Analysis of carbon source-regulated gene expression by the upstream region of the Candida tropicalis malate synthase gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

We investigated the regulation of expression of a gene encoding malate synthase (MS) of an n-alkane-utilizable yeast Candida tropicalis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, where its expression is highly induced by acetate. By comparing levels of gene expression in cells grown on glucose, acetate, lactate, and oleic acid, we found that the increase in gene expression was due to a glucose repression-derepression mechanism. In order to obtain information concerning the regulation of the gene expression, a fusion gene which consists of the 5′-upstream region of MS-2 ( UPR-MS-2) and the lacZ gene (encoding Escherichia coli β-galactosidase), was introduced into S. cerevisiae, and β-galactosidase activities were measured with cells grown on glucose or acetate. Deletion analysis of UPR-MS-2 revealed that the region between −777 and −448 (against the translation initiation codon) enhanced the level of gene expression in both glucose- and acetate-grown cells. In this region, sequences which resemble binding sites of Rap1 p/Grf1 p/Tuf p, a global transcription activator, were found at seven locations and one was found for another pleiotropic activator Abf1 p. The result also suggested the presence of multiple upstream repression sequences (URSs), which function specifically in glucose-grown cells, in the region between −368 and −126. In the repressing region, there were three tandem C(A/T)CTCCC sequences and also a putative binding site of Mig1 p, a transcriptional repressor which mediates glucose repression of several other genes. When MIG1 gene of S. cerevisiae was disrupted, the expression of the UPR-MS-2-lacZ gene in glucose-grown cells increased approx. 10-fold. Furthermore, the effect of deletion of a putative Mig1 p binding site was abolished in the MIG1-disrupted strain, suggesting Mig1 p binds to this site and brings about glucose repression. When the SNF1 gene was disrupted, the high level gene expression observed in acetate-grown cells bearing UPR-MS-2 was abolished. This indicated that derepression of UPR-MS-2 -mediated gene expression was dependent on Snf1 p, as is the case of genes encoding isocitrate lyase and gluconeogenic enzymes in S. cerevisiae.