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Cell type‐specific chromatin organization of the region that governs directionality of yeast mating type switching
Author(s) -
Weiss Kerstin,
Simpson Robert T.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1093/emboj/16.14.4352
Subject(s) - biology , mating type , directionality , mating of yeast , chromatin , genetics , type (biology) , yeast , mating , saccharomyces cerevisiae , microbiology and biotechnology , evolutionary biology , gene , ecology
Switching of mating type in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is directional; MAT α cells recombine to transfer information from HMR a while MAT a cells switch using the silent cassette at HML α. Genetic analysis recently has defined a 700 bp recombination enhancer ∼29 kb from the left end of chromosome III that is necessary for directionality. The chromatin structure of this region differs strikingly in a‐ and α‐cells. Matα2p organizes a 3.7 kb chromatin domain that opposes interaction of trans ‐acting proteins with the enhancer. In a‐cells lacking the α2 repressor, two footprinted regions flank an ∼100 bp section having a unique DNA structure. This structural signature probably reflects interactions of proteins that result in directional mating type switching.