Tryptophan repressor (or trp repressor) is a transcription factor involved in controlling amino acid metabolism. It has been best studied in Escherichia coli, where it is a dimeric protein that regulates transcription of the 5 genes in the tryptophan operon.[1] When the amino acid tryptophan is plentiful in the cell, it binds to the protein, which causes a conformational change in the protein.[2] The repressor complex then binds to its operator sequence in the genes it regulates, shutting off the genes.[3][4]
One of the genes regulated by trp repressor, trpR, codes for the tryptophan repressor protein itself. This is a form of feedback regulation. However, these genes are located on different operons.
The (tryptophan) repressor is a 25 kD protein homodimer which regulates transcription of the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway in bacteria. There are 5 operons which are regulated by trpR: the trpEDCBA, trpR, AroH, AroL, and mtr operons.