Molecular determinants of the cell-cycle regulated Mcm1p-Fkh2p transcription factor complex

Interactions between Fkh1 monomers stabilize its binding to DNA replication origins

Eukaryotic DNA replication is initiated from multiple genomic origins, which can be broadly categorized as firing early or late in the S phase. Several factors can influence the temporal usage of origins to determine the timing of their firing. In budding yeast, the Forkhead family proteins Fkh1 and Fkh2 bind to a subset of replication origins and activate them at the beginning of the S phase. In these origins, the Fkh1/2 binding sites are arranged in a strict configuration, suggesting that Forkhead factors must bind the origins in a specific manner. To explore these binding mechanisms in more detail, we mapped the domains of Fkh1 that were required for its role in DNA replication regulation. We found that a short region of Fkh1 near its DNA binding domain was essential for the protein to bind and activate replication origins. Analysis of purified Fkh1 proteins revealed that this region mediates dimerization of Fkh1, suggesting that intramolecular contacts of Fkh1 are required for efficient binding and regulation of DNA replication origins. We also show that the Sld3-Sld7-Cdc45 complex is recruited to Forkhead-regulated origins already in the G1 phase and that Fkh1 is constantly required to keep these factors bound on origins before the onset of the S phase. Together, our results suggest that dimerization-mediated stabilization of DNA binding by Fkh1 is crucial for its ability to activate DNA replication origins.

Cyclin/Forkhead-mediated coordination of cyclin waves: an autonomous oscillator rationalizing the quantitative model of Cdk control for budding yeast

Networks of interacting molecules organize topology, amount, and timing of biological functions. Systems biology concepts required to pin down 'network motifs' or 'design principles' for time-dependent processes have been developed for the cell division cycle, through integration of predictive computer modeling with quantitative experimentation. A dynamic coordination of sequential waves of cyclin-dependent kinases (cyclin/Cdk) with the transcription factors network offers insights to investigate how incompatible processes are kept separate in time during the eukaryotic cell cycle. Here this coordination is discussed for the Forkhead transcription factors in light of missing gaps in the current knowledge of cell cycle control in budding yeast. An emergent design principle is proposed where cyclin waves are synchronized by a cyclin/Cdk-mediated feed-forward regulation through the Forkhead as a transcriptional timer. This design is rationalized by the bidirectional interaction between mitotic cyclins and the Forkhead transcriptional timer, resulting in an autonomous oscillator that may be instrumental for a well-timed progression throughout the cell cycle. The regulation centered around the cyclin/Cdk-Forkhead axis can be pivotal to timely coordinate cell cycle dynamics, thereby to actuate the quantitative model of Cdk control.

Identification of Fkh1 and Fkh2 binding site variants associated with dynamically bound DNA elements including replication origins

Forkhead Box (Fox) DNA binding proteins control multiple genome activities, including transcription, replication, and repair. These activities are organized spatially and temporally in the nucleus, and Fox proteins Fkh1 and Fkh2 have emerged as regulators of long-range chromosomal interactions involved with these activities, such as the clustering of replication origins programmed for early initiation. Fkh1 and Fkh2 bind a subset of replication origins and are thought to dimerize to mediate long-range chromosomal contacts between these origins. The binding of Fkh1 and/or Fkh2 (Fkh1/2) to replication origins and the recombination enhancer (RE), which is involved in DNA repair required for mating-type switching, is cell cycle-regulated and thus appears to be more dynamic than Fkh1/2 binding at regulated target genes. Here we report the identification of Fkh1/2 binding sequence variants at replication origins and the RE compared with Fkh1/2 binding sequences found at target genes of the CLB2 group. These different binding sequences have previously been characterized as weak and strong, respectively, suggesting that the presence of weak sites contributes to more dynamic interactions at replication origins and RE, possibly facilitated by Fkh1/2 dimerization and cooperative interactions with accessory proteins. We discuss the wealth of regulatory potential imbued in these features of the DNA and its binding proteins.

