Multiple elements and auto-repression regulate Rox1, a repressor of hypoxic genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Genetics ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 1149-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Deckert ◽  
R Perini ◽  
B Balasubramanian ◽  
R S Zitomer

Abstract The ROX1 gene encodes a heme-induced repressor of hypoxic genes in yeast. Using RNA blot analysis and a ROX1/lacZ fusion construct that included the ROX1 upstream region and only the first codon, we discovered that Rox1 represses its own expression. Gel-retardation experiments indicated that Rox1 was capable of binding to its own upstream region. Overexpression of Rox1 from the inducible GAL1 promoter was found to be inhibitory to cell growth. Also, we found that, as reported previously, Hap1 is partially responsible for heme-induction of ROX1, but, in addition, it also may play a role in ROX1 repression in the absence of heme. There is a second repressor of anaerobic ROX1 expression that requires the general repressor Tup1/Ssn6 for its function.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 6229-6247 ◽  
Author(s):  
S M Miller ◽  
B Magasanik

We analyzed the upstream region of the GDH2 gene, which encodes the NAD-linked glutamate dehydrogenase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, for elements important for the regulation of the gene by the nitrogen source. The levels of this enzyme are high in cells grown with glutamate as the sole source of nitrogen and low in cells grown with glutamine or ammonium. We found that this regulation occurs at the level of transcription and that a total of six sites are required to cause a CYC1-lacZ fusion to the GDH2 gene to be regulated in the same manner as the NAD-linked glutamate dehydrogenase. Two sites behaved as upstream activation sites (UASs). The remaining four sites were found to block the effects of the two UASs in such a way that the GDH2-CYC1-lacZ fusion was not expressed unless the cells containing it were grown under conditions favorable for the activity of both UASs. This complex regulatory system appears to account for the fact that GDH2 expression is exquisitely sensitive to glutamine, whereas the expression of GLN1, coding for glutamine synthetase, is not nearly as sensitive.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 6229-6247
Author(s):  
S M Miller ◽  
B Magasanik

We analyzed the upstream region of the GDH2 gene, which encodes the NAD-linked glutamate dehydrogenase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, for elements important for the regulation of the gene by the nitrogen source. The levels of this enzyme are high in cells grown with glutamate as the sole source of nitrogen and low in cells grown with glutamine or ammonium. We found that this regulation occurs at the level of transcription and that a total of six sites are required to cause a CYC1-lacZ fusion to the GDH2 gene to be regulated in the same manner as the NAD-linked glutamate dehydrogenase. Two sites behaved as upstream activation sites (UASs). The remaining four sites were found to block the effects of the two UASs in such a way that the GDH2-CYC1-lacZ fusion was not expressed unless the cells containing it were grown under conditions favorable for the activity of both UASs. This complex regulatory system appears to account for the fact that GDH2 expression is exquisitely sensitive to glutamine, whereas the expression of GLN1, coding for glutamine synthetase, is not nearly as sensitive.


Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 163 (1) ◽  
pp. 447-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey S Thompson ◽  
Marilyn L Snow ◽  
Summer Giles ◽  
Leslie E McPherson ◽  
Michael Grunstein

Abstract Fourteen novel single-amino-acid substitution mutations in histone H3 that disrupt telomeric silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were identified, 10 of which are clustered within the α1 helix and L1 loop of the essential histone fold. Several of these mutations cause derepression of silent mating locus HML, and an additional subset cause partial loss of basal repression at the GAL1 promoter. Our results identify a new domain within the essential core of histone H3 that is required for heterochromatin-mediated silencing.


Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 157 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya-Wen Chang ◽  
Susie C Howard ◽  
Yelena V Budovskaya ◽  
Jasper Rine ◽  
Paul K Herman

