Interdependent recruitment of SAGA and Srb mediator by transcriptional activator Gcn4p

Involvement of the SAGA and TFIID coactivator complexes in transcriptional dysregulation caused by the separation of core and tail Mediator modules

Regulation of RNA polymerase II transcription requires the concerted efforts of several multisubunit coactivator complexes, which interact with the RNA polymerase II preinitiation complex to stimulate transcription. We previously showed that separation of the Mediator core from Mediator's tail module results in modest overactivation of genes annotated as highly dependent on TFIID for expression. However, it is unclear if other coactivators are involved in this phenomenon. Here, we show that the overactivation of certain genes by Mediator core/tail separation is blunted by disruption of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyl transferase complex through the removal of its structural Spt20 subunit, though this downregulation does not appear to completely depend on reduced Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyl transferase association with the genome. Consistent with the enrichment of TFIID-dependent genes among genes overactivated by Mediator core/tail separation, depletion of the essential TFIID subunit Taf13 suppressed the overactivation of these genes when Med16 was simultaneously removed. As with Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyl transferase, this effect did not appear to be fully dependent on the reduced genomic association of TFIID. Given that the observed changes in gene expression could not be clearly linked to alterations in Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyl transferase or TFIID occupancy, our data may suggest that the Mediator core/tail connection is important for the modulation of Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyl transferase and/or TFIID conformation and/or function at target genes.

An integrated SAGA and TFIID PIC assembly pathway selective for poised and induced promoters

Genome-wide, little is understood about how proteins organize at inducible promoters before and after induction and to what extent inducible and constitutive architectures depend on cofactors. We report that sequence-specific transcription factors and their tethered cofactors (e.g., SAGA [Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase], Mediator, TUP, NuA4, SWI/SNF, and RPD3-L) are generally bound to promoters prior to induction ("poised"), rather than recruited upon induction, whereas induction recruits the preinitiation complex (PIC) to DNA. Through depletion and/or deletion experiments, we show that SAGA does not function at constitutive promoters, although a SAGA-independent Gcn5 acetylates +1 nucleosomes there. When inducible promoters are poised, SAGA catalyzes +1 nucleosome acetylation but not PIC assembly. When induced, SAGA catalyzes acetylation, deubiquitylation, and PIC assembly. Surprisingly, SAGA mediates induction by creating a PIC that allows TFIID (transcription factor II-D) to stably associate, rather than creating a completely TFIID-independent PIC, as generally thought. These findings suggest that inducible systems, where present, are integrated with constitutive systems.

Distinct functions of three chromatin remodelers in activator binding and preinitiation complex assembly

The nucleosome remodeling complexes (CRs) SWI/SNF, RSC, and Ino80C cooperate in evicting or repositioning nucleosomes to produce nucleosome depleted regions (NDRs) at the promoters of many yeast genes induced by amino acid starvation. We analyzed mutants depleted of the catalytic subunits of these CRs for binding of transcriptional activator Gcn4 and recruitment of TATA-binding protein (TBP) during preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly. RSC and Ino80 were found to enhance Gcn4 binding to both UAS elements in NDRs upstream of promoters and to unconventional binding sites within nucleosome-occupied coding sequences; and SWI/SNF contributes to UAS binding when RSC is depleted. All three CRs are actively recruited by Gcn4 to most UAS elements and appear to enhance Gcn4 binding by reducing nucleosome occupancies at the binding motifs, indicating a positive regulatory loop. SWI/SNF acts unexpectedly in WT cells to prevent excessive Gcn4 binding at many UAS elements, indicating a dual mode of action that is modulated by the presence of RSC. RSC and SWI/SNF collaborate to enhance TBP recruitment at Gcn4 target genes, together with Ino80C, in a manner associated with nucleosome eviction at the TBP binding sites. Cooperation among the CRs in TBP recruitment is also evident at the highly transcribed ribosomal protein genes, while RSC and Ino80C act more broadly than SWI/SNF at the majority of other constitutively expressed genes to stimulate this step in PIC assembly. Our findings indicate a complex interplay among the CRs in evicting promoter nucleosomes to regulate activator binding and stimulate PIC assembly.

ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers (CRs), including SWI/SNF and RSC in budding yeast, are thought to stimulate transcription by repositioning or evicting promoter nucleosomes, and we recently implicated the CR Ino80C in this process as well. The relative importance of these CRs in stimulating activator binding and recruitment of TATA-binding protein (TBP) to promoters is incompletely understood. Examining mutants depleted of the catalytic subunits of these CRs, we determined that RSC and Ino80C stimulate binding of transcription factor Gcn4 to nucleosome-depleted regions, or linkers between genic nucleosomes, at multiple target genes activated by Gcn4 in amino acid-starved cells, frequently via evicting nucleosomes from the Gcn4 binding motifs. At some genes, SWI/SNF functionally complements RSC, while opposing RSC at others to limit Gcn4 binding. The CRs in turn are recruited by Gcn4, consistent with a positive feedback loop that enhances Gcn4 binding. The three CRs also cooperate to enhance TBP recruitment, again involving nucleosome depletion, at both Gcn4 target and highly expressed ribosomal protein genes, whereas only RSC and Ino80C act broadly throughout the genome to enhance this key step in preinitiation complex assembly. Our findings illuminate functional cooperation among multiple CRs in regulating activator binding and promoter activation.

Ume6 Acts as a Stable Platform To Coordinate Repression and Activation of Early Meiosis-Specific Genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In response to nutrient starvation, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae abandons mitotic proliferation and embarks on a differentiation process that leads through meiosis to the formation of haploid spores. This process is driven by cascading waves of meiosis-specific-gene expression. The early meiosis-specific genes are repressed during mitotic proliferation by the DNA-binding protein Ume6 in combination with repressors Rpd3 and Sin3. The expression of meiosis-specific transcription factor Ime1 leads to activation of the early meiosis-specific genes. We investigated the stability and promoter occupancy of Ume6 in sporulating cells and determined that it remains bound to early meiosis-specific gene promoters when those genes are activated. Furthermore, we find that the repressor Rpd3 remains associated with Ume6 after the transactivator Ime1 has joined the complex and that the Gcn5 and Tra1 components of the SAGA complex bind to the promoter of IME2 in an Ime1-dependent fashion to induce transcription of the early meiosis-specific genes. Our investigation supports a model whereby Ume6 provides a platform allowing recruitment of both activating and repressing factors to coordinate the expression of the early meiosis-specific genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Distinct patterns of histone acetyltransferase and Mediator deployment at yeast protein-coding genes

Here, Bruzzone et al. explore the relative contributions of the transcriptional coactivators Mediator and two histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes, NuA4 and SAGA, to RNA polymerase II association at specific genes and gene classes by rapid nuclear depletion of key complex subunits. They show that the NuA4 HAT Esa1 differentially affects certain groups of genes, whereas the SAGA HAT Gcn5 has a weaker but more uniform effect, and their findings suggest that at least three distinct combinations of coactivator deployment are used to generate moderate or high transcription levels.

The transcriptional coactivators Mediator and two histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes, NuA4 and SAGA, play global roles in transcriptional activation. Here we explore the relative contributions of these factors to RNA polymerase II association at specific genes and gene classes by rapid nuclear depletion of key complex subunits. We show that the NuA4 HAT Esa1 differentially affects certain groups of genes, whereas the SAGA HAT Gcn5 has a weaker but more uniform effect. Relative dependence on Esa1 and Tra1, a shared component of NuA4 and SAGA, distinguishes two large groups of coregulated growth-promoting genes. In contrast, we show that the activity of Mediator is particularly important at a separate, small set of highly transcribed TATA-box-containing genes. Our analysis indicates that at least three distinct combinations of coactivator deployment are used to generate moderate or high transcription levels and suggests that each may be associated with distinct forms of regulation.