Decoding common and divergent cellular functions of the domains of forkhead transcription factors Fkh1 and Fkh2

Forkhead transcription factors play a key role in embryonic patterning during development. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, two forkhead transcription factors, Fkh1 and Fkh2, regulate the transcription of CLB2 cluster genes important for mitosis. Fkh1 reduces, whereas Fkh2 elevates, the transcription of CLB2 cluster genes. However, the mechanism for this observation remains unclear. Fkh1 and Fkh2 each contain a forkhead domain (DNA-binding domain, DBD) and a forkhead-associated domain (FHAD), whereas Fkh2 possesses an extra C' domain containing six consensus cyclin-dependent kinase phosphorylation sites. In the present study, roles of these domains in protein complexes, the regulation of cell growth and CLB2 cluster genes and protein interactions were investigated using various domain mutants. The result showed that the DBD was vital for ternary complex formation with Mcm1, whereas the FHAD was central for the regulation of cell growth and CLB2 cluster transcription and for interactions with Ndd1 and Clb2. However, the Fkh2 C' domain was dispensable for the above functions. Both DBDs and FHADs had functional divergences in the cell, and Ndd1 functioned via its phosphorylated form. These data provide important insights into the functional mechanism of Fkh1 and Fkh2 in cell cycle control.

Binding of the Fkh1 Forkhead Associated Domain to a Phosphopeptide within the Mph1 DNA Helicase Regulates Mating-Type Switching in Budding Yeast

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fkh1 protein has roles in cell-cycle regulated transcription as well as a transcription-independent role in recombination donor preference during mating-type switching. The conserved FHA domain of Fkh1 regulates donor preference by juxtaposing two distant regions on chromosome III to promote their recombination. A model posits that this Fkh1-mediated long-range chromosomal juxtaposition requires an interaction between the FHA domain and a partner protein(s), but to date no relevant partner has been described. In this study, we used structural modeling, 2-hybrid assays, and mutational analyses to show that the predicted phosphothreonine-binding FHA domain of Fkh1 interacted with multiple partner proteins. The Fkh1 FHA domain was important for its role in cell-cycle regulation, but no single interaction partner could account for this role. In contrast, Fkh1’s interaction with the Mph1 DNA repair helicase regulated donor preference during mating-type switching. Using 2-hybrid assays, co-immunoprecipitation, and fluorescence anisotropy, we mapped a discrete peptide within the regulatory Mph1 C-terminus required for this interaction and identified two threonines that were particularly important. In vitro binding experiments indicated that at least one of these threonines had to be phosphorylated for efficient Fkh1 binding. Substitution of these two threonines with alanines (mph1-2TA) specifically abolished the Fkh1-Mph1 interaction in vivo and altered donor preference during mating-type switching to the same degree as mph1Δ. Notably, the mph1-2TA allele maintained other functions of Mph1 in genome stability. Deletion of a second Fkh1-interacting protein encoded by YMR144W also resulted in a change in Fkh1-FHA-dependent donor preference. We have named this gene FDO1 for Forkhead one interacting protein involved in donor preference. We conclude that a phosphothreonine-mediated protein-protein interface between Fkh1-FHA and Mph1 contributes to a specific long-range chromosomal interaction required for mating-type switching, but that Fkh1-FHA must also interact with several other proteins to achieve full functionality in this process.

Specific chromosomal interactions between distal regions of the genome allow for DNA transactions necessary for normal cell function, but the protein-protein interfaces that regulate such interactions remain largely unknown. The budding yeast Fkh1 protein uses its evolutionarily conserved phosphothreonine-binding FHA domain to regulate a long-range DNA transaction called mating-type switching that allows yeast cells to switch their sexual phenotype. In this study, another conserved nuclear protein, the Mph1 DNA repair helicase, was shown to interact directly with the FHA domain of Fkh1 to regulate mating-type switching. The Fkh1-Mph1 interaction required two phosphorylated threonines on Mph1 that were dispensable for many other Mph1-protein interactions and other Mph1 chromosomal functions. Thus a discrete protein-protein interface between two multifunctional chromosomal proteins helps define a long-range chromosomal interaction important for controlling cell behavior.

Cell cycle regulated transcription: from yeast to cancer

Recent studies have revealed exciting new functions for forkhead transcription factors in cell proliferation and development. Cell proliferation is a fundamental process controlled by multiple overlapping mechanisms, and the control of gene expression plays a major role in the orderly and timely division of cells. This occurs through transcription factors regulating the expression of groups of genes at particular phases of the cell division cycle. In this way, the encoded gene products are present when they are required. This review outlines recent advances in our understanding of this process in yeast model systems and describes how this knowledge has informed analysis in more developmentally complex eukaryotes, particularly where it is relevant to human disease.

