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Transcriptional regulation of meiosis in budding yeast

Transcriptional regulation of meiosis in budding yeast

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pathway is activated, the b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> Msn2/4 to Bmh2, the 14-3-3 adaptor, sequesters it from the<br />

nuclei (Beck and Hall, 1999). 3. The NLS site <strong>of</strong> Msn2 conta<strong>in</strong>s four PKA consensus sites. These<br />

residues are phosphorylated <strong>in</strong> vivo <strong>in</strong> response to glucose addition, depend<strong>in</strong>g on the presence <strong>of</strong><br />

the three TPK genes. Ser<strong>in</strong>e to alan<strong>in</strong>e mutations <strong>of</strong> all these sites lead to constitutive nuclear<br />

localization <strong>of</strong> Msn2, whereas ser<strong>in</strong>e to aspartic acid, mimick<strong>in</strong>g a phosphorylated ser<strong>in</strong>e residue,<br />

leads to its cytoplasmic localization (Gorner et al., 2002).<br />

1.1.2. Sok2. SOK2 encodes a DNA-b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g prote<strong>in</strong> that is highly homologous to the<br />

DNA-b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g doma<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> Swi4 and Phd1 prote<strong>in</strong>s that are known to b<strong>in</strong>d the SCB consensus<br />

sequence. This homology suggests that Sok2 might also b<strong>in</strong>d the same sequence. Direct b<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>of</strong> Sok2 to IREu was not reported, however, the follow<strong>in</strong>g genetic evidence suggests that Sok2<br />

b<strong>in</strong>ds IREu under all growth conditions. The IREu-his4-lacZ reporter shows a 10-fold <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong><br />

expression <strong>in</strong> the triple mutant sok2∆ msn2∆ msn4∆ <strong>in</strong> comparison to the double mutant msn2∆<br />

msn4∆. On the other hand, IREu-his4-lacZ is not expressed <strong>in</strong> the sok2T598A msn2∆ msn4∆<br />

triple mutant. The sok2T598A allele, similar to the SOK2 deletion allele is defective <strong>in</strong><br />

repression, but unlike the latter, the defective Sok2 prote<strong>in</strong> is present <strong>in</strong> the cells (Shenhar and<br />

Kassir, 2001). These results imply that Sok2 b<strong>in</strong>ds IREu under all growth conditions, and that <strong>in</strong><br />

its physical absence an imposter prote<strong>in</strong> can b<strong>in</strong>d and activate transcription. Sok2 functions as a<br />

transcriptional repressor for several PKA target genes such as GAC1, SSA3, SWI5 and IME1 (Pan<br />

and Heitman, 2000; Shenhar and Kassir, 2001; Ward et al., 1995). Furthermore, it functions as a<br />

negative regulator <strong>of</strong> pseudohyphal growth (Ward et al., 1995) and <strong>meiosis</strong> (Shenhar and Kassir,<br />

2001), and as a positive regulator <strong>in</strong> the mitotic cell cycle (Ward et al., 1995). Glucose regulates<br />

both the transcription <strong>of</strong> SOK2 and the repression activity <strong>of</strong> Sok2 prote<strong>in</strong>. The latter is concluded<br />

from the observation that a Sok2-Gal4(bd), expressed from the ADH1 promoter, represses the<br />

transcription <strong>of</strong> UASGAL1-UASHIS4-his4-lacZ, but only <strong>in</strong> the presence <strong>of</strong> glucose (SD media)<br />

(Shenhar and Kassir, 2001). The signal pathway regulat<strong>in</strong>g the transcription <strong>of</strong> SOK2 is not<br />

known (Shenhar and Kassir, 2001). However, the signal pathway transmitt<strong>in</strong>g the glucose signal<br />

regulat<strong>in</strong>g Sok2 repression activity is the cAMP/PKA pathway. This is evident from the<br />

follow<strong>in</strong>g observations: i. Over-expression <strong>of</strong> SOK2 suppresses the temperature sensitive growth<br />

defect <strong>of</strong> a tpk1∆ tpk2-ts tpk3∆ mutant (Ward et al., 1995); ii. Repression <strong>of</strong> IREu-his4-lacZ and<br />

UASgal1-UAShis4-his4-lacZ by either Sok2 or Gal4(bd)-Sok2, respectively, is relieved <strong>in</strong> cdc25-<br />

5 cells <strong>in</strong>cubated at the non-permissive temperature, as well as by a threon<strong>in</strong>e to alan<strong>in</strong>e mutation<br />

<strong>in</strong> a PKA consensus site <strong>in</strong> Sok2 (Shenhar and Kassir, 2001). Furthermore, Sok2 is a<br />

phosphoprote<strong>in</strong> whose phosphorylation depends on this same threon<strong>in</strong>e (T598) residue (Shenhar<br />

and Kassir, 2001).<br />

13

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