Trp Operon

The Trp Operon is a genetic regulatory system composed of three structural genes, called trpE, trpD, and trpC, that control the synthesis of the essential amino acid tryptophan in bacteria. When the cells have enough tryptophan, the operon binds the repressor protein that switches off the transcription of the structural genes, thus halting the production of the amino acid. The Trp Operon is widely studied to understand the mechanism of gene regulation, and its structure is used in many synthetic biology applications, such as producing biochemicals, improving crop yields and creating novel enzymes.