STUbL-mediated degradation of the transcription factor MATα2 requires degradation elements that coincide with corepressor binding sites

The yeast cell type regulator MATα (α2) is degraded through two ubiquitylation pathways, one of which has been minimally characterized. We identify two regions in α2 important for this pathway and show that these regions overlap specific binding sites for α2 corepressors, suggesting that α2 degradation is coordinated with its functional status.

The yeast transcription factor MATα2 (α2) is a short-lived protein known to be ubiquitylated by two distinct pathways, one involving the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) Ubc6 and Ubc7 and the ubiquitin ligase (E3) Doa10 and the other operating with the E2 Ubc4 and the heterodimeric E3 Slx5/Slx8. Although Slx5/Slx8 is a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL), it does not require SUMO to target α2 but instead directly recognizes α2. Little is known about the α2 determinants required for its Ubc4- and STUbL-mediated degradation or how these determinants substitute for SUMO in recognition by the STUbL pathway. We describe two distinct degradation elements within α2, both of which are necessary for α2 recognition specifically by the Ubc4 pathway. Slx5/Slx8 can directly ubiquitylate a C-terminal fragment of α2, and mutating one of the degradation elements impairs this ubiquitylation. Surprisingly, both degradation elements identified here overlap specific interaction sites for α2 corepressors: the Mcm1 interaction site in the central α2 linker and the Ssn6 (Cyc8) binding site in the α2 homeodomain. We propose that competitive binding to α2 by the ubiquitylation machinery and α2 cofactors is balanced so that α2 can function in transcription repression yet be short lived enough to allow cell-type switching.

Topology and control of the cell-cycle-regulated transcriptional circuitry

Nearly 20% of the budding yeast genome is transcribed periodically during the cell division cycle. The precise temporal execution of this large transcriptional program is controlled by a large interacting network of transcriptional regulators, kinases, and ubiquitin ligases. Historically, this network has been viewed as a collection of four coregulated gene clusters that are associated with each phase of the cell cycle. Although the broad outlines of these gene clusters were described nearly 20 years ago, new technologies have enabled major advances in our understanding of the genes comprising those clusters, their regulation, and the complex regulatory interplay between clusters. More recently, advances are being made in understanding the roles of chromatin in the control of the transcriptional program. We are also beginning to discover important regulatory interactions between the cell-cycle transcriptional program and other cell-cycle regulatory mechanisms such as checkpoints and metabolic networks. Here we review recent advances and contemporary models of the transcriptional network and consider these models in the context of eukaryotic cell-cycle controls.

Fkh1 and Fkh2 bind multiple chromosomal elements in the S. cerevisiae genome with distinct specificities and cell cycle dynamics

Forkhead box (FOX) transcription factors regulate a wide variety of cellular functions in higher eukaryotes, including cell cycle control and developmental regulation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Forkhead proteins Fkh1 and Fkh2 perform analogous functions, regulating genes involved in cell cycle control, while also regulating mating-type silencing and switching involved in gamete development. Recently, we revealed a novel role for Fkh1 and Fkh2 in the regulation of replication origin initiation timing, which, like donor preference in mating-type switching, appears to involve long-range chromosomal interactions, suggesting roles for Fkh1 and Fkh2 in chromatin architecture and organization. To elucidate how Fkh1 and Fkh2 regulate their target DNA elements and potentially regulate the spatial organization of the genome, we undertook a genome-wide analysis of Fkh1 and Fkh2 chromatin binding by ChIP-chip using tiling DNA microarrays. Our results confirm and extend previous findings showing that Fkh1 and Fkh2 control the expression of cell cycle-regulated genes. In addition, the data reveal hundreds of novel loci that bind Fkh1 only and exhibit a distinct chromatin structure from loci that bind both Fkh1 and Fkh2. The findings also show that Fkh1 plays the predominant role in the regulation of a subset of replication origins that initiate replication early, and that Fkh1/2 binding to these loci is cell cycle-regulated. Finally, we demonstrate that Fkh1 and Fkh2 bind proximally to a variety of genetic elements, including centromeres and Pol III-transcribed snoRNAs and tRNAs, greatly expanding their potential repertoire of functional targets, consistent with their recently suggested role in mediating the spatial organization of the genome.