Mutational analysis of TAF6 revealed the essential requirement of the histone-fold domain and the HEAT repeat domain for transcriptional activation

TAF6, bearing the histone H4-like histone-fold domain (HFD), is a subunit of the core TAF module in TFIID and SAGA transcriptional regulatory complexes. We isolated and characterized several yeast TAF6 mutants bearing amino acid substitutions in the HFD, the middle region or the HEAT repeat domain. The TAF6 mutants were highly defective for transcriptional activation by the Gcn4 and Gal4 activators. CHIP assays showed that the TAF6-HFD and the TAF6-HEAT domain mutations independently abrogated the promoter occupancy of TFIID and SAGA complex in vivo. We employed genetic and biochemical assays to identify the relative contributions of the TAF6 HFD and HEAT domains. First, the temperature-sensitive phenotype of the HEAT domain mutant was suppressed by overexpression of the core TAF subunits TAF9 and TAF12, as well as TBP. The HFD mutant defect, however, was suppressed by TAF5 but not by TAF9, TAF12 or TBP. Second, the HEAT mutant but not the HFD mutant was defective for growth in the presence of transcription elongation inhibitors. Third, coimmunoprecipitation assays using yeast cell extracts indicated that the specific TAF6 HEAT domain residues are critical for the interaction of core TAF subunits with the SAGA complex but not with TFIID. The specific HFD residues in TAF6, although required for heterodimerization between TAF6 and TAF9 recombinant proteins, were dispensable for association of the core TAF subunits with TFIID and SAGA in yeast cell extracts. Taken together, the results of our studies have uncovered the non-overlapping requirement of the evolutionarily conserved HEAT domain and the HFD in TAF6 for transcriptional activation.

Arabidopsis HOOKLESS1 Regulates Responses to Pathogens and Abscisic Acid through Interaction with MED18 and Acetylation of WRKY33 and ABI5 Chromatin

Arabidopsis thaliana HOOKLESS1 (HLS1) encodes a putative histone acetyltransferase with known functions in seedling growth. Here, we show that HLS1 regulates plant responses to pathogens and abscisic acid (ABA) through histone acetylation at chromatin of target loci. The hls1 mutants show impaired responses to bacterial and fungal infection, accelerated senescence, and impaired responses to ABA. HLS1 modulates the expression of WRKY33 and ABA INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5), known regulators of pathogen and ABA responses, respectively, through direct association with these loci. Histone 3 acetylation (H3Ac), a positive mark of transcription, at WRKY33 and ABI5 requires HLS1 function. ABA treatment and pathogen infection enhance HLS1 recruitment and H3Ac at WRKY33. HLS1 associates with Mediator, a eukaryotic transcription coregulatory complex, through direct interaction with mediator subunit 18 (MED18), with which it shares multiple functions. HLS1 recruits MED18 to the WRKY33 promoter, boosting WKRY33 expression, suggesting the synergetic action of HLS1 and MED18. By contrast, MED18 recruitment to ABI5 and transcriptional activation are independent of HLS1. ABA-mediated priming of resistance to fungal infection was abrogated in hls1 and wrky33 mutants but correlated with ABA-induced HLS1 accumulation. In sum, HLS1 provides a regulatory node in pathogen and hormone response pathways through interaction with the Mediator complex and important transcription factors.

Histone Chaperone Nap1 Is a Major Regulator of Histone H2A-H2B Dynamics at the Inducible GAL Locus

Histone chaperones, like nucleosome assembly protein 1 (Nap1), play a critical role in the maintenance of chromatin architecture. Here, we use the GAL locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to investigate the influence of Nap1 on chromatin structure and histone dynamics during distinct transcriptional states. When the GAL locus is not expressed, cells lacking Nap1 show an accumulation of histone H2A-H2B but not histone H3-H4 at this locus. Excess H2A-H2B interacts with the linker DNA between nucleosomes, and the interaction is independent of the inherent DNA-binding affinity of H2A-H2B for these particular sequences as measured in vitro When the GAL locus is transcribed, excess H2A-H2B is reversed, and levels of all chromatin-bound histones are depleted in cells lacking Nap1. We developed an in vivo system to measure histone exchange at the GAL locus and observed considerable variability in the rate of exchange across the locus in wild-type cells. We recapitulate this variability with in vitro nucleosome reconstitutions, which suggests a contribution of DNA sequence to histone dynamics. We also find that Nap1 is required for transcription-dependent H2A-H2B exchange. Altogether, these results indicate that Nap1 is essential for maintaining proper chromatin composition and modulating the exchange of H2A-H2B in vivo.

On the way of revealing coactivator complexes cross-talk during transcriptional activation

Transcriptional activation is a complex, multistage process implemented by hundreds of proteins. Many transcriptional proteins are organized into coactivator complexes, which participate in transcription regulation at numerous genes and are a driver of this process. The molecular action mechanisms of coactivator complexes remain largely understudied. Relevant publications usually deal with the involvement of these complexes in the entire process of transcription, and only a few studies are aimed to elucidate their functions at its particular stages. This review summarizes available information on the participation of key coactivator complexes in transcriptional activation. The timing of coactivator complex binding/removal has been used for restructuring previously described information about the transcriptional process. Several major stages of transcriptional activation have been distinguished based on the presence of covalent histone modifications and general transcriptional factors, and the recruitment and/or removal phases have been determined for each coactivator included in analysis. Recruitment of Mediator, SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable and NUcleosome Remodeling Factor complexes during transcription activation has been investigated thoroughly; CHD and INOsitol auxotrophy 80 families are less well studied. In most cases, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the removal of certain coactivator complexes after the termination of their functions at the promoters are still not understood. On the basis of the summarized information, we propose a scheme that illustrates the involvement of coactivator complexes in different stages of the transcription activation process. This scheme may help to gain a deeper insight into the molecular mechanism of functioning of coactivator complexes, find novel participants of the process, and reveal novel structural or functional connections between different coactivators.

Genome-wide cooperation by HAT Gcn5, remodeler SWI/SNF, and chaperone Ydj1 in promoter nucleosome eviction and transcriptional activation

Chaperones, nucleosome remodeling complexes, and histone acetyltransferases have been implicated in nucleosome disassembly at promoters of particular yeast genes, but whether these cofactors function ubiquitously, as well as the impact of nucleosome eviction on transcription genome-wide, is poorly understood. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation of histone H3 and RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in mutants lacking single or multiple cofactors to address these issues for about 200 genes belonging to the Gcn4 transcriptome, of which about 70 exhibit marked reductions in H3 promoter occupancy on induction by amino acid starvation. Examining four target genes in a panel of mutants indicated that SWI/SNF, Gcn5, the Hsp70 cochaperone Ydj1, and chromatin-associated factor Yta7 are required downstream from Gcn4 binding, whereas Asf1/Rtt109, Nap1, RSC, and H2AZ are dispensable for robust H3 eviction in otherwise wild-type cells. Using ChIP-seq to interrogate all 70 exemplar genes in single, double, and triple mutants implicated Gcn5, Snf2, and Ydj1 in H3 eviction at most, but not all, Gcn4 target promoters, with Gcn5 generally playing the greatest role and Ydj1 the least. Remarkably, these three cofactors cooperate similarly in H3 eviction at virtually all yeast promoters. Defective H3 eviction in cofactor mutants was coupled with reduced Pol II occupancies for the Gcn4 transcriptome and the most highly expressed uninduced genes, but the relative Pol II levels at most genes were unaffected or even elevated. These findings indicate that nucleosome eviction is crucial for robust transcription of highly expressed genes but that other steps in gene activation are more rate-limiting for most other yeast genes.

