A Bacillus subtilis gene of previously unknown function, yhaG, is translationally regulated by tryptophan-activated TRAP and appears to be involved in tryptophan transport

Computer analysis of the Bacillus subtilis genome sequence revealed a gene with no previously attributed function, yhaG, specifying a transcript conta ining a presumptive binding site for the tryptophan-activated regulatory pr otein, TRAP. The presumptive TRAP binding site overlaps the yhaG Shine-Dalg arno sequence and translation initiation region. TRAP was shown to regulate expression of yhaG translationally. Production of the yhaG transcript in v ivo was found to compete for the binding of TRAP to other known TRAP bindin g sites. YhaG is likely to be a transmembrane protein involved in tryptopha n transport.