Bck2 acts through the MADS box protein Mcm1 to activate cell-cycle-regulated genes in budding yeast

The Bck2 protein is a potent genetic regulator of cell-cycle-dependent gene expression in budding yeast. To date, most experiments have focused on assessing a potential role for Bck2 in activation of the G1/S-specific transcription factors SBF (Swi4, Swi6) and MBF (Mbp1, Swi6), yet the mechanism of gene activation by Bck2 has remained obscure. We performed a yeast two-hybrid screen using a truncated version of Bck2 and discovered six novel Bck2-binding partners including Mcm1, an essential protein that binds to and activates M/G1 promoters through Early Cell cycle Box (ECB) elements as well as to G2/M promoters. At M/G1 promoters Mcm1 is inhibited by association with two repressors, Yox1 or Yhp1, and gene activation ensues once repression is relieved by an unknown activating signal. Here, we show that Bck2 interacts physically with Mcm1 to activate genes during G1 phase. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments to show that Bck2 localizes to the promoters of M/G1-specific genes, in a manner dependent on functional ECB elements, as well as to the promoters of G1/S and G2/M genes. The Bck2-Mcm1 interaction requires valine 69 on Mcm1, a residue known to be required for interaction with Yox1. Overexpression of BCK2 decreases Yox1 localization to the early G1-specific CLN3 promoter and rescues the lethality caused by overexpression of YOX1. Our data suggest that Yox1 and Bck2 may compete for access to the Mcm1-ECB scaffold to ensure appropriate activation of the initial suite of genes required for cell cycle commitment.

A novel ab initio identification system of transcriptional regulation motifs in genome DNA sequences based on direct comparison scheme of signal/noise distributions

A novel ab initio parameter-tuning-free system to identify transcriptional factor (TF) binding motifs (TFBMs) in genome DNA sequences was developed. It is based on the comparison of two types of frequency distributions with respect to the TFBM candidates in the target DNA sequences and the non-candidates in the background sequence, with the latter generated by utilizing the intergenic sequences. For benchmark tests, we used DNA sequence datasets extracted by ChIP-on-chip and ChIP-seq techniques and identified 65 yeast and four mammalian TFBMs, with the latter including gaps. The accuracy of our system was compared with those of other available programs (i.e. MEME, Weeder, BioProspector, MDscan and DME) and was the best among them, even without tuning of the parameter set for each TFBM and pre-treatment/editing of the target DNA sequences. Moreover, with respect to some TFs for which the identified motifs are inconsistent with those in the references, our results were revealed to be correct, by comparing them with other existing experimental data. Thus, our identification system does not need any other biological information except for gene positions, and is also expected to be applicable to genome DNA sequences to identify unknown TFBMs as well as known ones.

Forkhead transcription factors establish origin timing and long-range clustering in S. cerevisiae

The replication of eukaryotic chromosomes is organized temporally and spatially within the nucleus through epigenetic regulation of replication origin function. The characteristic initiation timing of specific origins is thought to reflect their chromatin environment or sub-nuclear positioning, however the mechanism remains obscure. Here we show that the yeast Forkhead transcription factors, Fkh1 and Fkh2, are global determinants of replication origin timing. Forkhead regulation of origin timing is independent of local levels or changes of transcription. Instead, we show that Fkh1 and Fkh2 are required for the clustering of early origins and their association with the key initiation factor Cdc45 in G1 phase, suggesting that Fkh1 and Fkh2 selectively recruit origins to emergent replication factories. Fkh1 and Fkh2 bind Fkh-activated origins, and interact physically with ORC, providing a plausible mechanism to cluster origins. These findings add a new dimension to our understanding of the epigenetic basis for differential origin regulation and its connection to chromosomal domain organization.

A competitive transcription factor binding mechanism determines the timing of late cell cycle-dependent gene expression

Transcriptional control is exerted by the antagonistic activities of activator and repressor proteins. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, transcription factor complexes containing the MADS box protein Mcm1p are key regulators of cell cycle-dependent transcription at both the G2/M and M/G1 transitions. The homeodomain repressor protein Yox1p acts in a complex with Mcm1p to control the timing of gene expression. Here, we show that Yox1p interacts with Mcm1p through a motif located N terminally to its homeodomain. Yox1p functions as a transcriptional repressor by competing with the forkhead transcription activator protein Fkh2p for binding to Mcm1p through protein-protein interactions at promoters of a subset of Mcm1p-regulated genes. Importantly, this competition is not through binding the same DNA site that is commonly observed. Thus, this study describes a different mechanism for determining the timing of cell cycle-dependent gene expression that involves competition between short peptide motifs in repressor and activator proteins for interaction with a common binding partner.