The Histone Acetyltransferase Gcn5 Regulates ncRNA-ICR1 and FLO11 Expression during Pseudohyphal Development in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Filamentous growth is one of the key features of pathogenic fungi during the early infectious phase. The pseudohyphal development of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae shares similar characteristics with hyphae elongation in pathogenic fungi. The expression of FLO11 is essential for adhesive growth and filament formation in yeast and is governed by a multilayered transcriptional network. Here we discovered a role for the histone acetyltransferase general control nonderepressible 5 (Gcn5) in regulating FLO11-mediated pseudohyphal growth. The expression patterns of FLO11 were distinct in haploid and diploid yeast under amino acid starvation induced by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3AT). In diploids, FLO11 expression was substantially induced at a very early stage of pseudohyphal development and decreased quickly, but in haploids, it was gradually induced. Furthermore, the transcription factor Gcn4 was recruited to the Sfl1-Flo8 toggle sites at the FLO11 promoter under 3AT treatment. Moreover, the histone acetylase activity of Gcn5 was required for FLO11 induction. Finally, Gcn5 functioned as a negative regulator of the noncoding RNA ICR1, which is known to suppress FLO11 expression. Gcn5 plays an important role in the regulatory network of FLO11 expression via Gcn4 by downregulating ICR1 expression, which derepresses FLO11 for promoting pseudohyphal development.

Fungal mediator tail subunits contain classical transcriptional activation domains

Classical activation domains within DNA-bound eukaryotic transcription factors make weak interactions with coactivator complexes, such as Mediator, to stimulate transcription. How these interactions stimulate transcription, however, is unknown. The activation of reporter genes by artificial fusion of Mediator subunits to DNA binding domains that bind to their promoters has been cited as evidence that the primary role of activators is simply to recruit Mediator. We have identified potent classical transcriptional activation domains in the C termini of several tail module subunits of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, and Candida dubliniensis Mediator, while their N-terminal domains are necessary and sufficient for their incorporation into Mediator but do not possess the ability to activate transcription when fused to a DNA binding domain. This suggests that Mediator fusion proteins actually are functioning in a manner similar to that of a classical DNA-bound activator rather than just recruiting Mediator. Our finding that deletion of the activation domains of S. cerevisiae Med2 and Med3, as well as C. dubliniensis Tlo1 (a Med2 ortholog), impairs the induction of certain genes shows these domains function at native promoters. Activation domains within coactivators are likely an important feature of these complexes and one that may have been uniquely leveraged by a common fungal pathogen.

NuA4 links methylation of histone H3 lysines 4 and 36 to acetylation of histones H4 and H3

Cotranscriptional methylation of histone H3 lysines 4 and 36 by Set1 and Set2, respectively, stimulates interaction between nucleosomes and histone deacetylase complexes to block cryptic transcription in budding yeast. We previously showed that loss of all H3K4 and H3K36 methylation in a set1Δset2Δ mutant reduces interaction between native nucleosomes and the NuA4 lysine acetyltransferase (KAT) complex. We now provide evidence that NuA4 preferentially binds H3 tails mono- and dimethylated on H3K4 and di- and trimethylated on H3K36, an H3 methylation pattern distinct from that recognized by the RPD3C(S) and Hos2/Set3 histone deacetylase complexes (HDACs). Loss of H3K4 or H3K36 methylation in set1Δ or set2Δ mutants reduces NuA4 interaction with bulk nucleosomes in vitro and in vivo, and reduces NuA4 occupancy of transcribed coding sequences at particular genes. We also provide evidence that NuA4 acetylation of lysine residues in the histone H4 tail stimulates SAGA interaction with nucleosomes and its recruitment to coding sequences and attendant acetylation of histone H3 in vivo. Thus, H3 methylation exerts opposing effects of enhancing nucleosome acetylation by both NuA4 and SAGA as well as stimulating nucleosome deacetylation by multiple HDACs to maintain the proper level of histone acetylation in transcribed coding sequences.

Accumulation of a threonine biosynthetic intermediate attenuates general amino acid control by accelerating degradation of Gcn4 via Pho85 and Cdk8

Gcn4 is a master transcriptional regulator of amino acid and vitamin biosynthetic enzymes subject to the general amino acid control (GAAC), whose expression is upregulated in response to amino acid starvation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that accumulation of the threonine pathway intermediate β-aspartate semialdehyde (ASA), substrate of homoserine dehydrogenase (Hom6), attenuates the GAAC transcriptional response by accelerating degradation of Gcn4, already an exceedingly unstable protein, in cells starved for isoleucine and valine. The reduction in Gcn4 abundance on ASA accumulation requires Cdk8/Srb10 and Pho85, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) known to mediate rapid turnover of Gcn4 by the proteasome via phosphorylation of the Gcn4 activation domain under nonstarvation conditions. Interestingly, rescue of Gcn4 abundance in hom6 cells by elimination of SRB10 is not accompanied by recovery of transcriptional activation, while equivalent rescue of UAS-bound Gcn4 in hom6 pho85 cells restores greater than wild-type activation of Gcn4 target genes. These and other findings suggest that the two CDKs target different populations of Gcn4 on ASA accumulation, with Srb10 clearing mostly inactive Gcn4 molecules at the promoter that are enriched for sumoylation of the activation domain, and Pho85 clearing molecules unbound to the UAS that include both fully functional and inactive Gcn4 species.

Transcriptional activator Gcn4 maintains amino acid homeostasis in budding yeast by inducing multiple amino acid biosynthetic pathways in response to starvation for any amino acid—the general amino acid control. Gcn4 abundance is tightly regulated by the interplay between an intricate translational control mechanism, which induces Gcn4 synthesis in starved cells, and a pathway of phosphorylation and ubiquitylation that mediates its rapid degradation by the proteasome. Here, we discovered that accumulation of a threonine biosynthetic pathway intermediate, β-aspartate semialdehyde (ASA), in hom6Δ mutant cells impairs general amino acid control in cells starved for isoleucine and valine by accelerating the already rapid degradation of Gcn4, in a manner requiring its phosphorylation by cyclin-dependent kinases Cdk8/Srb10 and Pho85. Interestingly, our results unveil a division of labor between these two kinases wherein Srb10 primarily targets inactive Gcn4 molecules—presumably damaged under conditions of ASA excess—while Pho85 clears a greater proportion of functional Gcn4 species from the cell. The ability of ASA to inhibit transcriptional induction of threonine pathway enzymes by Gcn4, dampening ASA accumulation and its toxic effects on cell physiology, should be adaptive in the wild when yeast encounters natural antibiotics that target Hom6 enzymatic activity.

Mediator, TATA-binding protein, and RNA polymerase II contribute to low histone occupancy at active gene promoters in yeast

Transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in eukaryotes requires the Mediator complex, and often involves chromatin remodeling and histone eviction at active promoters. Here we address the role of Mediator in recruitment of the Swi/Snf chromatin remodeling complex and its role, along with components of the preinitiation complex (PIC), in histone eviction at inducible and constitutively active promoters in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that recruitment of the Swi/Snf chromatin remodeling complex to the induced CHA1 promoter, as well as its association with several constitutively active promoters, depends on the Mediator complex but is independent of Mediator at the induced MET2 and MET6 genes. Although transcriptional activation and histone eviction at CHA1 depends on Swi/Snf, Swi/Snf recruitment is not sufficient for histone eviction at the induced CHA1 promoter. Loss of Swi/Snf activity does not affect histone occupancy of several constitutively active promoters; in contrast, higher histone occupancy is seen at these promoters in Mediator and PIC component mutants. We propose that an initial activator-dependent, nucleosome remodeling step allows PIC components to outcompete histones for occupancy of promoter sequences. We also observe reduced promoter association of Mediator and TATA-binding protein in a Pol II (rpb1-1) mutant, indicating mutually cooperative binding of these components of the transcription machinery and indicating that it is the PIC as a whole whose binding results in stable histone eviction.

The TAF9 C-terminal conserved region domain is required for SAGA and TFIID promoter occupancy to promote transcriptional activation

A common function of the TFIID and SAGA complexes, which are recruited by transcriptional activators, is to deliver TBP to promoters to stimulate transcription. Neither the relative contributions of the five shared TBP-associated factor (TAF) subunits in TFIID and SAGA nor the requirement for different domains in shared TAFs for transcriptional activation is well understood. In this study, we uncovered the essential requirement for the highly conserved C-terminal region (CRD) of Taf9, a shared TAF, for transcriptional activation in yeast. Transcriptome profiling performed under Gcn4-activating conditions showed that the Taf9 CRD is required for induced expression of ∼9% of the yeast genome. The CRD was not essential for the Taf9-Taf6 interaction, TFIID or SAGA integrity, or Gcn4 interaction with SAGA in cell extracts. Microarray profiling of a SAGA mutant (spt20Δ) yielded a common set of genes induced by Spt20 and the Taf9 CRD. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays showed that, although the Taf9 CRD mutation did not impair Gcn4 occupancy, the occupancies of TFIID, SAGA, and the preinitiation complex were severely impaired at several promoters. These results suggest a crucial role for the Taf9 CRD in genome-wide transcription and highlight the importance of conserved domains, other than histone fold domains, as a common determinant for TFIID and SAGA functions.