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells enter into a distinct resting state, known as stationary phase, in response to specific types of nutrient deprivation. We have identified a collection of mutants that exhibited a defective transcriptional response to nutrient limitation and failed to enter into a normal stationary phase. These rye mutants were isolated on the basis of defects in the regulation of YGP1 expression. In wild-type cells, YGP1 levels increased during the growth arrest caused by nutrient deprivation or inactivation of the Ras signaling pathway. In contrast, the levels of YGP1 and related genes were significantly elevated in the rye mutants during log phase growth. The rye defects were not specific to this YGP1 response as these mutants also exhibited multiple defects in stationary phase properties, including an inability to survive periods of prolonged starvation. These data indicated that the RYE genes might encode important regulators of yeast cell growth. Interestingly, three of the RYE genes encoded the Ssn/Srb proteins, Srb9p, Srb10p, and Srb11p, which are associated with the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme. Thus, the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme may be a target of the signaling pathways responsible for coordinating yeast cell growth with nutrient availability.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 688-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M Ivy ◽  
A J Klar ◽  
J B Hicks

Mating type in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is determined by the MAT (a or alpha) locus. HML and HMR, which usually contain copies of alpha and a mating type information, respectively, serve as donors in mating type interconversion and are under negative transcriptional control. Four trans-acting SIR (silent information regulator) loci are required for repression of transcription. A defect in any SIR gene results in expression of both HML and HMR. The four SIR genes were isolated from a genomic library by complementation of sir mutations in vivo. DNA blot analysis suggests that the four SIR genes share no sequence homology. RNA blots indicate that SIR2, SIR3, and SIR4 each encode one transcript and that SIR1 encodes two transcripts. Null mutations, made by replacement of the normal genomic allele with deletion-insertion mutations created in the cloned SIR genes, have a Sir- phenotype and are viable. Using the cloned genes, we showed that SIR3 at a high copy number is able to suppress mutations of SIR4. RNA blot analysis suggests that this suppression is not due to transcriptional regulation of SIR3 by SIR4; nor does any SIR4 gene transcriptionally regulate another SIR gene. Interestingly, a truncated SIR4 gene disrupts regulation of the silent mating type loci. We propose that interaction of at least the SIR3 and SIR4 gene products is involved in regulation of the silent mating type genes.


Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 165 (3) ◽  
pp. 1059-1070
Author(s):  
Susie C Howard ◽  
Arelis Hester ◽  
Paul K Herman

Abstract The Ras signaling pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae controls cell growth via the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, PKA. Recent work has indicated that these effects on growth are due, in part, to the regulation of activities associated with the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. However, the precise target of these Ras effects has remained unknown. This study suggests that Ras/PKA activity regulates the elongation step of the RNA polymerase II transcription process. Several lines of evidence indicate that Spt5p in the Spt4p/Spt5p elongation factor is the likely target of this control. First, the growth of spt4 and spt5 mutants was found to be very sensitive to changes in Ras/PKA signaling activity. Second, mutants with elevated levels of Ras activity shared a number of specific phenotypes with spt5 mutants and vice versa. Finally, Spt5p was efficiently phosphorylated by PKA in vitro. Altogether, the data suggest that the Ras/PKA pathway might be directly targeting a component of the elongating polymerase complex and that this regulation is important for the normal control of yeast cell growth. These data point out the interesting possibility that signal transduction pathways might directly influence the elongation step of RNA polymerase II transcription.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 3435-3442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor Steglich ◽  
Walter Neupert ◽  
Thomas Langer

ABSTRACT Prohibitins comprise a protein family in eukaryotic cells with potential roles in senescence and tumor suppression. Phb1p and Phb2p, members of the prohibitin family in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have been implicated in the regulation of the replicative life span of the cells and in the maintenance of mitochondrial morphology. The functional activities of these proteins, however, have not been elucidated. We demonstrate here that prohibitins regulate the turnover of membrane proteins by the m-AAA protease, a conserved ATP-dependent protease in the inner membrane of mitochondria. The m-AAA protease is composed of the homologous subunits Yta10p (Afg3p) and Yta12p (Rca1p). Deletion ofPHB1 or PHB2 impairs growth of Δyta10 or Δyta12 cells but does not affect cell growth in the presence of the m-AAA protease. A prohibitin complex with a native molecular mass of approximately 2 MDa containing Phb1p and Phb2p forms a supercomplex with them-AAA protease. Proteolysis of nonassembled inner membrane proteins by the m-AAA protease is accelerated in mitochondria lacking Phb1p or Phb2p, indicating a negative regulatory effect of prohibitins on m-AAA protease activity. These results functionally link members of two conserved protein families in eukaryotes to the degradation of membrane proteins in mitochondria.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 4757-4769
Author(s):  
J S Flick ◽  
M Johnston

