TATA-binding protein activates transcription when upstream of a GCN4-binding site in a novel yeast promoter

Regulatory regions in the rat lactase-phlorizin hydrolase gene that control cell-specific expression

OBJECTIVES

Lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH) is an enterocyte-specific gene whose expression has been well-characterized, not only developmentally but also along the crypt-villus axis and along the length of the small bowel. Previous studies from the authors' laboratory have demonstrated that 2 kb of the 5'-flanking region of the rat LPH gene control the correct tissue, cell, and crypt-villus expression in transgenic animals.

METHODS

To examine further the regulation conferred by this region, protein-DNA interactions were studied using DNase I footprint analyses in LPH-expressing and nonexpressing cell lines. Functional delineation of this 5'-flanking sequence was performed using deletion analysis in transient transfection assays.

RESULTS

Studies revealed a generally positive activity between -74 and -37 bp, a cell-specific negative region between -210 and -95 bp, and additional elements further toward the 5'-terminus that conferred a highly cell-specific response in reporter activity. Computer analysis of distal regions encompassing identified footprints revealed potential binding sites for various intestinal transcription factors. Co-transfection and electromobility shift assay experiments indicated binding of HNF3beta at three sites relevant to LPH expression.

CONCLUSIONS

The data demonstrate that the cell specificity of LPH gene expression depends upon both positive and negative interactions among elements in the first 2 kb of the LPH 5'-flanking region.

The promoter of the yeast OPI1 regulatory gene

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the expression of several genes encoding enzymes involved in lipid metabolism is regulated by inositol and choline. The transcriptional heterodimeric complex composed of the gene products of INO2 and INO4 binds to a conserved cis-acting upstream activating sequence designated as the inositol-choline responsive element (ICRE), and activates the expression of these genes. In the presence of inositol and choline, the expression of these genes is downregulated and a functional OPI1 gene product is necessary for this repression. The promoter region of OPI1 contains one copy of ICRE, and here we analyzed the involvement of ICRE in the inositol-choline-mediated gene regulation of OPI1. Deletion analysis of the OPI1 promoter region, disruption of ICRE in it, and its activity in ino2- and ino4-disrupted strains showed that ICRE is essential for the expression of OPI1, and that the expression of OPI1 is dependent on the INO2 and INO4 gene products. Disruption of OPI1 resulted in the derepressed expression of OPI1 itself and no response to inositol-choline, showing that OPI1 is regulated in the same manner as the phospholipid biosynthetic genes. These results revealed the regulatory circuit of the expression of the positive regulatory gene INO2 and the negative regulatory gene OPI1.

The RNA polymerase II core promoter

The events leading to transcription of eukaryotic protein-coding genes culminate in the positioning of RNA polymerase II at the correct initiation site. The core promoter, which can extend ~35 bp upstream and/or downstream of this site, plays a central role in regulating initiation. Specific DNA elements within the core promoter bind the factors that nucleate the assembly of a functional preinitiation complex and integrate stimulatory and repressive signals from factors bound at distal sites. Although core promoter structure was originally thought to be invariant, a remarkable degree of diversity has become apparent. This article reviews the structural and functional diversity of the RNA polymerase II core promoter.

Neither Reb1p nor poly(dA*T) elements are responsible for the highly specific chromatin organization at the ILV1 promoter

Analysis of the chromatin structure at the yeast ILV1 locus revealed highly positioned nucleosomes covering the entire locus except for a hypersensitive site in the promoter region. All previously identified cis-acting elements required for GCN4-independent ILV1 basal level transcription, including a binding site for the REB1 protein (Reb1p), and a poly(dA*dT) element (26 As out of 32 nucleotides) situated 15 base pairs downstream of the Reb1p-binding site, reside within this hypersensitive site. The existence of a second A*T-rich element (25 As out of 33 nucleotides) present six base pairs upstream of the Reb1p-binding site, suggested that nucleosome exclusion from the hypersensitive site in the ILV1 promoter region might be dictated by synergistic action of the two poly(dA*dT) elements. Replacing one or both of them had, however, no effect on the chromatin structure of the ILV1 promoter, although drastically reduced basal transcription. Similarly, deletion of the Reb1p-binding site, albeit affecting ILV1 expression, had no detectable effect on chromatin at the ILV1 promoter. The absence of a good correlation between effects of these elements on gene activity and on chromatin structure at the ILV1 promoter indicates that the chromatin organization present at the ILV1 promoter is independent of the known regulatory elements and most likely dictated directly by the DNA sequence.

Defining the sequence specificity of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae DNA binding protein REB1p by selecting binding sites from random-sequence oligonucleotides

We have used a random selection protocol to define the consensus and range of binding sites for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae REB1 protein. Thirty-five elements were sequenced which bound specifically to a GST-REB1p fusion protein coupled to glutathione-Sepharose under conditions in which more than 99.9% of the random sequences were not retained. Twenty-two of the elements contained the core sequence CGGGTRR, with all but one of the remaining elements containing only one deviation from the core. Of the core sequence, the only residues that were absolutely conserved were the three consecutive G residues. Statistical analysis of a nucleotide-use matrix suggested that the REB1p binding site also extends into flanking sequences with the optimal sequence for REB1p binding being GNGCCGGGGTAACNC. There was a positive correlation between the ability of the sites to bind in vitro and activate transcription in vivo; however, the presence of non-conformants suggests that the binding site may contribute more to transcriptional activation than simply allowing protein binding. Interestingly, one of the REB1p binding elements had a DNAse 1 footprint appreciably longer than other elements with similar affinity. Analysis of its sequence indicated the potential for a second REB1p binding site on the opposite strand. This suggests that two closely positioned low-affinity sites can function together as a highly active site. In addition, database searches with some of the randomly defined REB1p binding sites suggest that related elements are commonly found within 'TATA-less' promoters.