Suppression of Mediator is regulated by Cdk8-dependent Grr1 turnover of the Med3 coactivator

Mediator, an evolutionary conserved large multisubunit protein complex with a central role in regulating RNA polymerase II-transcribed genes, serves as a molecular switchboard at the interface between DNA binding transcription factors and the general transcription machinery. Mediator subunits include the Cdk8 module, which has both positive and negative effects on activator-dependent transcription through the activity of the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk8, and the tail module, which is required for positive and negative regulation of transcription, correct preinitiation complex formation in basal and activated transcription, and Mediator recruitment. Currently, the molecular mechanisms governing Mediator function remain largely undefined. Here we demonstrate an autoregulatory mechanism used by Mediator to repress transcription through the activity of distinct components of different modules. We show that the function of the tail module component Med3, which is required for transcription activation, is suppressed by the kinase activity of the Cdk8 module. Med3 interacts with, and is phosphorylated by, Cdk8; site-specific phosphorylation triggers interaction with and degradation by the Grr1 ubiquitin ligase, thereby preventing transcription activation. This active repression mechanism involving Grr1-dependent ubiquitination of Med3 offers a rationale for the substoichiometric levels of the tail module that are found in purified Mediator and the corresponding increase in tail components seen in cdk8 mutants.

The head module of Mediator directs activation of preloaded RNAPII in vivo

The successful synthesis of a transcript by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is a multistage process with distinct rate-limiting steps that can vary depending on the particular gene. A growing number of genes in a variety of organisms are regulated at steps after the recruitment of RNAPII. The best-characterized Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene regulated in this manner is CYC1. This gene has high occupancy of RNAPII under non-inducing conditions, defining it as a poised gene. Here, we find that subunits of the head module of Mediator, Med18 and Med20, and Med19 are required for activation of transcription at the CYC1 promoter in response to environmental cues. These subunits of Mediator are required at the preloaded promoter for normal levels of recruitment and activity of the general transcription factor TFIIH. Strikingly, these Mediator components are dispensable for activation by the same activator at a different gene, which lacks a preloaded polymerase in the promoter region. Based on these results and other studies, we speculate that Mediator plays an essential role in triggering an inactive polymerase at CYC1 into a productively elongating form.

Mechanisms of Mediator complex action in transcriptional activation

Mediator is a large multisubunit complex that plays a central role in the regulation of RNA Pol II transcribed genes. Conserved in overall structure and function among eukaryotes, Mediator comprises 25-30 protein subunits that reside in four distinct modules, termed head, middle, tail, and CDK8/kinase. Different subunits of Mediator contact other transcriptional regulators including activators, co-activators, general transcription factors, subunits of RNA Pol II, and specifically modified histones, leading to the regulated expression of target genes. This review is focused on the interactions of specific Mediator subunits with diverse transcription regulators and how those interactions contribute to Mediator function in transcriptional activation.

Vps factors are required for efficient transcription elongation in budding yeast

There is increasing evidence that certain Vacuolar protein sorting (Vps) proteins, factors that mediate vesicular protein trafficking, have additional roles in regulating transcription factors at the endosome. We found that yeast mutants lacking the phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate [PI(3)P] kinase Vps34 or its associated protein kinase Vps15 display multiple phenotypes indicating impaired transcription elongation. These phenotypes include reduced mRNA production from long or G+C-rich coding sequences (CDS) without affecting the associated GAL1 promoter activity, and a reduced rate of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) progression through lacZ CDS in vivo. Consistent with reported genetic interactions with mutations affecting the histone acetyltransferase complex NuA4, vps15Δ and vps34Δ mutations reduce NuA4 occupancy in certain transcribed CDS. vps15Δ and vps34Δ mutants also exhibit impaired localization of the induced GAL1 gene to the nuclear periphery. We found unexpectedly that, similar to known transcription elongation factors, these and several other Vps factors can be cross-linked to the CDS of genes induced by Gcn4 or Gal4 in a manner dependent on transcriptional induction and stimulated by Cdk7/Kin28-dependent phosphorylation of the Pol II C-terminal domain (CTD). We also observed colocalization of a fraction of Vps15-GFP and Vps34-GFP with nuclear pores at nucleus-vacuole (NV) junctions in live cells. These findings suggest that Vps factors enhance the efficiency of transcription elongation in a manner involving their physical proximity to nuclear pores and transcribed chromatin.

Analysis of differential expression of Mediator subunit genes in Arabidopsis

Mediator is a conserved eukaryotic multiprotein complex required by RNA polymerase II for transcription of its target genes. Till date, there is no report explaining the signals that affect the overall concentration of individual Med subunits. In this report, we have analyzed the effect of different phytohormones and stresses on the transcript level of Med genes in Arabidopsis. Hormones like auxin and JA, and cold stress did not show significant effect. ABA moderately increased the transcript abundance of more than 70% of AtMed genes analyzed in this study. However, there was noticeable change in the transcript level of several AtMed genes in response to BR. Stresses like high light, dark and salt also caused significant change in the transcript abundance of many AtMed genes. These data reveal that different environmental cues can affect stoichiometric concentration of Med subunits by affecting the transcription of their respective genes. This may, in turn, affect the overall arrangement of functional Mediator complex. This also suggests that some subunits may have some specific functions to play in response different signals.

Selective role of Mediator tail module in the transcription of highly regulated genes in yeast

The tail module subunits of Mediator complex are targets of activators both in yeast and metazoans. Here we discuss recent evidence from studies in yeast for tail module specificity for SAGA-dependent, TATA-containing genes including highly regulated stress response genes, and for independent recruitment and function of the tail module.

New insights into the SAGA complex from studies of the Tra1 subunit in budding and fission yeast

The SAGA complex is a conserved, multifunctional co-activator that controls the transcription of many inducible genes in response to environmental changes. Recent studies have provided new insights into the functions of one of its subunits, Tra1/TRRAP, and suggest that it controls SAGA activity in response to external stimuli.

Transcriptional regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: transcription factor regulation and function, mechanisms of initiation, and roles of activators and coactivators

Here we review recent advances in understanding the regulation of mRNA synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Many fundamental gene regulatory mechanisms have been conserved in all eukaryotes, and budding yeast has been at the forefront in the discovery and dissection of these conserved mechanisms. Topics covered include upstream activation sequence and promoter structure, transcription factor classification, and examples of regulated transcription factor activity. We also examine advances in understanding the RNA polymerase II transcription machinery, conserved coactivator complexes, transcription activation domains, and the cooperation of these factors in gene regulatory mechanisms.

Role of Mediator in regulating Pol II elongation and nucleosome displacement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mediator is a modular multisubunit complex that functions as a critical coregulator of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription. While it is well accepted that Mediator plays important roles in the assembly and function of the preinitiation complex (PIC), less is known of its potential roles in regulating downstream steps of the transcription cycle. Here we use a combination of genetic and molecular approaches to investigate Mediator regulation of Pol II elongation in the model eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that ewe (expression without heat shock element) mutations in conserved Mediator subunits Med7, Med14, Med19, and Med21-all located within or adjacent to the middle module-severely diminish heat-shock-induced expression of the Hsf1-regulated HSP82 gene. Interestingly, these mutations do not impede Pol II recruitment to the gene's promoter but instead impair its transit through the coding region. This implies that a normal function of Mediator is to regulate a postinitiation step at HSP82. In addition, displacement of histones from promoter and coding regions, a hallmark of activated heat-shock genes, is significantly impaired in the med14 and med21 mutants. Suggestive of a more general role, ewe mutations confer hypersensitivity to the anti-elongation drug 6-azauracil (6-AU) and one of them-med21-impairs Pol II processivity on a GAL1-regulated reporter gene. Taken together, our results suggest that yeast Mediator, acting principally through its middle module, can regulate Pol II elongation at both heat-shock and non-heat-shock genes.

