title: The Schizosaccharomyces pombe mei4+ gene encodes a meiosis-specific transcription factor containing a forkhead DNA-binding domain.
abstract: The mei4+ gene of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe was cloned by functional complementation. The mei4 disruptant failed to complete meiosis-I but could proliferate normally. mei4+ was transcribed only in meiosis-proficient diploid cells after premeiotic DNA replication. The mei4+ open reading frame encodes a 57-kDa serine-rich protein comprised of 517 amino acids with a forkhead/HNF3 DNA-binding domain in the amino-terminal region. Transcription of spo6+, a gene required for sporulation, was dependent on the mei4+ function. Two copies of the GTAAAYA consensus sequence, proposed as the binding site for human forkhead proteins, were found in the promoter region of spo6+. A gel mobility shift assay demonstrated the sequence-dependent binding of the GST-Mei4 forkhead domain fusion protein to DNA fragments with one of the consensus elements. Deletion of this consensus element from the spo6 promoter abolished the transcription of spo6+ and resulted in a sporulation deficiency. One-hybrid assay of Mei4 which was fused to the Gal4 DNA-binding domain localized the transcriptional activation domain in the C-terminal 140 amino acids of Mei4. These results indicate that Mei4 functions as a meiosis-specific transcription factor of S. pombe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishiwaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shimoda
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004261:DNA Replication; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008540:Meiosis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics*; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C489539:mei4 protein, S pombe