Coupling phosphate homeostasis to cell cycle-specific transcription: mitotic activation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae PHO5 by Mcm1 and Forkhead proteins

Cells devote considerable resources to nutrient homeostasis, involving nutrient surveillance, acquisition, and storage at physiologically relevant concentrations. Many Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcripts coding for proteins with nutrient uptake functions exhibit peak periodic accumulation during M phase, indicating that an important aspect of nutrient homeostasis involves transcriptional regulation. Inorganic phosphate is a central macronutrient that we have previously shown oscillates inversely with mitotic activation of PHO5. The mechanism of this periodic cell cycle expression remains unknown. To date, only two sequence-specific activators, Pho4 and Pho2, were known to induce PHO5 transcription. We provide here evidence that Mcm1, a MADS-box protein, is essential for PHO5 mitotic activation. In addition, we found that cells simultaneously lacking the forkhead proteins, Fkh1 and Fkh2, exhibited a 2.5-fold decrease in PHO5 expression. The Mcm1-Fkh2 complex, first shown to transactivate genes within the CLB2 cluster that drive G(2)/M progression, also associated directly at the PHO5 promoter in a cell cycle-dependent manner in chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Sds3, a component specific to the Rpd3L histone deacetylase complex, was also recruited to PHO5 in G(1). These findings provide (i) further mechanistic insight into PHO5 mitotic activation, (ii) demonstrate that Mcm1-Fkh2 can function combinatorially with other activators to yield late M/G(1) induction, and (iii) couple the mitotic cell cycle progression machinery to cellular phosphate homeostasis.

Precise regulation of gene expression dynamics favors complex promoter architectures

Promoters process signals through recruitment of transcription factors and RNA polymerase, and dynamic changes in promoter activity constitute a major noise source in gene expression. However, it is barely understood how complex promoter architectures determine key features of promoter dynamics. Here, we employ prototypical promoters of yeast ribosomal protein genes as well as simplified versions thereof to analyze the relations among promoter design, complexity, and function. These promoters combine the action of a general regulatory factor with that of specific transcription factors, a common motif of many eukaryotic promoters. By comprehensively analyzing stationary and dynamic promoter properties, this model-based approach enables us to pinpoint the structural characteristics underlying the observed behavior. Functional tradeoffs impose constraints on the promoter architecture of ribosomal protein genes. We find that a stable scaffold in the natural design results in low transcriptional noise and strong co-regulation of target genes in the presence of gene silencing. This configuration also exhibits superior shut-off properties, and it can serve as a tunable switch in living cells. Model validation with independent experimental data suggests that the models are sufficiently realistic. When combined, our results offer a mechanistic explanation for why specific factors are associated with low protein noise in vivo. Many of these findings hold for a broad range of model parameters and likely apply to other eukaryotic promoters of similar structure.

Combinatorial regulation of gene expression is an important mechanism for signal integration in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Typically, this regulation is established by transcription factors that bind to DNA or to other regulatory proteins. Modifications of the DNA structure provide another layer of control, for instance, in gene silencing. However, it is barely understood how complex promoter architectures determine key features of promoter dynamics such as gene expression levels and noise. Here, we employ realistic mathematical models for prototypical promoters of yeast ribosomal protein genes as well as simplified versions thereof to analyze the relations among promoter design, complexity, and function. By comprehensively analyzing stationary and dynamic promoter properties, we find that functional tradeoffs impose constraints on the promoter architecture. More specifically, a stable configuration in the natural design results in low transcriptional noise and strong co-regulation of target genes in the presence of gene silencing. Combined, our results offer a mechanistic explanation for why specific factors are associated with low protein noise in vivo. We expect that many of these findings apply to other promoters of similar structure.

Computational detection of significant variation in binding affinity across two sets of sequences with application to the analysis of replication origins in yeast

Background

In analyzing the stability of DNA replication origins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae we faced the question whether one set of sequences is significantly enriched in the number and/or the quality of the matches of a particular position weight matrix relative to another set.

Results

We present SADMAMA, a computational solution to a address this problem. SADMAMA implements two types of statistical tests to answer this question: one type is based on simplified models, while the other relies on bootstrapping, and as such might be preferable to users who are averse to such models. The bootstrap approach incorporates a novel "site-protected" resampling procedure which solves a problem we identify with naive resampling.

