Tandem duplication and multiple functions of a receptor gene in bacterial chemotaxis

The aspartate receptor in bacterial sensing, previously identified with the tar gene, has been shown to be duplicated in tandem in Escherichia coli. Each gene, which we refer to as tar and tap, respectively, codes for a 60,000-dalton protein. By genetic engineering experiments in which each gene is introduced separately into E. coli strains, it is shown that each transmembrane receptor can respond to the small molecule aspartate, to the maltose-protein-chemoeffector complex, and to repellents.