The document discusses gene expression in prokaryotes through the lac operon in E. coli. It explains that the lac operon consists of three genes involved in lactose metabolism regulated by a single promoter. When glucose is absent and lactose is present, an activator protein binds to DNA, lifting the repressor protein off the operator site and allowing RNA polymerase to transcribe the lac operon. When glucose is present, the repressor protein binds to the operator site, blocking transcription of the lac operon.