title: Regulation of genes encoding subunits of the trehalose synthase complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: novel variations of STRE-mediated transcription control?
abstract: Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells show under suboptimal growth conditions a complex response that leads to the acquisition of tolerance to different types of environmental stress. This response is characterised by enhanced expression of a number of genes which contain so-called stress-responsive elements (STREs) in their promoters. In addition, the cells accumulate under suboptimal conditions the putative stress protectant trehalose. In this work, we have examined the expression of four genes encoding subunits of the trehalose synthase complex, GGS1/TPS1, TPS2, TPS3 and TSL1. We show that expression of these genes is coregulated under stress conditions. Like for many other genes containing STREs, expression of the trehalose synthase genes is also induced by heat and osmotic stress and by nutrient starvation, and negatively regulated by the Ras-cAMP pathway. However, during fermentative growth only TSL1 shows an expression pattern like that of the STRE-controlled genes CTT1 and SSA3, while expression of the three other trehalose synthase genes is only transiently down-regulated. This difference in expression might be related to the known requirement of trehalose biosynthesis for the control of yeast glycolysis and hence for fermentative growth. We conclude that the mere presence in the promoter of (an) active STRE(s) does not necessarily imply complete coregulation of expression. Additional mechanisms appear to fine tune the activity of STREs in order to adapt the expression of the downstream genes to specific requirements.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium voor Moleculaire Celbiologie, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven-Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winderickx
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: de Winde
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crauwels
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hohmann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Dijck
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Thevelein
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C082904:CAD1 protein, S cerevisiae; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; C090869:SSA3 protein, S cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014157:Transcription Factors; C086677:YAP1 protein, S cerevisiae; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C099692:trehalose synthase; C023180:trehalose-6-phosphate synthase; C085814:trehalose-6-phosphate synthase-phosphatase complex; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D005947:Glucose