Analysis of Gal4-directed transcription activation using Tra1 mutants selectively defective for interaction with Gal4

Promoter-specific transcriptional activators (activators) stimulate transcription through direct interactions with one or more components of the transcription machinery, termed the "target." The identification of direct in vivo targets of activators has been a major challenge. Previous studies have provided evidence that the Tra1 subunit of the yeast SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase) complex is the target of the yeast activator Gal4. However, several other general transcription factors, in particular the mediator complex, have also been implicated as Gal4 targets. Here we perform a large-scale genetic screen to derive and characterize tra1 alleles that are selectively defective for interaction with Gal4 in vivo [Gal4 interaction defective (GID) mutants]. In contrast to WT Tra1, Tra1 GID mutants are not recruited by Gal4 to the promoter and cannot support Gal4-directed transcription, demonstrating the essentiality of the Gal4-Tra1 interaction. In yeast strains expressing a Tra1 GID mutant, binding of Gal4 to the promoter is unexpectedly also diminished, indicating that Gal4 and Tra1 bind cooperatively. Consistent with cooperative binding, we demonstrate that the Gal4-Tra1 interaction occurs predominantly on the promoter and not off DNA. Finally, we show that although Tra1 is targeted by other activators, these interactions are unaffected by GID mutations, revealing an unanticipated specificity of the Gal4-Tra1 interaction.

The Transition of Poised RNA Polymerase II to an Actively Elongating State Is a "Complex" Affair

The initial discovery of the occupancy of RNA polymerase II at certain genes prior to their transcriptional activation occurred a quarter century ago in Drosophila. The preloading of these poised complexes in this inactive state is now apparent in many different organisms across the evolutionary spectrum and occurs at a broad and diverse set of genes. In this paper, we discuss the genetic and biochemical efforts in S. cerevisiae to describe the conversion of these poised transcription complexes to the active state for productive elongation. The accumulated evidence demonstrates that a multitude of coactivators and chromatin remodeling complexes are essential for this transition.

Categorizing biases in high-confidence high-throughput protein-protein interaction data sets

We characterized and evaluated the functional attributes of three yeast high-confidence protein-protein interaction data sets derived from affinity purification/mass spectrometry, protein-fragment complementation assay, and yeast two-hybrid experiments. The interacting proteins retrieved from these data sets formed distinct, partially overlapping sets with different protein-protein interaction characteristics. These differences were primarily a function of the deployed experimental technologies used to recover these interactions. This affected the total coverage of interactions and was especially evident in the recovery of interactions among different functional classes of proteins. We found that the interaction data obtained by the yeast two-hybrid method was the least biased toward any particular functional characterization. In contrast, interacting proteins in the affinity purification/mass spectrometry and protein-fragment complementation assay data sets were over- and under-represented among distinct and different functional categories. We delineated how these differences affected protein complex organization in the network of interactions, in particular for strongly interacting complexes (e.g. RNA and protein synthesis) versus weak and transient interacting complexes (e.g. protein transport). We quantified methodological differences in detecting protein interactions from larger protein complexes, in the correlation of protein abundance among interacting proteins, and in their connectivity of essential proteins. In the latter case, we showed that minimizing inherent methodology biases removed many of the ambiguous conclusions about protein essentiality and protein connectivity. We used these findings to rationalize how biological insights obtained by analyzing data sets originating from different sources sometimes do not agree or may even contradict each other. An important corollary of this work was that discrepancies in biological insights did not necessarily imply that one detection methodology was better or worse, but rather that, to a large extent, the insights reflected the methodological biases themselves. Consequently, interpreting the protein interaction data within their experimental or cellular context provided the best avenue for overcoming biases and inferring biological knowledge.

Repressive chromatin affects factor binding at yeast HO (homothallic switching) promoter

The yeast HO gene is tightly regulated, with multiple activators and coactivators needed to overcome repressive chromatin structures that form over this promoter. Coactivator binding is strongly interdependent, as loss of one factor sharply reduces recruitment of other factors. The Rpd3(L) histone deacetylase is recruited to HO at two distinct times during the cell cycle, first by Ash1 to the URS1 region of the promoter and then by SBF/Whi5/Stb1 to URS2. SBF itself is localized to only a subset of its potential binding sites in URS2, and this localization takes longer and is less robust than at other SBF target genes, suggesting that binding to the HO promoter is limited by chromatin structures that dynamically change as the cell cycle progresses. Ash1 only binds at the URS1 region of the promoter, but an ash1 mutation results in markedly increased binding of SBF and Rpd3(L) at URS2, some 450 bp distant from the site of Ash1 binding, suggesting these two regions of the promoter interact. An ash1 mutation also results in increased coactivator recruitment, Swi/Snf and Mediator localization in the absence of the normally required Gcn5 histone acetyltransferase, and HO expression even in the presence of a taf1 mutation affecting TFIID activity that otherwise blocks HO transcription. Ash1 therefore appears to play a central role in generating the strongly repressive environment at the HO promoter, which limits the binding of several coactivators at URS2 and TATA region.

Tra1 has specific regulatory roles, rather than global functions, within the SAGA co-activator complex

The SAGA complex is a conserved, multifunctional co-activator that has broad roles in eukaryotic transcription. Previous studies suggested that Tra1, the largest SAGA component, is required either for SAGA assembly or for SAGA recruitment by DNA-bound transcriptional activators. In contrast to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mouse, a tra1Δ mutant is viable in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, allowing us to test these issues in vivo. We find that, in a tra1Δ mutant, SAGA assembles and is recruited to some, but not all, promoters. Consistent with these findings, Tra1 regulates the expression of only a subset of SAGA-dependent genes. We previously reported that the SAGA subunits Gcn5 and Spt8 have opposing regulatory roles during S. pombe sexual differentiation. We show here that, like Gcn5, Tra1 represses this pathway, although by a distinct mechanism. Thus, our study reveals that Tra1 has specific regulatory roles, rather than global functions, within SAGA.

Yeast zinc cluster proteins Dal81 and Uga3 cooperate by targeting common coactivators for transcriptional activation of γ-aminobutyrate responsive genes

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, optimal utilization of various compounds as a nitrogen source is mediated by a complex transcriptional network. The zinc cluster protein Dal81 is a general activator of nitrogen metabolic genes, including those for γ-aminobutyrate (GABA). In contrast, Uga3 (another zinc cluster protein) is an activator restricted to the control of genes involved in utilization of GABA. Uga3 binds to DNA elements found in the promoters of target genes and increases their expression in the presence of GABA. Dal81 appears to act as a coactivator since the DNA-binding activity of this factor is dispensable but its mode of action is not known. In this study, we have mapped a regulatory, as well as an activating, region for Uga3. A LexA-Uga3 chimeric protein activates a lexA reporter in a GABA- and Dal81-dependent manner. Activation by Uga3 requires the SAGA complex as well as Gal11, a component of mediator. ChIP analysis revealed that Uga3 is weakly bound to target promoters. The presence of GABA enhances binding of Uga3 and allows recruitment of Dal81 and Gal11 to target genes. Recruitment of Gal11 is prevented in the absence of Dal81. Importantly, Dal81 by itself is a potent activator when tethered to DNA and its activity depends on SAGA and Gal11 but not Uga3. Overexpression of Uga3 bypasses the requirement for Dal81 but not for SAGA or Gal11. Thus, under artificial conditions, both Dal81 and Uga3 can activate transcription independently of each other. However, under physiological conditions, both factors cooperate by targeting common coactivators.

