The transcription factor Leu3 shows differential binding behavior in response to changing leucine availability

The main transcriptional regulator of leucine biosynthesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the transcription factor Leu3. It has previously been reported that Leu3 always binds to its target genes, but requires activation to induce their expression. In a recent large-scale study of high-resolution transcription factor binding site identification, we showed that Leu3 has divergent binding sites in different cultivation conditions, thereby questioning the results of earlier studies. Here, we present a follow-up study using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) to investigate the influence of leucine supplementation on Leu3 binding activity and strength. With this new data set we are able to show that Leu3 exhibits changes in binding activity in response to changing levels of leucine availability.