scholarly journals Identification and characterization of Drosophila relatives of the yeast transcriptional activator SNF2/SWI2.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 2225-2234 ◽  
Author(s):  
L K Elfring ◽  
R Deuring ◽  
C M McCallum ◽  
C L Peterson ◽  
J W Tamkun

The Drosophila brahma (brm) gene encodes an activator of homeotic genes that is highly related to the yeast transcriptional activator SWI2 (SNF2), a potential helicase. To determine whether brm is a functional homolog of SWI2 or merely a member of a family of SWI2-related genes, we searched for additional Drosophila genes related to SWI2 and examined their function in yeast cells. In addition to brm, we identified one other Drosophila relative of SWI2: the closely related ISWI gene. The 1,027-residue ISWI protein contains the DNA-dependent ATPase domain characteristic of the SWI2 protein family but lacks the three other domains common to brm and SWI2. In contrast, the ISWI protein is highly related (70% identical) to the human hSNF2L protein over its entire length, suggesting that they may be functional homologs. The DNA-dependent ATPase domains of brm and SWI2, but not ISWI, are functionally interchangeable; a chimeric SWI2-brm protein partially rescued the slow growth of swi2- cells and supported transcriptional activation mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor in vivo in yeast cells. These findings indicate that brm is the closest Drosophila relative of SWI2 and suggest that brm and SWI2 play similar roles in transcriptional activation.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 2225-2234
Author(s):  
L K Elfring ◽  
R Deuring ◽  
C M McCallum ◽  
C L Peterson ◽  
J W Tamkun

The Drosophila brahma (brm) gene encodes an activator of homeotic genes that is highly related to the yeast transcriptional activator SWI2 (SNF2), a potential helicase. To determine whether brm is a functional homolog of SWI2 or merely a member of a family of SWI2-related genes, we searched for additional Drosophila genes related to SWI2 and examined their function in yeast cells. In addition to brm, we identified one other Drosophila relative of SWI2: the closely related ISWI gene. The 1,027-residue ISWI protein contains the DNA-dependent ATPase domain characteristic of the SWI2 protein family but lacks the three other domains common to brm and SWI2. In contrast, the ISWI protein is highly related (70% identical) to the human hSNF2L protein over its entire length, suggesting that they may be functional homologs. The DNA-dependent ATPase domains of brm and SWI2, but not ISWI, are functionally interchangeable; a chimeric SWI2-brm protein partially rescued the slow growth of swi2- cells and supported transcriptional activation mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor in vivo in yeast cells. These findings indicate that brm is the closest Drosophila relative of SWI2 and suggest that brm and SWI2 play similar roles in transcriptional activation.


1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1774-1782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Ryan ◽  
Rachael Jones ◽  
Randall H. Morse

ABSTRACT The SWI-SNF complex in yeast and related complexes in higher eukaryotes have been implicated in assisting gene activation by overcoming the repressive effects of chromatin. We show that the ability of the transcriptional activator GAL4 to bind to a site in a positioned nucleosome is not appreciably impaired in swimutant yeast cells. However, chromatin remodeling that depends on a transcriptional activation domain shows a considerable, although not complete, SWI-SNF dependence, suggesting that the SWI-SNF complex exerts its major effect at a step subsequent to activator binding. We tested this idea further by comparing the SWI-SNF dependence of a reporter gene based on the GAL10 promoter, which has an accessible upstream activating sequence and a nucleosomal TATA element, with that of a CYC1-lacZ reporter, which has a relatively accessible TATA element. We found that the GAL10-based reporter gene showed a much stronger SWI-SNF dependence than did theCYC1-lacZ reporter with several different activators. Remarkably, transcription of the GAL10-based reporter by a GAL4-GAL11 fusion protein showed a nearly complete requirement for the SWI-SNF complex, strongly suggesting that SWI-SNF is needed to allow access of TFIID or the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme. Taken together, our results demonstrate that chromatin remodeling in vivo can occur by both SWI-SNF-dependent and -independent avenues and suggest that the SWI-SNF complex exerts its major effect in transcriptional activation at a step subsequent to transcriptional activator-promoter recognition.


