Saccharomyces cerevisiae uses several mechanisms for arsenic detoxification including the arsenate reductase Acr2p and the arsenite efflux protein Acr3p. ACR2 and ACR3 are transcribed in opposite directions from the same promoter and expression of these genes is regulated by the AP-1 (activator protein 1)-like transcription factor Yap8p. Yap8p has been shown to permanently associate with this promoter and to stimulate ACR2/ACR3 expression in response to arsenic. In the present study we characterized the DNA sequence that is targeted by Yap8p. We show that Yap8p binds to a pseudo-palindromic TGATTAATAATCA sequence that is related to, but distinct from, the sequence recognized by other fungal AP-1 proteins. Probing the promoter by mutational analysis, we confirm the importance of the TTAATAA core element and pin-point nucleotides that flank this element as crucial for Yap8p binding and in vivo activation of ACR3 expression. A genome-wide search for this element combined with global gene expression analysis indicates that the principal function of Yap8p is to control expression of ACR2 and ACR3. We conclude that Yap8p and other yeast AP-1 proteins require distinct DNA-binding motifs to induce gene expression and propose that this fact contributed towards a separation of function between AP-1 proteins during evolution.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
November 2008
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
- PDF Icon PDF LinkFront Matter
- PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
- PDF Icon PDF LinkEditorial Board
Research Article|
October 15 2008
Characterization of the DNA-binding motif of the arsenic-responsive transcription factor Yap8p
Yulia Ilina;
Yulia Ilina
1
*Department of Cell and Molecular Biology/Microbiology, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
Search for other works by this author on:
Ewa Sloma;
Ewa Sloma
1
†Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wroclaw, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland
Search for other works by this author on:
Ewa Maciaszczyk-Dziubinska;
Ewa Maciaszczyk-Dziubinska
†Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wroclaw, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland
Search for other works by this author on:
Marian Novotny;
Marian Novotny
‡Department of Cell Biology, Charles University, 128 43 Praha 2, Czech Republic
Search for other works by this author on:
Michael Thorsen;
Michael Thorsen
*Department of Cell and Molecular Biology/Microbiology, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
Search for other works by this author on:
Robert Wysocki;
Robert Wysocki
†Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wroclaw, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland
Search for other works by this author on:
Markus J. Tamás
Markus J. Tamás
2
*Department of Cell and Molecular Biology/Microbiology, University of Gothenburg, S-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
2To whom correspondence should be addressed (email markus.tamas@cmb.gu.se).
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
April 07 2008
Revision Received:
June 24 2008
Accepted:
June 27 2008
Accepted Manuscript online:
June 27 2008
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Biochemical Society
2008
Biochem J (2008) 415 (3): 467–475.
Article history
Received:
April 07 2008
Revision Received:
June 24 2008
Accepted:
June 27 2008
Accepted Manuscript online:
June 27 2008
Citation
Yulia Ilina, Ewa Sloma, Ewa Maciaszczyk-Dziubinska, Marian Novotny, Michael Thorsen, Robert Wysocki, Markus J. Tamás; Characterization of the DNA-binding motif of the arsenic-responsive transcription factor Yap8p. Biochem J 1 November 2008; 415 (3): 467–475. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BJ20080713
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Captcha Validation Error. Please try again.