title: The dual role of mRNA half-lives in the expression of the yeast ALG7 gene.
abstract: The yeast ALG7 gene functions by initiating the synthesis of the dolichol-linked oligosaccharide precursor and plays an important role in the control of protein N-glycosylation. The levels of ALG7 multiple transcripts are modulated by the physiological status of the cell and environmental cues, and deregulation of their abundance is deleterious to several cellular functions. Since ALG7 mRNAs are unstable, we investigated the role of these transcripts' half-lives in determining their steady-state levels. Using a temperature-sensitive RNA polymerase II mutant, we demonstrate that increased stability was the primary determinant of higher ALG7 mRNA abundance in response to glucose limitation or treatment with tunicamycin. In contrast, at the G1/G0 transition point, changes in the decay rates were inversely related to ALG7 transcript accumulation: the decreased abundance of ALG7 mRNAs following exit from the mitotic cycle was associated with lengthening of the decay rates, while their increased accumulation after growth stimulation correlated with decreased stability. This suggests that, depending on the circumstance, mRNA half-lives can either directly determine the level of ALG7 transcript accumulation or oppose regulatory changes at other control levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lennon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pretel
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kukuruzinska
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004286:Dolichols / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006207:Half-Life; D008938:Mitosis; D009154:Mutation; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics*; D013696:Temperature; D017855:Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014415:Tunicamycin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004286:Dolichols; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014415:Tunicamycin; D003513:Cycloheximide; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D017855:Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups); C023222:UDPacetylglucosamine-dolichyl-phosphate acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase; D005947:Glucose