[Proteolytic control of expression of Vibrio fischeri lux-operon genes in Escherichia coli cells].

The key elements of the regulatory system activating expression of the lux-operon genes in the sea bacteria Vibrio fischeri are the LuxR protein (an activator oftranscription) and N-(3-oxohexanoyl) L-homoserine lactone (an autoinducer, AI). It is shown that the ATP-dependent proteases ClpXP and Lon take part in the negative control of expression of the lux-operon genes and that AI protects the LuxR protein from proteolysis.