Mediator influences telomeric silencing and cellular life span

The Mediator complex is required for the regulated transcription of nearly all RNA polymerase II-dependent genes. Here we demonstrate a new role for Mediator which appears to be separate from its function as a transcriptional coactivator. Mediator associates directly with heterochromatin at telomeres and influences the exact boundary between active and inactive chromatin. Loss of the Mediator Med5 subunit or mutations in Med7 cause a depletion of the complex from regions located near subtelomeric X elements, which leads to a change in the balance between the Sir2 and Sas2 proteins. These changes in turn result in increased levels of H4K16 acetylation near telomeres and in desilencing of subtelomeric genes. Increases in H4K16 acetylation have been observed at telomeres in aging cells. In agreement with this observation, we found that the loss of MED5 leads to shortening of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) replicative life span.

The metazoan Mediator co-activator complex as an integrative hub for transcriptional regulation

The Mediator is an evolutionarily conserved, multiprotein complex that is a key regulator of protein-coding genes. In metazoan cells, multiple pathways that are responsible for homeostasis, cell growth and differentiation converge on the Mediator through transcriptional activators and repressors that target one or more of the almost 30 subunits of this complex. Besides interacting directly with RNA polymerase II, Mediator has multiple functions and can interact with and coordinate the action of numerous other co-activators and co-repressors, including those acting at the level of chromatin. These interactions ultimately allow the Mediator to deliver outputs that range from maximal activation of genes to modulation of basal transcription to long-term epigenetic silencing.

Phosphorylated Pol II CTD recruits multiple HDACs, including Rpd3C(S), for methylation-dependent deacetylation of ORF nucleosomes

Methylation of histone H3 by Set1 and Set2 is required for deacetylation of nucleosomes in coding regions by histone deacetylase complexes (HDACs) Set3C and Rpd3C(S), respectively. We report that Set3C and Rpd3C(S) are cotranscriptionally recruited in the absence of Set1 and Set2, but in a manner stimulated by Pol II CTD kinase Cdk7/Kin28. Consistently, Rpd3C(S) and Set3C interact with Ser5-phosphorylated Pol II and histones in extracts, but only the histone interactions require H3 methylation. Moreover, reconstituted Rpd3C(S) binds specifically to Ser5-phosphorylated CTD peptides in vitro. Hence, whereas interaction with methylated H3 residues is required for Rpd3C(S) and Set3C deacetylation activities, their cotranscriptional recruitment is stimulated by the phosphorylated CTD. We further demonstrate that Rpd3, Hos2, and Hda1 have overlapping functions in deacetylating histones and suppressing cotranscriptional histone eviction. A strong correlation between increased acetylation and lower histone occupancy in HDA mutants implies that histone acetylation is important for nucleosome eviction.

SUMO functions in constitutive transcription and during activation of inducible genes in yeast

Transcription factors represent one of the largest groups of proteins regulated by SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) modification, and their sumoylation is usually associated with transcriptional repression. To investigate whether sumoylation plays a general role in regulating transcription in yeast, we determined the occupancy of sumoylated proteins at a variety of genes by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) using an antibody that recognizes the yeast SUMO peptide. Surprisingly, we detected sumoylated proteins at all constitutively transcribed genes tested but not at repressed genes. Ubc9, the SUMO conjugation enzyme, was not present on these genes, but its inactivation reduced SUMO at the constitutive promoters and modestly decreased RNA polymerase II levels. In contrast, activation of the inducible GAL1, STL1, and ARG1 genes caused not only a striking accumulation of SUMO at all three promoter regions, but also recruitment of Ubc9, indicating that gene activation involves sumoylation of promoter-bound factors. However, Ubc9 inactivation, while reducing sumoylation at the induced promoters, paradoxically resulted in increased transcription. Providing an explanation for this, the reduced sumoylation impaired the cell's ability to appropriately shut off transcription of the induced ARG1 gene, indicating that SUMO can facilitate transcriptional silencing. Our findings thus establish unexpected roles for sumoylation in both constitutive and activated transcription, and provide a novel mechanism for regulating gene expression.

Mechanism of Mediator recruitment by tandem Gcn4 activation domains and three Gal11 activator-binding domains

Targets of the tandem Gcn4 acidic activation domains in transcription preinitiation complexes were identified by site-specific cross-linking. The individual Gcn4 activation domains cross-link to three common targets, Gal11/Med15, Taf12, and Tra1, which are subunits of four conserved coactivator complexes, Mediator, SAGA, TFIID, and NuA4. The Gcn4 N-terminal activation domain also cross-links to the Mediator subunit Sin4/Med16. The contribution of the two Gcn4 activation domains to transcription was gene specific and varied from synergistic to less than additive. Gcn4-dependent genes had a requirement for Gal11 ranging from 10-fold dependence to complete Gal11 independence, while the Gcn4-Taf12 interaction did not significantly contribute to the expression of any gene studied. Complementary methods identified three conserved Gal11 activator-binding domains that bind each Gcn4 activation domain with micromolar affinity. These Gal11 activator-binding domains contribute additively to transcription activation and Mediator recruitment at Gcn4- and Gal11-dependent genes. Although we found that the conserved Gal11 KIX domain contributes to Gal11 function, we found no evidence of specific Gcn4-KIX interaction and conclude that the Gal11 KIX domain does not function by specific interaction with Gcn4. Our combined results show gene-specific coactivator requirements, a surprising redundancy in activator-target interactions, and an activator-coactivator interaction mediated by multiple low-affinity protein-protein interactions.

Activator Gcn4 employs multiple segments of Med15/Gal11, including the KIX domain, to recruit mediator to target genes in vivo

Mediator is a multisubunit coactivator required for initiation by RNA polymerase II. The Mediator tail subdomain, containing Med15/Gal11, is a target of the activator Gcn4 in vivo, critical for recruitment of native Mediator or the Mediator tail subdomain present in sin4Delta cells. Although several Gal11 segments were previously shown to bind Gcn4 in vitro, the importance of these interactions for recruitment of Mediator and transcriptional activation by Gcn4 in cells was unknown. We show that interaction of Gcn4 with the Mediator tail in vitro and recruitment of this subcomplex and intact Mediator to the ARG1 promoter in vivo involve additive contributions from three different segments in the N terminus of Gal11. These include the KIX domain, which is a critical target of other activators, and a region that shares a conserved motif (B-box) with mammalian coactivator SRC-1, and we establish that B-box is a critical determinant of Mediator recruitment by Gcn4. We further demonstrate that Gcn4 binds to the Gal11 KIX domain directly and, by NMR chemical shift analysis combined with mutational studies, we identify the likely binding site for Gcn4 on the KIX surface. Gcn4 is distinctive in relying on comparable contributions from multiple segments of Gal11 for efficient recruitment of Mediator in vivo.

Activation of a poised RNAPII-dependent promoter requires both SAGA and mediator

A growing number of promoters have key components of the transcription machinery, such as TATA-binding protein (TBP) and RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), present at the promoter prior to activation of transcription. Thus, while transcriptional output undergoes a dramatic increase between uninduced and induced conditions, occupancy of a large portion of the transcription machinery does not. As such, activation of these poised promoters depends on rate-limiting steps after recruitment of TBP and RNAPII for regulated expression. Little is known about the transcription components required in these latter steps of transcription in vivo. To identify components with critical roles in transcription after recruitment of TBP in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we screened for loss of gene expression activity from promoter-tethered TBP in >100 mutant strains deleted for a transcription-related gene. The assay revealed a dramatic enrichment for strains containing deletions in genes encoding subunits of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex and Mediator. Analysis of an authentic postrecruitment-regulated gene (CYC1) reveals that SAGA occupies the promoter under both uninduced and induced conditions. In contrast, Mediator is recruited only after transfer to inducing conditions and correlates with activation of the preloaded polymerase at CYC1. These studies indicate the critical functions of SAGA and Mediator in the mechanism of activation of genes with rate-limiting steps after recruitment of TBP.

