Transcriptional responses to glucose at different glycolytic rates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The addition of glucose to Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells causes reprogramming of gene expression. Glucose is sensed by membrane receptors as well as (so far elusive) intracellular sensing mechanisms. The availability of four yeast strains that display different hexose uptake capacities allowed us to study glucose-induced effects at different glycolytic rates. Rapid glucose responses were observed in all strains able to take up glucose, consistent with intracellular sensing. The degree of long-term responses, however, clearly correlated with the glycolytic rate: glucose-stimulated expression of genes encoding enzymes of the lower part of glycolysis showed an almost linear correlation with the glycolytic rate, while expression levels of genes encoding gluconeogenic enzymes and invertase (SUC2) showed an inverse correlation. Glucose control of SUC2 expression is mediated by the Snf1-Mig1 pathway. Mig1 dephosphorylation upon glucose addition is known to lead to repression of target genes. Mig1 was initially dephosphorylated upon glucose addition in all strains able to take up glucose, but remained dephosphorylated only at high glycolytic rates. Remarkably, transient Mig1-dephosphorylation was accompanied by the repression of SUC2 expression at high glycolytic rates, but stimulated SUC2 expression at low glycolytic rates. This suggests that Mig1-mediated repression can be overruled by factors mediating induction via a low glucose signal. At low and moderate glycolytic rates, Mig1 was partly dephosphorylated both in the presence of phosphorylated, active Snf1, and unphosphorylated, inactive Snf1, indicating that Mig1 was actively phosphorylated and dephosphorylated simultaneously, suggesting independent control of both processes. Taken together, it appears that glucose addition affects the expression of SUC2 as well as Mig1 activity by both Snf1-dependent and -independent mechanisms that can now be dissected and resolved as early and late/sustained responses.     

Binding of the glucose-dependent Mig1p repressor to the GAL1 and GAL4 promoters in vivo: regulationby glucose and chromatin structure.

Binding of the MIG1 repressor to the glucose-repressible GAL1 and GAL4 promoters was analyzed in vivo by cyclobutane dimer footprinting in two yeast strains that show different glucose repression responses. Mig1p binding to the two promoters in both strains was glucose-induced. In cells subject to rapid and stringent glucose repression (S288c), long-term Mig1p binding in glucose-grown cells was inhibited by the formation of a competing chromatin structure. Under conditions where glucose repression was only partially effective (gal80 - or low glucose), the chromatin structure did not form and long-term Mig1p binding was observed The same long-term binding of Mig1p was seen in cells of a different strain (W303A) that shows only partial glucose repression of the GAL1 promoter. We conclude from these experiments that Mig1p binding to glucose-repressed promoters is glucose-dependent but transient. We suggest that Mig1p functions at an early step in repression, but is not required to maintain the repressed state.     

Glucose represses the lactose-galactose regulon in Kluyveromyces lactis through a SNF1 and MIG1- dependent pathway that modulates galactokinase (GAL1) gene expression.

Expression of the lactose-galactose regulon in Kluyveromyces lactis is induced by lactose or galactose and repressed by glucose. Some components of the induction and glucose repression pathways have been identified but many remain unknown. We examined the role of the SNF1 (KlSNF1) and MIG1 (KlMIG1) genes in the induction and repression pathways. Our data show that full induction of the regulon requires SNF1; partial induction occurs in a Klsnf1 -deleted strain, indicating that a KlSNF1 -independent pathway(s) also regulates induction. MIG1 is required for full glucose repression of the regulon, but there must be a KlMIG1 -independent repression pathway also. The KlMig1 protein appears to act downstream of the KlSnf1 protein in the glucose repression pathway. Most importantly, the KlSnf1-KIMig repression pathway operates by modulating KlGAL1 expression. Regulating KlGAL1 expression in this manner enables the cell to switch the regulon off in the presence of glucose. Overall, our data show that, while the Snf1 and Mig1 proteins play similar roles in regulating the galactose regulon in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and K.lactis , the way in which these proteins are integrated into the regulatory circuits are unique to each regulon, as is the degree to which each regulon is controlled by the two proteins.     

Yeast MIG1 repressor is related to the mammalian early growth response and Wilms'' tumour finger proteins.

We have cloned a yeast gene, MIG1, which encodes a C2H2 zinc finger protein involved in glucose repression. The fingers of MIG1 are very similar to those present in the mammalian Egr finger proteins, which are induced during the early growth response, and also to the finger protein encoded by a human gene that is deleted in Wilms' tumour cells. MIG1 protein binds to two sites in the upstream region of SUC2, a yeast gene that is repressed by glucose. The MIG1 sites closely resemble the sequence recognized by the Egr proteins. Thus, finger proteins that are similar in both amino acid sequence and DNA specificity are involved in the response of yeast to glucose, and in the mammalian early growth response.     

Hxk2 regulates the phosphorylation state of Mig1 and therefore its nucleocytoplasmic distribution

Mig1 and Hxk2 are two major mediators of glucose repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the mechanism by which Hxk2 participates in the glucose repression signaling pathway is not completely understood. Recently, it has been demonstrated that Hxk2 interacts with Mig1 to generate a repressor complex located in the nucleus of S. cerevisiae. However, the mechanism by which Mig1 favors the presence of Hxk2 in the nucleus is not clear, and the function of Hxk2 at the nuclear repressor complex level is still unknown. Here, we report that serine 311 of Mig1 is a critical residue for interaction with Hxk2 and that this interaction is regulated by glucose. Our findings suggest that Snf1 interacts constitutively with the Hxk2 component of the repressor complex at high and low glucose conditions. Furthermore, we show that Snf1 binds to Mig1 under low glucose conditions and that binding is largely abolished after a shift to high glucose medium. We found that phosphorylation of serine 311 of Mig1 by Snf1 kinase is essential for Mig1 protein nuclear export and derepression of the SUC2 gene in glucose-limited cells. These results allow postulating that the Hxk2 operates by interacting both with Mig1 and Snf1 to inhibit the Mig1 phosphorylation at serine 311 during high glucose grown.     

