lacZ fusions to mgl genes, and subcloning smaller restriction fragments. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of protein preparations derived from strains carrying different plasmids was used to identify the mgl gene products. We conclude that the mgl operon consists of four genes that form a single transcription unit: mglB, mglA, mglE, and mglC. The mglB gene codes for galactose-binding protein (33,000 daltons), mglA codes for a membrane-bound protein of 51,000 daltons, and mglC codes for a 29,000-dalton membrane protein. The mglE product was less well characterized. Its existence was inferred from a mglE-lacZ protein fusion located between mglA and mglC. In addition, the coupled transcription-translation in vitro system indicated that mglE codes for

From libraries of EcoRI fragments of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli DNA in lambda gt7, phages could be isolated that carry mglB, the structural gene of the galactose-binding protein as well as other mgl genes. Lysogenization of an E. coli mutant carrying a defective galactose-binding protein with lambda gt7 mglB (Salmonella) restores full galactose transport and galactose chemotaxis. Both the E. coli mutant protein as well as the wild-type Salmonella galactose-binding protein are synthesized in this strain. The EcoR1 fragments of both organisms carrying the mgl genes were 6 Kb long. They were subcloned into the multicopy plasmid pACYC184. The hybrid plasmid containing the Salmonella mgl DNA gives rise to the synthesis of large amounts of galactose-binding protein in the periplasm of E. coli. The protein can be precipitated by antibodies against the E. coli binding protein and is identical to the fully processed protein isolated from Salmonella typhimurium LT2. In vitro protein synthesis (Zubay-system) with either lambda gt7 mgl phages as well as the hybrid plasmid as DNA matrix produces the galactose-binding protein mainly in precursor form that is precipitable by specific antibodies.