Conclusion

SADMAMA's utility is demonstrated here by offering a plausible explanation to the differential ARS activity observed in our previous mcm1-1 mutant experiments [1], by suggesting the relevance of multiple weak ACS matches to efficient replication origin function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and by suggesting an explanation to the observed negative effect FKH2 has on chromatin silencing [2]. SADMAMA is available for download from .

Forkhead proteins control the outcome of transcription factor binding by antiactivation

Transcription factors with identical DNA-binding specificity often activate different genes in vivo. Yeast Ace2 and Swi5 are such activators, with targets we classify as Swi5-only, Ace2-only, or both. We define two unique regulatory modes. Ace2 and Swi5 both bind in vitro to Swi5-only genes such as HO, but only Swi5 binds and activates in vivo. In contrast, Ace2 and Swi5 both bind in vivo to Ace2-only genes, such as CTS1, but promoter-bound Swi5 fails to activate. We show that activation by Swi5 is prevented by the binding of the Forkhead factors Fkh1 and Fkh2, which recruit the Rpd3(Large) histone deacetylase complex to the CTS1 promoter. Global analysis shows that all Ace2-only genes are bound by both Ace2 and Swi5, and also by Fkh1/2. Genes normally activated by either Ace2 or Swi5 can be converted to Ace2-only genes by the insertion of Fkh-binding sites. Thus Fkh proteins, which function initially to activate SWI5 and ACE2, subsequently function as Swi5-specific antiactivators.

Functional interactions between the Forkhead transcription factor FOXK1 and the MADS-box protein SRF

The combinatorial control of gene expression by the association of members of different families of transcription factors is a common theme in eukaryotic transcriptional control. The MADS-box transcription factors SRF and Mcm1 represent paradigms for such regulation through their interaction with numerous partner proteins. For example, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Mcm1 interacts with the forkhead transcription factor Fkh2. Here, we identify a novel interaction between SRF and the Forkhead transcription factor FOXK1 in human cells. The importance of this interaction is shown for the regulation of the SRF target genes SM alpha-actin and PPGB. The binding of FOXK1 to the SM alpha-actin and PPGB promoters requires the presence of SRF on the promoter. FOXK1 acts as a transcriptional repressor and it represses SM alpha-actin and PPGB expression. Thus FOXK1 represents an additional member of the growing repertoire of transcription factors that can interact with SRF and modulate the transcriptional output from SRF-regulated promoters.

WebMOTIFS: automated discovery, filtering and scoring of DNA sequence motifs using multiple programs and Bayesian approaches

WebMOTIFS provides a web interface that facilitates the discovery and analysis of DNA-sequence motifs. Several studies have shown that the accuracy of motif discovery can be significantly improved by using multiple de novo motif discovery programs and using randomized control calculations to identify the most significant motifs or by using Bayesian approaches. WebMOTIFS makes it easy to apply these strategies. Using a single submission form, users can run several motif discovery programs and score, cluster and visualize the results. In addition, the Bayesian motif discovery program THEME can be used to determine the class of transcription factors that is most likely to regulate a set of sequences. Input can be provided as a list of gene or probe identifiers. Used with the default settings, WebMOTIFS accurately identifies biologically relevant motifs from diverse data in several species. WebMOTIFS is freely available at http://fraenkel.mit.edu/webmotifs.

Clustering of genes into regulons using integrated modeling-COGRIM

COGRIM, an implementation that integrates gene expression, ChIP binding and transcription factor motif data, is described and applied to both unicellular and mammalian organisms.

We present a Bayesian hierarchical model and Gibbs Sampling implementation that integrates gene expression, ChIP binding, and transcription factor motif data in a principled and robust fashion. COGRIM was applied to both unicellular and mammalian organisms under different scenarios of available data. In these applications, we demonstrate the ability to predict gene-transcription factor interactions with reduced numbers of false-positive findings and to make predictions beyond what is obtained when single types of data are considered.

The Isw2 chromatin-remodeling ATPase cooperates with the Fkh2 transcription factor to repress transcription of the B-type cyclin gene CLB2

