title: A mammalian viral enhancer confers transcriptional regulation in yeast.
abstract: Transcriptional enhancers are DNA sequences that regulate RNA transcription from linked promoters by binding to cellular proteins (trans-activators). In the mammalian virus SV40, initiation of transcription is controlled, in part, by a strong 72-base pair enhancer. We show that yeast cells contain a factor that binds specifically to a key DNA motif in the SV40 enhancer, the P element that is essential for viral transcription in mammalian cells. The P element shows sequence similarity to a yeast DNA transcriptional regulatory element, GCN4, that controls transcription of genes that code for amino acid biosynthetic enzymes. Insertion of the SV40 enhancer or single or multiple copies of the P element itself upstream from the cytochrome Cyc-1 promoter places the hybrid viral-yeast transcription unit under metabolic control in yeast cells. These studies suggest that the SV40 P element and its complementary trans-activator represent a conserved transcriptional control mechanism that operates on widely divergent functions in evolution.
authors.affiliation: Hormone Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Fodor
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Rutter
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011494:Protein Kinases; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D011494:Protein Kinases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase