The Saccharomyces cerevisiae PUT3 activator protein associates with proline-specific upstream activation sequences.

The PUT1 and PUT2 genes encoding the enzymes of the proline utilization pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are induced by proline and activated by the product of the PUT3 gene. Two upstream activation sequences (UASs) in the PUT1 promoter were identified by homology to the PUT2 UAS. Deletion analysis of the two PUT1 UASs showed that they were functionally independent and additive in producing maximal levels of gene expression. The consensus PUT UAS is a 21-base-pair partially palindromic sequence required in vivo for induction of both genes. The results of a gel mobility shift assay demonstrated that the proline-specific UAS is the binding site of a protein factor. In vitro complex formation was observed in crude extracts of yeast strains carrying either a single genomic copy of the PUT3 gene or the cloned PUT3 gene on a 2 microns plasmid, and the binding was dosage dependent. DNA-binding activity was not observed in extracts of strains carrying either a put3 mutation that caused a noninducible (Put-) phenotype or a deletion of the gene. Wild-type levels of complex formation were observed in an extract of a strain carrying an allele of PUT3 that resulted in a constitutive (Put+) phenotype. Extracts from a strain carrying a PUT3-lacZ gene fusion formed two complexes of slower mobility than the wild-type complex. We conclude that the PUT3 product is either a DNA-binding protein or part of a DNA-binding complex that recognizes the UASs of both PUT1 and PUT2. Binding was observed in extracts of a strain grown in the presence or absence of proline, demonstrating the constitutive nature of the DNA-protein interaction.     

Nuclear binding of progesterone in chick oviduct. Multiple binding sites in vivo and transcriptional response.

1. Varied doses of labelled or unlabelled progesterone were injected into immature chicks which had previously been stimulated with oestrogen. The concentrations of nuclear bound [3H]progesterone were correlated with the effects of the hormone on endogenous RNA polymerase I and II activities in isolated oviduct nuclei. 2. The extent of nuclear localization of [3H]progesterone in oviduct (a progesterone target tissue) was shown to be much greater than in lung (non-target tissue). The conccentration of bivalent cations in solvents used in the nuclei isolations has a marked effect on the amount of bound hormone in the nuclei. 3. Evidence for the existence of several classes of binding sites for progesterone in the oviduct nuclei is given. These classes represent about 1000) 10000 and 100000 molecules of the hormone per cell nucleus and are saturated by injecting approx. 10, 100 and 1000 mug of progesterone respectively. 4. When saturation of the first (highest affinity) class of nuclear sites occurs, a marked inhibition in RNA polymerase II (but not RNA polymerase I) activity was observed. When the second class of sites was saturated, alterations in both RNA polymerase I and II activities were observed. Binding to the third class of nuclear binding sites was not accompained by further changes in polymerase activity. It is suggested that the first two classes of nuclear binding sites may represent functional sites for progesterone action in the chick oviduct.