Genetics ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 153 (4) ◽  
pp. 1573-1581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanna Chou ◽  
Sukalyan Chatterjee ◽  
Mark Lee ◽  
Kevin Struhl

Abstract The general transcription factor IIA (TFIIA) forms a complex with TFIID at the TATA promoter element, and it inhibits the function of several negative regulators of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) subunit of TFIID. Biochemical experiments suggest that TFIIA is important in the response to transcriptional activators because activation domains can interact with TFIIA, increase recruitment of TFIID and TFIIA to the promoter, and promote isomerization of the TFIID-TFIIA-TATA complex. Here, we describe a double-shut-off approach to deplete yeast cells of Toa1, the large subunit of TFIIA, to <1% of the wild-type level. Interestingly, such TFIIA-depleted cells are essentially unaffected for activation by heat shock factor, Ace1, and Gal4-VP16. However, depletion of TFIIA causes a general two- to threefold decrease of transcription from most yeast promoters and a specific cell-cycle arrest at the G2-M boundary. These results indicate that transcriptional activation in vivo can occur in the absence of TFIIA.


Amylase ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-22
Author(s):  
Gang Xiang ◽  
Piet L. Buwalda ◽  
Marc J.E.C van der Maarel ◽  
Hans Leemhuis

Abstract The 4,6-α-glucanotransferases of the glycoside hydrolase family 70 can convert starch into isomaltooligosaccharides (IMOs). However, no thermostable 4,6-α-glucanotransferases have been reported to date, limiting their applicability in the starch conversion industry. Here we report the identification and characterization of a thermostable 4,6-α-glucanotransferase from Bacillus coagulans DSM 1. The gene was cloned and the recombinant protein, called BcGtfC, was produced in Escherichia coli. BcGtfC is stable up to 66 °C in the presence of substrate. It converts debranched starch into an IMO product with a high percentage of α-1,6-glycosidic linkages and a relatively high molecular weight compared to commercially available IMOs. Importantly, the product is only partly and very slowly digested by rat intestine powder, suggesting that the IMO will provide a low glycaemic response in vivo when applied as food ingredient. Thus, BcGtfC is a thermostable 4,6-α-glucanotransferase suitable for the industrial production of slowly digestible IMOs from starch.


1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5861-5867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip B. Komarnitsky ◽  
Edward R. Klebanow ◽  
P. Anthony Weil ◽  
Clyde L. Denis

ABSTRACT The yeast transcriptional activator ADR1, which is required forADH2 and other genes’ expression, contains four transactivation domains (TADs). While previous studies have shown that these TADs act through GCN5 and ADA2, and presumably TFIIB, other factors are likely to be involved in ADR1 function. In this study, we addressed the question of whether TFIID is also required for ADR1 action. In vitro binding studies indicated that TADI of ADR1 was able to retain TAFII90 from yeast extracts and TADII could retain TBP and TAFII130/145. TADIV, however, was capable of retaining multiple TAFIIs, suggesting that TADIV was binding TFIID from yeast whole-cell extracts. The ability of TADIV truncation derivatives to interact with TFIID correlated with their transcription activation potential in vivo. In addition, the ability of LexA-ADR1-TADIV to activate transcription in vivo was compromised by a mutation in TAFII130/145. ADR1 was found to associate in vivo with TFIID in that immunoprecipitation of either TAFII90 or TBP from yeast whole-cell extracts specifically coimmunoprecipitated ADR1. Most importantly, depletion of TAFII90 from yeast cells dramatically reducedADH2 derepression. These results indicate that ADR1 physically associates with TFIID and that its ability to activate transcription requires an intact TFIID complex.


2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (23) ◽  
pp. 2469-2481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Hoffmann ◽  
Linda Mullins ◽  
Charlotte Buckley ◽  
Sebastien Rider ◽  
John Mullins

The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is highly conserved, and components of the RAS are present in all vertebrates to some degree. Although the RAS has been studied since the discovery of renin, its biological role continues to broaden with the identification and characterization of new peptides. The evolutionarily distant zebrafish is a remarkable model for studying the kidney due to its genetic tractability and accessibility for in vivo imaging. The zebrafish pronephros is an especially useful kidney model due to its structural simplicity yet complex functionality, including capacity for glomerular and tubular filtration. Both the pronephros and mesonephros contain renin-expressing perivascular cells, which respond to RAS inhibition, making the zebrafish an excellent model for studying the RAS. This review summarizes the physiological and genetic tools currently available for studying the zebrafish kidney with regards to functionality of the RAS, using novel imaging techniques such as SPIM microscopy coupled with targeted single cell ablation and synthesis of vasoactive RAS peptides.


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