NuA4 lysine acetyltransferase Esa1 is targeted to coding regions and stimulates transcription elongation with Gcn5

NuA4, the major H4 lysine acetyltransferase (KAT) complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is recruited to promoters and stimulates transcription initiation. NuA4 subunits contain domains that bind methylated histones, suggesting that histone methylation should target NuA4 to coding sequences during transcription elongation. We show that NuA4 is cotranscriptionally recruited, dependent on its physical association with elongating polymerase II (Pol II) phosphorylated on the C-terminal domain by cyclin-dependent kinase 7/Kin28, but independently of subunits (Eaf1 and Tra1) required for NuA4 recruitment to promoters. Whereas histone methylation by Set1 and Set2 is dispensable for NuA4's interaction with Pol II and targeting to some coding regions, it stimulates NuA4-histone interaction and H4 acetylation in vivo. The NuA4 KAT, Esa1, mediates increased H4 acetylation and enhanced RSC occupancy and histone eviction in coding sequences and stimulates the rate of transcription elongation. Esa1 cooperates with the H3 KAT in SAGA, Gcn5, to enhance these functions. Our findings delineate a pathway for acetylation-mediated nucleosome remodeling and eviction in coding sequences that stimulates transcription elongation by Pol II in vivo.

How Saccharomyces responds to nutrients

Yeast cells sense the amount and quality of external nutrients through multiple interconnected signaling networks, which allow them to adjust their metabolism, transcriptional profile and developmental program to adapt readily and appropriately to changing nutritional states. We present our current understanding of the nutritional sensing networks yeast cells rely on for perceiving the nutritional landscape, with particular emphasis on those sensitive to carbon and nitrogen sources. We describe the means by which these networks inform the cell's decision among the different developmental programs available to them-growth, quiescence, filamentous development, or meiosis/sporulation. We conclude that the highly interconnected signaling networks provide the cell with a highly nuanced view of the environment and that the cell can interpret that information through a sophisticated calculus to achieve optimum responses to any nutritional condition.

Disrupting vesicular trafficking at the endosome attenuates transcriptional activation by Gcn4

The late endosome (MVB) plays a key role in coordinating vesicular transport of proteins between the Golgi complex, vacuole/lysosome, and plasma membrane. We found that deleting multiple genes involved in vesicle fusion at the MVB (class C/D vps mutations) impairs transcriptional activation by Gcn4, a global regulator of amino acid biosynthetic genes, by decreasing the ability of chromatin-bound Gcn4 to stimulate preinitiation complex assembly at the promoter. The functions of hybrid activators with Gal4 or VP16 activation domains are diminished in class D mutants as well, suggesting a broader defect in activation. Class E vps mutations, which impair protein sorting at the MVB, also decrease activation by Gcn4, provided they elicit rapid proteolysis of MVB cargo proteins in the aberrant late endosome. By contrast, specifically impairing endocytic trafficking from the plasma membrane, or vesicular transport to the vacuole, has a smaller effect on Gcn4 function. Thus, it appears that decreasing cargo proteins in the MVB through impaired delivery or enhanced degradation, and not merely the failure to transport cargo properly to the vacuole or downregulate plasma membrane proteins by endocytosis, is required to attenuate substantially transcriptional activation by Gcn4.

Activated transcription via mammalian amino acid response elements does not require enhanced recruitment of the Mediator complex

It is unclear whether Mediator complex in yeast is necessary for all RNA polymerase II (Pol II) transcription or if it is limited to genes activated by environmental stress. In mammals, amino acid limitation induces SNAT2 transcription through ATF4 binding at an amino acid response element. ATF4 is the functional counterpart to the yeast amino acid-dependent regulator GCN4 and GCN4 recruits Mediator during transcriptional activation. Consistent with enhanced SNAT2 transcription activity, the present data demonstrate that amino acid limitation increased SNAT2 promoter association of the general transcription factors that make up the preinitiation complex, including Pol II, but there was no increase in Mediator recruitment. Furthermore, siRNA knockdown of eight Mediator subunits caused no significant decrease in SNAT2 transcription. The estrogen-dependent pS2 gene was used as a positive control for both the ChIP and the siRNA approaches and the data demonstrated the requirement for Mediator recruitment. These results document that activation of the SNAT2 gene by the mammalian amino acid response pathway occurs independently of enhanced Mediator recruitment.

Dissection of coactivator requirement at RNR3 reveals unexpected contributions from TFIID and SAGA

The gene encoding ribonucleotide reductase 3 (RNR3) is strongly induced in response to DNA damage. Its expression is strictly dependent upon the TAF(II) subunits of TFIID, which are required for the recruitment of SWI/SNF and nucleosome remodeling. However, full activation of RNR3 also requires GCN5, the catalytic subunit of the SAGA histone acetyltransferase complex. Thus, RNR3 is dependent upon both TFIID and SAGA, two complexes that deliver TATA-binding protein (TBP) to promoters. Furthermore, unlike the majority of TFIID-dominated genes, RNR3 contains a consensus TATA-box, a feature of SAGA-regulated core promoters. Although a large fraction of the genome can be characterized as either TFIID- or SAGA-dominant, it is expected that many genes utilize both. The mechanism of activation and the relative contributions of SAGA and TFIID at genes regulated by both complexes have not been examined. Here we delineated the role of SAGA in the regulation of RNR3 and contrast it to that of TFIID. We find that SAGA components fulfill distinct functions in the regulation of RNR3. The core promoter of RNR3 is SAGA-dependent, and we provide evidence that SAGA, not TAF(II)s within TFIID, are largely responsible for TBP recruitment. This taken together with our previous work provides evidence that SAGA recruits TBP, whereas TFIID mediates chromatin remodeling. Thus, we described an unexpected shift in the division of labor between these two complexes and provide the first characterization of a gene that requires both SAGA and TFIID.

Genetic interactions of MAF1 identify a role for Med20 in transcriptional repression of ribosomal protein genes

Transcriptional repression of ribosomal components and tRNAs is coordinately regulated in response to a wide variety of environmental stresses. Part of this response involves the convergence of different nutritional and stress signaling pathways on Maf1, a protein that is essential for repressing transcription by RNA polymerase (pol) III in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we identify the functions buffering yeast cells that are unable to down-regulate transcription by RNA pol III. MAF1 genetic interactions identified in screens of non-essential gene-deletions and conditionally expressed essential genes reveal a highly interconnected network of 64 genes involved in ribosome biogenesis, RNA pol II transcription, tRNA modification, ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis and other processes. A survey of non-essential MAF1 synthetic sick/lethal (SSL) genes identified six gene-deletions that are defective in transcriptional repression of ribosomal protein (RP) genes following rapamycin treatment. This subset of MAF1 SSL genes included MED20 which encodes a head module subunit of the RNA pol II Mediator complex. Genetic interactions between MAF1 and subunits in each structural module of Mediator were investigated to examine the functional relationship between these transcriptional regulators. Gene expression profiling identified a prominent and highly selective role for Med20 in the repression of RP gene transcription under multiple conditions. In addition, attenuated repression of RP genes by rapamycin was observed in a strain deleted for the Mediator tail module subunit Med16. The data suggest that Mediator and Maf1 function in parallel pathways to negatively regulate RP mRNA and tRNA synthesis.

The Maf1 protein is an essential negative regulator of transcription by RNA polymerase III in S. cerevisiae and functions to integrate responses from diverse nutritional and stress signaling pathways that coordinately regulate ribosome and tRNA synthesis. These signaling pathways are not well-defined, and efforts to understand the role of Maf1 in this process have been complicated by a lack of known functional motifs in the protein and by a paucity of direct physical interactions with Maf1. To understand the biological importance of down-regulating RNA polymerase III transcription and to identify functional relationships with Maf1, we employed synthetic genetic array (SGA) analysis. We show that the genetic neighborhood around Maf1 is highly interconnected and enriched for a small number of functional categories, most of which are logically linked to the function of Maf1 as the regulator of RNA polymerase III transcription. We found that deletions in a subset of MAF1 SSL genes, including subunits of the RNA polymerase II Mediator complex, lead to defects in transcriptional repression of ribosomal protein (RP) genes. Since Mediator subunits are not efficiently cross-linked to RP genes in chromatin, our results suggest that Mediator interactions with these highly expressed genes are fundamentally different from many other genes.

