Project description:Promoter-specific transcriptional activators (activators) stimulate transcription through direct interactions with one or more components of the transcription machinery, termed the "target." The identification of direct in vivo targets of activators has been a major challenge. Previous studies have provided evidence that the Tra1 subunit of the yeast SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase) complex is the target of the yeast activator Gal4. However, several other general transcription factors, in particular the mediator complex, have also been implicated as Gal4 targets. Here we perform a large-scale genetic screen to derive and characterize tra1 alleles that are selectively defective for interaction with Gal4 in vivo [Gal4 interaction defective (GID) mutants]. In contrast to WT Tra1, Tra1 GID mutants are not recruited by Gal4 to the promoter and cannot support Gal4-directed transcription, demonstrating the essentiality of the Gal4-Tra1 interaction. In yeast strains expressing a Tra1 GID mutant, binding of Gal4 to the promoter is unexpectedly also diminished, indicating that Gal4 and Tra1 bind cooperatively. Consistent with cooperative binding, we demonstrate that the Gal4-Tra1 interaction occurs predominantly on the promoter and not off DNA. Finally, we show that although Tra1 is targeted by other activators, these interactions are unaffected by GID mutations, revealing an unanticipated specificity of the Gal4-Tra1 interaction.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE31389: Gene expression profile of Tra1 GID (Gal4 interaction defective) mutants GSE31390: Gene expression profile of Tra1 dependent genes Refer to individual Series
Project description:Promoter-specific transcriptional activators (activators) stimulate transcription through direct interactions with one or more components of the transcription machinery, termed the “target”. Previous studies have provided evidence that the Tra1 subunit of the yeast SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase) complex is the target of the yeast activator Gal4. However, several other general transcription factors, in particular the mediator complex, have also been implicated as Gal4 targets. To investigate the essentiality of Tra1 as a target of Gal4, here we derive Tra1 mutants that are selectively defective for interaction with Gal4 in vivo (Gal4 Interaction Defective (GID) mutants). In contrast to wild-type Tra1, Tra1 GID mutants are not recruited by Gal4 to the promoter and cannot support Gal4-directed transcription activation, demonstrating that the Gal4–Tra1 interaction is required for Gal4 function. In yeast strains expressing a Tra1 GID mutant, Gal4 promoter binding is unexpectedly also diminished indicating that Gal4 and Tra1 bind cooperatively. Consistent with cooperative binding, we demonstrate that the interaction between Gal4 and Tra1 occurs predominantly on the promoter and not off DNA. Finally, we show that although Tra1 is also targeted by other activators, these interaction are unaffected by GID mutations, revealing an unanticipated specificity of the Gal4-Tra1 interaction.
Project description:Promoter-specific transcriptional activators (activators) stimulate transcription through direct interactions with one or more components of the transcription machinery, termed the “target”. Previous studies have provided evidence that the Tra1 subunit of the yeast SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase) complex is the target of the yeast activator Gal4. However, several other general transcription factors, in particular the mediator complex, have also been implicated as Gal4 targets. To investigate the essentiality of Tra1 as a target of Gal4, here we derive Tra1 mutants that are selectively defective for interaction with Gal4 in vivo (Gal4 Interaction Defective (GID) mutants). In contrast to wild-type Tra1, Tra1 GID mutants are not recruited by Gal4 to the promoter and cannot support Gal4-directed transcription activation, demonstrating that the Gal4–Tra1 interaction is required for Gal4 function. In yeast strains expressing a Tra1 GID mutant, Gal4 promoter binding is unexpectedly also diminished indicating that Gal4 and Tra1 bind cooperatively. Consistent with cooperative binding, we demonstrate that the interaction between Gal4 and Tra1 occurs predominantly on the promoter and not off DNA. Finally, we show that although Tra1 is also targeted by other activators, these interaction are unaffected by GID mutations, revealing an unanticipated specificity of the Gal4-Tra1 interaction. 3 samples were analyzed in duplicate with completely randomized design
Project description:BACKGROUND:Retroviral integrase catalyzes integration of viral DNA into the host genome. Integrase interactor (INI)1/hSNF5 is a host factor that binds to HIV-1 IN within the context of Gag-Pol and is specifically incorporated into HIV-1 virions during assembly. Previous studies have indicated that INI1/hSNF5 is required for late events in vivo and for integration in vitro. To determine the effects of disrupting the IN-INI1 interaction on the assembly and infectivity of HIV-1 particles, we isolated mutants of IN that are defective for binding to INI1/hSNF5 and tested their effects on HIV-1 replication. RESULTS:A reverse yeast two-hybrid system was used to identify INI1-interaction defective IN mutants (IID-IN). Since protein-protein interactions depend on the surface residues, the IID-IN mutants that showed high surface accessibility on IN crystal structures (K71R, K111E, Q137R, D202G, and S147G) were selected for further study. In vitro interaction studies demonstrated that IID-IN mutants exhibit variable degrees of interaction with INI1. The mutations were engineered into HIV-1(NL4-3) and HIV-Luc viruses and tested for their effects on virus replication. HIV-1 harboring IID-IN mutations were defective for replication in both multi- and single-round infection assays. The infectivity defects were correlated to the degree of INI1 interaction of the IID-IN mutants. Highly defective IID-IN mutants were blocked at early and late reverse transcription, whereas partially defective IID-IN mutants proceeded through reverse transcription and nuclear localization, but were partially impaired for integration. Electron microscopic analysis of mutant particles indicated that highly interaction-defective IID-IN mutants produced morphologically aberrant virions, whereas the partially defective mutants produced normal virions. All of the IID-IN mutant particles exhibited normal capsid stability and reverse transcriptase activity in vitro. CONCLUSIONS:Our results demonstrate that a severe defect in IN-INI1 interaction is associated with production of defective particles and a subsequent defect in post-entry events. A partial defect in IN-INI1 interaction leads to production of normal virions that are partially impaired for early events including integration. Our studies suggest that proper interaction of INI1 with IN within Gag-Pol is necessary for proper HIV-1 morphogenesis and integration.