Yeast SKO1 gene encodes a bZIP protein that binds to the CRE motif and acts as a repressor of transcription.

We have cloned a yeast gene, SKO1, which in high copy number suppresses lethal overexpression of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. SKO1 encodes a bZIP protein that binds to the CRE motif, TGACGTCA. We found that SKO1 also binds to a CRE-like site in SUC2, a yeast gene encoding invertase which is under positive control by cAMP. A disruption of the SKO1 gene causes a partial derepression of SUC2, indicating that SKO1 is a negative regulator of the SUC2 gene. SKO1 interacts positively with MIG1, a zinc finger protein that mediates glucose repression of SUC2. A kinetic analysis revealed a complex regulation of the SUC2 mRNA in response to glucose. First, MIG1 mediates a rapid and strong repression of SUC2, which is complete within 10 minutes. Second, a MIG1-independent process causes a further slow reduction in the mRNA. Third, in the absence of MIG1, there is also a rapid but transient glucose induction of the SUC2 mRNA. This induction is correlated with a transient loss of SKO1-dependent repression.     

敲除MIG1和SNF1基因对酿酒酵母共利用葡萄糖和木糖的影响

Mig1和Snf1是酿酒酵母葡萄糖阻遏效应的两个关键调控因子。为了提高酿酒酵母工程菌同时利用葡萄糖和木糖的能力,分别对MIG1和SNF1基因进行了单敲除和双敲除,并通过摇瓶发酵实验和RNA-Seq转录组分析,初步揭示了Mig1和Snf1可能影响葡萄糖和木糖共利用表达差异基因的层级调控机制。研究结果表明,MIG1单敲除对混合糖的共利用影响不大;SNF1单敲除会加快混合糖中木糖的利用而且葡萄糖和木糖可以被同时利用,这可能归因于SNF1单敲除会解除对一些氮分解代谢阻遏基因表达的抑制,从而促进了细胞对氮源营养的利用;进一步敲除MIG1,会解除更多氮分解代谢阻遏基因表达的抑制,以及一些碳中心代谢途径基因表达上调。虽然MIG1和SNF1双敲除菌株利用葡萄糖加快而利用木糖变慢,但是葡萄糖和木糖可以被同时利用,进而加快乙醇的积累。综上所述,MIG1和SNF1的敲除导致氮分解阻遏基因表达上调,有助于促进葡萄糖和木糖的共利用;解析Mig1和Snf1对氮分解阻遏基因的层级调控作用,为进一步提高葡萄糖和木糖的共利用提供新的靶点。     

Molecular analysis of SNF2 and SNF5, genes required for expression of glucose-repressible genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The SNF2 and SNF5 genes are required for derepression of SUC2 and other glucose-repressible genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in response to glucose deprivation. Previous genetic evidence suggested that SNF2 and SNF5 have functionally related roles. We cloned both genes by complementation and showed that the cloned DNA was tightly linked to the corresponding chromosomal locus. Both genes in multiple copy complemented only the cognate snf mutation. The SNF2 gene encodes a 5.7-kilobase RNA, and the SNF5 gene encodes a 3-kilobase RNA. Both RNAs contained poly(A) and were present in low abundance. Neither was regulated by glucose repression, and the level of SNF2 RNA was not dependent on SNF5 function or vice versa. Disruption of either gene at its chromosomal locus still allowed low-level derepression of secreted invertase activity, suggesting that these genes are required for high-level expression but are not directly involved in regulation. Further evidence was the finding that snf2 and snf5 mutants failed to derepress acid phosphatase, which is not regulated by glucose repression. The SNF2 and SNF5 functions were required for derepression of SUC2 mRNA.     

Comparative analysis in three fungi reveals structurally and functionally conserved regions in the Mig1 repressor

The Mig1 repressor is a key effector in glucose repression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To gain further insights into structure-function relationships, we have now cloned the MIG1 homologue from the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus. The amino acid sequence deduced from KmMIG1 differs significantly from ScMig1p outside the highly conserved zinc fingers. However, 12 discrete conserved motifs could be identified in a multiple alignment that also included the K. lactis Mig1p sequence. We further found that KmMig1p is fully functional when expressed in S. cerevisiae. First, it represses the SUC2 promoter almost as well as ScMig1p. This repression requires the Cyc8 and Tup1 proteins and is dependent on a C-terminal region comprising several conserved leucine-proline repeats. Second, KmMig1p is regulated by glucose in S. cerevisiae, and a KmMig1-VP16 hybrid activator is inhibited by the ScSnf1p kinase in the absence of glucose. This suggests that KmMig1p has retained the ability to interact with several S. cerevisiae proteins, and reinforces the notion that the conserved motifs are functionally important. Finally, we found that the physiological role of Mig1p also is conserved in K. marxianus, since KmMig1p represses INU1, the counterpart of SUC2 in this organism. Received: 16 October 1996 / Accepted: 19 February 1997