Forkhead (Fkh) transcription factors influence cell death, proliferation, and differentiation and the cell cycle. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Fkh2 both activates and represses transcription of CLB2, encoding a B-type cyclin. CLB2 is expressed during G(2)/M phase and repressed during G(1). Fkh2 recruits the coactivator Ndd1, an interaction which is promoted by Clb2/Cdk1-dependent phosphorylation of Ndd1, suggesting that CLB2 is autoregulated. Ndd1 is proposed to function by antagonizing Fkh2-mediated repression, but nothing is known about the mechanism. Here we ask how Fkh2 represses CLB2. We show that Fkh2 controls a repressive chromatin structure that initiates in the early coding region of CLB2 and spreads up the promoter during the M and G(1) phases. The Isw2 chromatin-remodeling ATPase cooperates with Fkh2 to remodel the chromatin and repress CLB2 expression throughout the cell cycle. In addition, the related factors Isw1 and Fkh1 configure the chromatin at the early coding region and negatively regulate CLB2 expression but only during G(2)/M phase. Thus, the cooperative actions of two forkhead transcription factors and two chromatin-remodeling ATPases combine to regulate CLB2. We propose that chromatin-mediated repression by Isw1 and Isw2 may serve to limit activation of CLB2 expression by the Clb2/Cdk1 kinase during G(2)/M and to fully repress expression during G(1).

Cell-cycle control of gene expression in budding and fission yeast

Cell-cycle control of transcription seems to be a universal feature of proliferating cells, although relatively little is known about its biological significance and conservation between organisms. The two distantly related yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe have provided valuable complementary insight into the regulation of periodic transcription as a function of the cell cycle. More recently, genome-wide studies of proliferating cells have identified hundreds of periodically expressed genes and underlying mechanisms of transcriptional control. This review discusses the regulation of three major transcriptional waves, which roughly coincide with three main cell-cycle transitions (initiation of DNA replication, entry into mitosis, and exit from mitosis). I also compare and contrast the transcriptional regulatory networks between the two yeasts and discuss the evolutionary conservation and possible roles for cell cycle-regulated transcription.

Explicit equilibrium modeling of transcription-factor binding and gene regulation

A computational model, GOMER, is presented that predicts transcription-factor binding and incorporates effects of cooperativity and competition.

We have developed a computational model that predicts the probability of transcription factor binding to any site in the genome. GOMER (generalizable occupancy model of expression regulation) calculates binding probabilities on the basis of position weight matrices, and incorporates the effects of cooperativity and competition by explicit calculation of coupled binding equilibria. GOMER can be used to test hypotheses regarding gene regulation that build upon this physically principled prediction of protein-DNA binding.

The forkhead transcription factor Fkh2 regulates the cell division cycle of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

In eukaryotes the regulation of gene expression plays a key role in controlling cell cycle progression. Here, we demonstrate that a forkhead transcription factor, Fkh2, regulates the periodic expression of cdc15(+) and spo12(+) in the M and G(1) phases of the cell division cycle in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We also show that Fkh2 is important for several cell cycle processes, including cell morphology and cell separation, nuclear structure and migration, and mitotic spindle function. We find that the expression of fkh2(+) is itself regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner in G(1) coincident with the expression of cdc18(+), a Cdc10-regulated gene. However, fkh2(+) expression is independent of Cdc10 function. Fkh2 was found to be phosphorylated during the cell division cycle, with a timing that suggests that this posttranslational modification is important for cdc15(+) and spo12(+) expression. Related forkhead proteins regulate G(2) and M phase-specific gene expression in the evolutionarily distant Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting that these proteins play conserved roles in regulating cell cycle processes in eukaryotes.

A causal inference approach for constructing transcriptional regulatory networks

MOTIVATION

Transcriptional regulatory networks specify the interactions among regulatory genes and between regulatory genes and their target genes. Discovering transcriptional regulatory networks helps us to understand the underlying mechanism of complex cellular processes and responses.

METHOD

This paper describes a causal inference approach for constructing transcriptional regulatory networks using gene expression data, promoter sequences and information on transcription factor (TF) binding sites. The method first identifies active TFs in each individual experiment using a feature selection approach. TFs are viewed as "treatments" and gene expression levels as "responses". For every TF and gene pair, a marginal structural model is built to estimate the causal effect of the TF on the expression level of the gene. The model parameters can be estimated using the G-computation procedure or the IPTW estimator. The P-value associated with the causal parameter in each of these models is used to measure how strongly a TF regulates a gene. These results are further used to infer the overall regulatory network structures.

RESULTS

Our analysis of yeast data suggests that the method is capable of identifying significant transcriptional regulatory interactions and the corresponding regulatory networks.

AVAILABILITY

The software is under development.

