title: Cis- and trans-acting elements determining induction of the genes of the gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) utilization pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: In S. cerevisiae, gamma-aminobutyrate (GABA) induces transcription of the UGA genes required for its utilization as a nitrogen source. Analysis of the 5' region of the UGA1 and UGA4 genes led to the identification of a conserved GC-rich sequence (UASGABA) essential to induction by gamma-aminobutyrate. Alone, this UASGABA element also supported some levels of reporter gene transcription in the presence of gamma-aminobutyrate. To be effective, UASGABA requires two positive-acting proteins that both contain a Cys6-Zn2 type zinc-finger motif, namely pathway-specific Uga3p and pleiotropic Uga35p(Dal81p/DurLp). Further analysis of the UGA4 gene revealed that Gln3p, a global nitrogen regulatory protein containing a GATA zinc-finger domain, is required in order to reach high levels of gamma-aminobutyrate-induced transcription. The Gln3p factor exerts its function mainly through a cluster of 5'-GAT(A/T)A-3'(UASGATA) situated just upstream from UASGABA. The role of Gln3p is less predominant in UGA1 than in UGA4 gene expression. We propose that tight coupling between the UASGABA and UASGATA elements enables the cell to integrate, according to its nitrogen status, the induced expression levels of UGA4.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et de Génétique des Levures, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Talibi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grenson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: André
mesh_terms: D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D050485:GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D050980:GATA Transcription Factors; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000187:drug effects; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D050644:Succinate-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase; D050604:Succinate-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase (NADP+); D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C071662:DAL80 protein, S cerevisiae; C067023:DAL81 protein, S cerevisiae; C082970:DAL82 protein, S cerevisiae; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D050485:GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D050980:GATA Transcription Factors; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C092661:UGA3 protein, S cerevisiae; C513599:UGA4 protein, S cerevisiae; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000445:Aldehyde Oxidoreductases; D050604:Succinate-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase (NADP+); C493646:UGA2 protein, S cerevisiae; D050644:Succinate-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase; D000612:4-Aminobutyrate Transaminase; D009584:Nitrogen