Open AccessA new role for MCM1 in yeast: cell cycle regulation of SW15 transcription.
Author(s) -
David Lydall,
Gustav Ammerer,
Kim Nasmyth
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
genes and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.136
H-Index - 438
eISSN - 1549-5477
pISSN - 0890-9369
DOI - 10.1101/gad.5.12b.2405
Subject(s) - biology , transcription factor , transcription preinitiation complex , general transcription factor , microbiology and biotechnology , cell cycle , transcription (linguistics) , enhancer , transcription factor ii b , taf2 , genetics , saccharomyces cerevisiae , promoter , cell , gene , gene expression , linguistics , philosophy
In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle-regulated SW15 transcription is essential for ensuring that mother and not daughter cells switch mating type. We have identified a 55-bp promoter sequence that appears to be responsible for restricting transcription to the late S, G2, and M phases of the cell cycle. Two proteins, MCM1, a transcription factor described previously, and SFF (SWI five factor, a newly identified factor) bind this sequence in vitro. MCM1 binds the DNA tightly on its own, but SFF will only bind as part of a ternary complex with MCM1. We observe a strong correlation between the ability of mutated SWI5 promoter sequences to form a ternary MCM1-SFF-containing complex in vitro and to activate transcription in vivo, which suggests that efficient transcription requires that both proteins bind DNA. Through its interactions with cell type-specific coactivators and corepressors, MCM1 controls cell type-specific expression of pheromone and receptor genes. By analogy, we propose that SFF enables MCM1 to function as a part of a cell cycle-regulated transcription complex.