Expression of the GAL1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is strongly repressed by growth on glucose. We show that two sites within the GAL1 promoter mediate glucose repression. First, glucose inhibits transcription activation by GAL4 protein through UASG. Second, a promoter element, termed URSG, confers glucose repression independently of GAL4. We have localized the URSG sequences responsible for glucose repression to an 87-base-pair fragment located between UASG and the TATA box. Promoters deleted for small (20-base-pair) segments that span this sequence are still subject to glucose repression, suggesting that there are multiple sequences within this region that confer repression. Extended deletions across this region confirm that it contains at least two and possibly three URSG elements. To identify the gene products that confer repression upon UASG and URSG, we have analyzed glucose repression mutants and found that the GAL83, REG1, GRR1, and SSN6 genes are required for repression mediated by both UASG and URSG. In contrast, GAL82 and HXK2 are required only for UASG repression. A mutation designated urr1-1 (URSG repression resistant) was identified that specifically relieves URSG repression without affecting UASG repression. In addition, we observed that the SNF1-encoded protein kinase is essential for derepression of both UASG and URSG. We propose that repression of UASG and URSG is mediated by two independent pathways that respond to a common signal generated by growth on glucose.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 2324-2333
Author(s):  
L Sarokin ◽  
M Carlson

Expression of secreted invertase from the SUC2 gene is regulated by carbon catabolite repression. Previously, an upstream regulatory region that is required for derepression of secreted invertase was identified and shown to confer glucose-repressible expression to the heterologous promoter of a LEU2-lacZ fusion. In this paper we show that tandem copies of a 32-base pair (bp) sequence from the upstream regulatory region activate expression of the same LEU2-lacZ fusion. The level of expression increased with the number of copies of the element, but was independent of their orientation; the expression from constructions containing four copies of the sequence was only twofold lower than that when the entire SUC2 upstream regulatory region was present. This activation was not significantly glucose repressible. The 32-bp sequence includes a 7-bp motif with the consensus sequence (A/C)(A/G)GAAAT that is repeated at five sites within the upstream regulatory region. Genetic evidence supporting the functional significance of this repeated motif was obtained by pseudoreversion of a SUC2 deletion mutant lacking part of the upstream region, including two copies of the 7-bp element. In three of five pseudorevertants, the mutations that restored high-level SUC2 expression altered one of the remaining copies of the 7-bp element.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5829-5842
Author(s):  
P Zheng ◽  
D S Fay ◽  
J Burton ◽  
H Xiao ◽  
J L Pinkham ◽  
...  

SPK1 was originally discovered in an immunoscreen for tyrosine-protein kinases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have used biochemical and genetic techniques to investigate the function of this gene and its encoded protein. Hybridization of an SPK1 probe to an ordered genomic library showed that SPK1 is adjacent to PEP4 (chromosome XVI L). Sporulation of spk1/+ heterozygotes gave rise to spk1 spores that grew into microcolonies but could not be further propagated. These colonies were greatly enriched for budded cells, especially those with large buds. Similarly, eviction of CEN plasmids bearing SPK1 from cells with a chromosomal SPK1 disruption yielded viable cells with only low frequency. Spk1 protein was identified by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. It was associated with protein-Ser, Thr, and Tyr kinase activity in immune complex kinase assays. Spk1 was localized to the nucleus by immunofluorescence. The nucleotide sequence of the SPK1 5' noncoding region revealed that SPK1 contains two MluI cell cycle box elements. These elements confer S-phase-specific transcription to many genes involved in DNA synthesis. Northern (RNA) blotting of synchronized cells verified that the SPK1 transcript is coregulated with other MluI box-regulated genes. The SPK1 upstream region also includes a domain highly homologous to sequences involved in induction of RAD2 and other excision repair genes by agents that induce DNA damage. spk1 strains were hypersensitive to UV irradiation. Taken together, these findings indicate that SPK1 is a dual-specificity (Ser/Thr and Tyr) protein kinase that is essential for viability. The cell cycle-dependent transcription, presence of DNA damage-related sequences, requirement for UV resistance, and nuclear localization of Spk1 all link this gene to a crucial S-phase-specific role, probably as a positive regulator of DNA synthesis.


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