Cooperative activity of cdk8 and GCN5L within Mediator directs tandem phosphoacetylation of histone H3

The human Mediator complex is generally required for expression of protein-coding genes. Here, we show that the GCN5L acetyltransferase stably associates with Mediator together with the TRRAP polypeptide. Yet, contrary to expectations, TRRAP/GCN5L does not associate with the transcriptionally active core Mediator but rather with Mediator that contains the cdk8 subcomplex. Consequently, this derivative 'T/G-Mediator' complex does not directly activate transcription in a reconstituted human transcription system. However, within T/G-Mediator, cdk8 phosphorylates serine-10 on histone H3, which in turn stimulates H3K14 acetylation by GCN5L within the complex. Tandem phosphoacetylation of H3 correlates with transcriptional activation, and ChIP assays demonstrate co-occupancy of T/G-Mediator components at several activated genes in vivo. Moreover, cdk8 knockdown causes substantial reduction of global H3 phosphoacetylation, suggesting that T/G-Mediator is a major regulator of this H3 mark. Cooperative H3 modification provides a mechanistic basis for GCN5L association with cdk8-Mediator and also identifies a biochemical means by which cdk8 can indirectly activate gene expression. Indeed our results suggest that T/G-Mediator directs early events-such as modification of chromatin templates-in transcriptional activation.

STAGA recruits Mediator to the MYC oncoprotein to stimulate transcription and cell proliferation

Activation of eukaryotic gene transcription involves the recruitment by DNA-binding activators of multiprotein histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and Mediator complexes. How these coactivator complexes functionally cooperate and the roles of the different subunits/modules remain unclear. Here we report physical interactions between the human HAT complex STAGA (SPT3-TAF9-GCN5-acetylase) and a "core" form of the Mediator complex during transcription activation by the MYC oncoprotein. Knockdown of the STAF65gamma component of STAGA in human cells prevents the stable association of TRRAP and GCN5 with the SPT3 and TAF9 subunits; impairs transcription of MYC-dependent genes, including MYC transactivation of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter; and inhibits proliferation of MYC-dependent cells. STAF65gamma is required for SPT3/STAGA interaction with core Mediator and for MYC recruitment of SPT3, TAF9, and core Mediator components to the TERT promoter but is dispensable for MYC recruitment of TRRAP, GCN5, and p300 and for acetylation of nucleosomes and loading of TFIID and RNA polymerase II on the promoter. These results suggest a novel STAF65gamma-dependent function of STAGA-type complexes in cell proliferation and transcription activation by MYC postloading of TFIID and RNA polymerase II that involves direct recruitment of core Mediator.

A SAGA-independent function of SPT3 mediates transcriptional deregulation in a mutant of the Ccr4-not complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The conserved multi-subunit Ccr4-Not complex regulates gene expression in diverse ways. In this work, we characterize the suppression of temperature sensitivity associated with a mutation in the gene encoding the scaffold subunit of the Ccr4-Not complex, NOT1, by the deletion of SPT3. We determine that the deletion of SPT3, but not the deletion of genes encoding other subunits of the SAGA complex, globally suppresses transcriptional defects of not1-2. We find that transcriptional activation in not1-2 is associated with increased binding of TFIID and SAGA at promoters of upregulated genes, and this is suppressed by the deletion of SPT3. Interestingly, Spt3p-dependent activation of transcription occurs in not1-2 even if the SAGA complex is disrupted by the deletion of SPT7 that encodes a subunit of SAGA required for its integrity. Consistent with a SAGA-independent function of Spt3p, the deletion of SPT3 displays synthetic phenotypes when combined with a deletion of SPT7. Taken together, our results provide a new view of the Spt3 protein by identifying a SAGA-independent function of this protein that is functionally linked to the Ccr4-Not complex.

Yeast cap binding complex impedes recruitment of cleavage factor IA to weak termination sites

Nuclear cap binding complex (CBC) is recruited cotranscriptionally and stimulates spliceosome assembly on nascent mRNAs; however, its possible functions in regulating transcription elongation or termination were not well understood. We show that, while CBC appears to be dispensable for normal rates and processivity of elongation by RNA polymerase II (Pol II), it plays a direct role in preventing polyadenylation at weak termination sites. Similarly to Npl3p, with which it interacts, CBC suppresses the weak terminator of the gal10-Delta56 mutant allele by impeding recruitment of termination factors Pcf11p and Rna15p (subunits of cleavage factor IA [CF IA]) and does so without influencing Npl3p occupancy at the termination site. Importantly, deletion of CBC subunits or NPL3 also increases termination at a naturally occurring weak poly(A) site in the RNA14 coding sequences. We also show that CBC is most likely recruited directly to the cap of nascent transcripts rather than interacting first with transcriptional activators or the phosphorylated C-terminal domain of Pol II. Thus, our findings illuminate the mechanism of CBC recruitment and extend its function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae beyond mRNA splicing and degradation of aberrant nuclear mRNAs to include regulation of CF IA recruitment at poly(A) selection sites.

Activation of the ADE genes requires the chromatin remodeling complexes SAGA and SWI/SNF

The activation of the ADE regulon genes requires the pair of transcription factors Bas1 and Pho2. In a genome-wide screen for additional regulators of the pathway, strains with mutations in multiple subunits of the chromatin remodeling complexes SAGA and SWI/SNF were uncovered. These mutants exhibited decreased expression of an ADE5,7-lacZ reporter and native ADE compared to the wild-type strains, but the expression of the BAS1 and PHO2 genes was not substantially decreased. An unregulated Bas1-Pho2 fusion protein depended upon SAGA and SWI/SNF activity to promote transcription of a reporter. A significant but low-level association of Gcn5-myc and Snf2-myc with the ADE5,7 promoter was independent of adenine growth conditions and independent of the presence of the activator proteins Bas1 and Pho2. However, the increase in occupancy of Bas1 and Pho2 at ADE5,7 depended on both SAGA and SWI/SNF. The loss of catalytic activity of both SAGA and SWI/SNF complexes in the gcn5Delta snf2Delta double mutant was severely detrimental to ADE-lacZ reporter expression and native ADE gene expression, indicating complementary roles for these complexes. We conclude that Bas1 and Pho2 do not recruit the SAGA and SWI/SNF complexes to the ADE5,7 promoter but that the remodeling complexes are necessary to increase the binding of Bas1 and Pho2 in response to the adenine regulatory signal. Our data support the model that the SAGA and SWI/SNF complexes engage in global surveillance that is necessary for the specific response by Bas1 and Pho2.

Med19(Rox3) Regulates Intermodule Interactions in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mediator Complex

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mediator is a 25-subunit complex that facilitates both transcriptional activation and repression. Structural and functional studies have divided Mediator subunits into four distinct modules. The Head, Middle, and Tail modules form the core functional Mediator complex, whereas a fourth, the Cyc-C module, is variably associated with the core. By purifying Mediator from a strain lacking the Med19(Rox3) subunit, we have found that a complex missing only the Med19(Rox3) subunit can be isolated under mild conditions. Additionally, we have established that the entire Middle module is released when the Deltamed19(rox3) Mediator is purified under more stringent conditions. In contrast to most models of the modular structure of Mediator, we show that release of the Middle module in the Deltamed19(rox3) Mediator leaves a stable complex made up solely of Head and Tail subunits. Both the intact and Head-Tail Deltamed19(rox3) Mediator complexes have defects in enhanced basal transcription, enhanced TFIIH phosphorylation of the CTD, as well as binding of RNA Pol II and the CTD. The largely intact Deltamed19(rox3) complex facilitates activated transcription at levels similar to the wild type Mediator. In the absence of the Middle module, however, the Deltamed19(rox3) Mediator is unable to facilitate activated transcription. Although the Middle module is unnecessary for holding the Head and Tail modules together, it is required for the complex to function as a conduit between activators and the core transcription machinery.