Abstract
GOLDBERGER1 has drawn attention to numerous reports relating both to prokaryote and eukaryote systems in which it has been shown that an enzyme may have, in addition to its own catalytic function, a regulatory role in determining the rate of its own synthesis. He has suggested the term ‘autogenous regulation’ to describe such situations. The term ‘autoregulation’ has previously been used by others2,3 to describe this general phenomenon. Autogenous regulation is, however, itself an example of a more widespread phenomenon, whereby a protein may have a regulatory function as well as a catalytic or structural role. Thus for example, Slonimski and his coworkers4,5 have suggested that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, iso-2-cytochrome c regulates the synthesis, not of itself, but of iso-1-cytochrome c, and I have proposed6 that in Aspergillus nidulans, nitrate reductase regulates not only its own synthesis, but also the syntheses of many catabolic enzymes.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Goldberger, R. F., Science, 183, 810 (1974).
Cove, D. J., and Pateman, J. A., J. Bact., 97, 1374 (1969).
Calhoun, D. H., and Hatfield, G. W., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., 70, 2757 (1973).
Sels, A. A., Fukuhara, H., Pere, G., and Slonimski, P. P., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 95, 486 (1965).
Clavilier, L., Pere, G., and Slonimski, P. P., Molec. Gen. Genetics, 104, 195 (1969).
Cove, D. J., Heredity, 29, 119 (1972).
Cove, D. J., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 113, 51 (1966).
Scazzocchio, C., Molec. Gen. Genetics, 125, 147 (1973).
Jobe, A., and Bourgeois, S., J. molec. Biol., 69, 397 (1972).
Beyrouther, K., Adler, K., Geisler, N., and Klemm, A., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., 70, 3576 (1973).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
COVE, D. Evolutionary significance of autogenous regulation. Nature 251, 256 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/251256a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/251256a0
This article is cited by
-
On the early emergence of reverse transcription: Theoretical basis and experimental evidence
Journal of Molecular Evolution (1992)
-
Pyrimidine biosynthesis in Aspergillus nidulans
Molecular and General Genetics MGG (1975)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.