The TEA/ATTS transcription factor YlTec1p represses the yeast-to-hypha transition in the dimorphic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica.
Tec1p in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is important for dimorphic transition. In this study, we identified a homologue of Tec1p, YlTec1p, in the distantly related dimorphic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. YlTec1p contains an evolutionarily conserved TEA/ATTS DNA-binding domain. Expression of YlTEC1 in S. cerevisiae tec1Δ cells rescued the invasive growth defect and activated a FLO11-lacZ reporter, indicating that YlTec1p is functionally related to Tec1p. However, YlTEC1 expression failed to activate an FRE-lacZ reporter, suggesting that these two transcription factors are different. YlTEC1 plays a negative role in the yeast-to-hypha transition in Y. lipolytica based on gene deletion and overexpression studies. We show that YlTec1p activates rather than represses gene expression in Y. lipolytica by yeast one-hybrid assay, and YlTec1p is critical for the activation of FLO11-lacZ in Y. lipolytica. In addition, YlTec1p localized to the nucleus and its nuclear localization decreased during hyphal growth. We speculate that YlTec1p may normally regulate the expression of a set of target genes that may prevent rather than promote hyphal development in Y. lipolytica. Our study also suggests that YlTEC1 may not be largely regulated by the cAMP-protein kinase A pathway.
State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Xiao-Feng
XF
Zhao
Min
M
Li
Yun-Qing
YQ
Li
Xiang-Dong
XD
Chen
Xiang-Dong
XD
Gao
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D025301:Hyphae / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025062:Yarrowia / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C069926:TEC1 protein, S cerevisiae; D014157:Transcription Factors