Project description:The bacterial Mfd protein is a transcription-repair coupling factor that performs two key functions during transcription-coupled DNA repair. The first is to remove RNA polymerase (RNAP) complexes that have been stalled by a DNA lesion from the site of damage, and the second is to mediate the recruitment of DNA repair proteins. Mfd also displaces transcription complexes that have been stalled by protein roadblocks, and catalyses the reactivation of transcription complexes that have become 'backtracked'. We have identified amino acid substitutions in the beta subunit of Escherichia coli RNAP that disrupt a direct interaction between Mfd and RNAP. These substitutions prevent Mfd displacing stalled RNAP from DNA in vivo and in vitro. They define a highly conserved surface-exposed patch on the beta1 domain of RNAP that is required by Mfd for the initial step of transcription-coupled repair, the enhancement of roadblock repression and the reactivation of backtracked transcription complexes.
Project description:Our previous studies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae described a gene repression mechanism where the transcription of intergenic noncoding DNA (ncDNA) (SRG1) assembles nucleosomes across the promoter of the adjacent SER3 gene that interfere with the binding of transcription factors. To investigate the role of histones in this mechanism, we screened a comprehensive library of histone H3 and H4 mutants for those that derepress SER3. We identified mutations altering eight histone residues (H3 residues V46, R49, V117, Q120, and K122 and H4 residues R36, I46, and S47) that strongly increase SER3 expression without reducing the transcription of the intergenic SRG1 ncDNA. We detected reduced nucleosome occupancy across SRG1 in these mutants to degrees that correlate well with the level of SER3 derepression. The histone chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments on several other genes suggest that the loss of nucleosomes in these mutants is specific to highly transcribed regions. Interestingly, two of these histone mutants, H3 R49A and H3 V46A, reduce Set2-dependent methylation of lysine 36 of histone H3 and allow transcription initiation from cryptic intragenic promoters. Taken together, our data identify a new class of histone mutants that is defective for transcription-dependent nucleosome occupancy.
Project description:In the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, blocks to DNA replication elongation trigger the intra-S phase checkpoint that leads to the activation of the Cds1 kinase. Cds1 is required to both prevent premature entry into mitosis and to stabilize paused replication forks. Interestingly, although Cds1 is essential to maintain the viability of mutants defective in DNA replication elongation, mutants defective in DNA replication initiation require the Chk1 kinase. This suggests that defects in DNA replication initiation can lead to activation of the DNA damage checkpoint independent of the intra-S phase checkpoint. This might result from reduced origin firing that leads to an increase in replication fork stalling or replication fork collapse that activates the G2 DNA damage checkpoint. We refer to the Chk1-dependent, Cds1-independent phenotype as the rid phenotype (for replication initiation defective). Chk1 is active in rid mutants, and rid mutant viability is dependent on the DNA damage checkpoint, and surprisingly Mrc1, a protein required for activation of Cds1. Mutations in Mrc1 that prevent activation of Cds1 have no effect on its ability to support rid mutant viability, suggesting that Mrc1 has a checkpoint-independent role in maintaining the viability of mutants defective in DNA replication initiation.
Project description:The E1 helicase from BPV and HPV16 interacts with Ubc9 to facilitate viral genome replication. We report that HPV11 E1 also interacts with Ubc9 in vitro and in the yeast two-hybrid system. Residues in E1 involved in oligomerization (353-435) were sufficient for binding to Ubc9 in vitro, but the origin-binding and ATPase domains were additionally required in yeast. Nuclear accumulation of BPV E1 was shown previously to depend on its interaction with Ubc9 and sumoylation on lysine 514. In contrast, HPV11 and HPV16 E1 mutants defective for Ubc9 binding remained nuclear even when the SUMO pathway was inhibited. Furthermore, we found that K514 in BPV E1 and the analogous K559 in HPV11 E1 are not essential for nuclear accumulation of E1. These results suggest that the interaction of E1 with Ubc9 is not essential for its nuclear accumulation but, rather, depends on its oligomerization and binding to DNA and ATP.