title: Hormone-induced expression of the CHS1 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: When MATa cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been treated with the mating hormone alpha-factor an increase in chitin synthase zymogen, as well as chitin content in the cell-wall fraction, have been reported. With a DNA probe derived from the cloned CHS1 gene that codes for chitin synthase I [Bulawa, C. E., Slater, M., Cabib, E., Au-Young, J., Sburlati, A., Adair, W. L. and Robbins, P. (1986) Cell 46, 213-225] a Northern analysis was conducted of CHS1-specific transcripts. alpha-Factor-treated MATa cells revealed more than sixfold elevated steady-state levels of CHS1 mRNA as compared to control cells. MAT alpha cells responded the same way when treated with a-factor although induction rate was somewhat smaller. After hormone application a rapid increase in CHS1 mRNA levels could be observed that occurred also in the absence of ongoing protein synthesis. In order to minimize possible side effects of CHS1-coding sequences on expression and mRNA stability a CHS1::SUC2 chimaeric gene was constructed where 730 bp of the CHS1 promoter region (+20 bp of the coding region) were fused in frame to a fragment of the SUC2 coding region. The fusion protein exhibits invertase activity that has been used to monitor CHS1 promoter activity. By analysis of shortened versions of the CHS1 promoter a 94-bp DNA fragment has been identified that confers hormone inducibility to the CHS1 promoter. According to the published sequence of the CHS1 gene, this fragment contains four repeats of a TGAAACA consensus sequence previously identified in the alpha-factor-inducible BAR1 promoter [Kronstad, J. W., Holly, J. A. and MacKay, V. L. (1987) Cell 50, 369-377]. This heptamer may represent the cis-acting element involved in mating-hormone-mediated gene expression in yeast.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenphysiologie und Zellbiologie, Universität Regensburg, France.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Appeltauer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Achstetter
mesh_terms: D002687:Chitin Synthase / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D000072235:Mating Factor; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D010455:Peptides; D010675:Pheromones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000072235:Mating Factor; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; D002687:Chitin Synthase