title: Positive control of yeast meiotic genes by the negative regulator UME6.
abstract: The yeast meiotic activator IME1 stimulates transcription of many early meiotic genes. These genes share a 5' sequence called URS1. URS1 sites function as repression sites in cells that lack IME1; we show here that URS1 sites are weak activation sequences in cells that express IME1. Repression through URS1 sites is known to depend upon the URS1-binding protein UME6. We have identified a UME6 allele (previously called rim16-12) that causes a defect in IME1-dependent activation of meiotic genes but not in repression through URS1 sites. In contrast, a ume6 null mutation causes defects in both IME1-dependent activation and in repression through URS1 sites. A LexA-UME6 fusion protein is an IME1-dependent transcriptional activator, whereas a LexA-UME6 fusion carrying the rim16-12 substitution cannot activate transcription. These findings argue that IME1 activates meiotic genes by converting UME6 from a negative regulator to a positive regulator; the rim16-12 mutant protein is defective in conversion to a positive regulator.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular, and Biophysical Studies, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Bowdish
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010957:Plasmids; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C080326:IME1 protein, S cerevisiae; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C089979:UME6 protein, S cerevisiae