A statistical method for constructing transcriptional regulatory networks using gene expression and sequence data

Transcriptional regulation is one of the most important means of gene regulation. Uncovering transcriptional regulatory networks helps us to understand the complex cellular process. In this paper, we describe a statistical approach for constructing transcriptional regulatory networks using data of gene expression, promoter sequence, and transcription factor binding sites. Our simulation studies show that the overall and false positive error rates in the estimated transcriptional regulatory networks are expected to be small if the systematic noise in the constructed feature matrix is small. Our analysis based on 658 microarray experiments on yeast gene expression programs and 46 transcription factors suggests that the method is capable of identifying significant transcriptional regulatory interactions and uncovering the corresponding regulatory network structures.

AcFKH1, a novel member of the forkhead family, associates with the RFX transcription factor CPCR1 in the cephalosporin C-producing fungus Acremonium chrysogenum

In the filamentous fungus Acremonium chrysogenum, a complex regulatory network of transcription factors controls the expression of at least seven cephalosporin C biosynthesis genes. The RFX transcription factor CPCR1 binds to regulatory sequences in the promoter region of cephalosporin C biosynthesis genes, and is involved in the transcriptional regulation of the pcbC gene which encodes isopenicillin N synthase. In this study, we used CPCR1 in a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify potential protein interaction partners. A cDNA was identified, encoding the C-terminal part (pos. 438-665) of the novel forkhead protein, AcFKH1. The full-length AcFKH1 amino acid sequence is 665 residues and shares between 31% and 60% identity with forkhead protein sequences in the genomes of Aspergillus nidulans, Fusarium graminearum, and Neurospora crassa. AcFKH1 is characterized by two conserved domains, the N-terminal forkhead-associated domain (FHA), which might be involved in phospho-protein interactions, and the C-terminal DNA-binding domain (FKH) of the winged helix/forkhead type. The two-hybrid system was also used to map the protein domains required for the interaction of transcription factors CPCR1 and AcFKH1. The observed interaction between CPCR1 and the C-terminus of AcFKH1 in the yeast system was verified in vitro in a GST pulldown assay. Using gel retardation analysis, the DNA-binding properties of the fungal forkhead protein AcFKH1 were investigated. AcFKH1 recognizes two forkhead consensus binding sites within the 1.2 kb promoter region of the divergently oriented cephalosporin biosynthesis gene pair pcbAB-pcbC from A. chrysogenum. Additionally, AcFKH1 is able to bind with high affinity to the SWI5-binding site of the yeast FKH2 protein.

Regulation of cell cycle-specific gene expression through cyclin-dependent kinase-mediated phosphorylation of the forkhead transcription factor Fkh2p

The forkhead transcription factor Fkh2p acts in a DNA-bound complex with Mcm1p and the coactivator Ndd1p to regulate cell cycle-dependent expression of the CLB2 gene cluster in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we demonstrate that Fkh2p is a target of cyclin-dependent protein kinases and that phosphorylation of Fkh2p promotes interactions between Fkh2p and the coactivator Ndd1p. These phosphorylation-dependent changes in the Fkh2p-Ndd1p complex play an important role in the cell cycle-regulated expression of the CLB2 cluster. Our data therefore identify an important regulatory target for cyclin-dependent kinases in the cell cycle and further our molecular understanding of the key cell cycle regulatory transcription factor Fkh2p.

Alpha1-induced DNA bending is required for transcriptional activation by the Mcm1-alpha1 complex

The yeast Mcm1 protein is a founding member of the MADS-box family of transcription factors that is involved in the regulation of diverse sets of genes through interactions with distinct cofactor proteins. Mcm1 interacts with the Matalpha1 protein to activate the expression of the alpha-cell type-specific genes. To understand the requirement of the cofactor alpha1 for Mcm1-alpha1-dependent transcriptional activation we analyzed the recruitment of Mcm1 to the promoters of alpha-specific genes in vivo and found that Mcm1 is able to bind to the promoters of alpha-specific genes in the absence of alpha1. This suggests the function of alpha1 is more complex than simply recruiting Mcm1. Several MADS-box transcription factors, including Mcm1, induce DNA bending and there is evidence the proper bend may be required for transcriptional activation. We analyzed Mcm1-dependent bending of a Mcm1-alpha1 binding site in the presence and absence of alpha1 and found that Mcm1 alone shows a reduced DNA-bend at this site compared with other Mcm1 binding sites. However, the addition of alpha1 markedly increases the DNA-bend and we present evidence this bend is required for full transcriptional activation. These results support a model in which proper DNA-bending by the Mcm1-alpha1 complex is required for transcriptional activation.