title: SAGA is an essential in vivo target of the yeast acidic activator Gal4p.
abstract: Despite major advances in characterizing the eukaryotic transcriptional machinery, the function of promoter-specific transcriptional activators (activators) is still not understood. For example, in no case have the direct in vivo targets of a transcriptional activator been unambiguously identified, nor has it been resolved whether activators have a single essential target or multiple redundant targets. Here we address these issues for the prototype acidic activator yeast Gal4p. Gal4p binds to the upstream activating sequence (UAS) of GAL1 and several other GAL genes and stimulates transcription in the presence of galactose. Previous studies have shown that GAL1 transcription is dependent on the yeast SAGA (Spt/Ada/GCN5/acetyltransferase) complex. Using formaldehyde-based in vivo cross-linking, we show that the Gal4p activation domain recruits SAGA to the GAL1 UAS. If SAGA is not recruited to the UAS, the preinitiation complex (PIC) fails to assemble at the GAL1 core promoter, and transcription does not occur. SAGA, but not other transcription components, is also recruited by the Gal4p activation domain to a plasmid containing minimal Gal4p-binding sites. Recruitment of SAGA by Gal4p and stimulation of PIC assembly is dependent on several SAGA subunits but not the SAGA histone acetyl-transferase (HAT) GCN5. Based on these and other results, we conclude that SAGA is an essential target of Gal4p that, following recruitment to the UAS, facilitates PIC assembly and transcription.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Programs in Gene Function and Expression and Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bhaumik
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005557:Formaldehyde; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D016385:TATA Box; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D000099224:p300-CBP-Associated Factor
chemical_list: D000123:Acetyltransferases; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005557:Formaldehyde; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005947:Glucose; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; D011494:Protein Kinases; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C052130:GAL4 protein, S cerevisiae; C501392:GCN5 protein, S cerevisiae; D000099224:p300-CBP-Associated Factor