title: Transcription elongation factor S-II confers yeast resistance to 6-azauracil by enhancing expression of the SSM1 gene.
abstract: Loss of function of S-II makes yeast sensitive to 6-azauracil. Here, we identified a multi-copy suppressor gene of this phenotype, termed SSM1 (suppressor of 6-azauracil sensitivity of the S-II null mutant 1), that encodes a novel protein consisting of 280 amino acid residues. Although both the SSM1 null mutant and the S-II/SSM1 double null mutant were viable under normal growth conditions, they resembled the S-II null mutant in being sensitive to 6-azauracil. Expression of the SSM1 gene was found to be repressed in the S-II null mutant but was restored by overexpression of chimeric S-II molecules that were able to stimulate transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II in vitro. Furthermore, we identified two transcription arrest sites within the transcription unit of the SSM1 gene in vitro that could be relieved by S-II. These results indicate that S-II confers yeast resistance to 6-azauracil by stimulating transcription elongation of the SSM1 gene.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimoaraiso
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Natori
mesh_terms: D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009708:Nucleotidases; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D035165:Transcription Factors, General; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors; D014498:Uracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000963:Antimetabolites; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D035165:Transcription Factors, General; D035602:Transcriptional Elongation Factors; C018648:transcription factor S-II; D014498:Uracil; D009708:Nucleotidases; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase; C489269:SDT1 protein, S cerevisiae; C100248:azauracil