Biotin sensing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mediated by a conserved DNA element and requires the activity of biotin-protein ligase

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin that functions as a prosthetic group in carboxylation reactions. In addition to its role as a cofactor, biotin has multiple roles in gene regulation. We analyzed biotin effects on gene expression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and demonstrated by microarray, Northern, and Western analyses that all yeast genes encoding proteins involved in biotin metabolism are up-regulated following biotin depletion. Many of these genes contain a palindromic promoter element that is necessary and sufficient for mediating the biotin response and functions as an upstream-activating sequence. Mutants lacking the plasma membrane biotin transporter Vht1p display constitutively high expression levels of biotin-responsive genes. However, they react normally to biotin precursors that do not require Vht1p for uptake. The biotin-like effect of precursors with regard to gene expression requires their intracellular conversion to biotin. This demonstrates that Vht1p does not act as a sensor for biotin and that intracellular biotin is crucial for gene expression. Mutants with defects in biotin-protein ligase, similar to vht1delta mutants, also display aberrantly high expression of biotin-responsive genes. Like vht1delta cells, they have reduced levels of protein biotinylation, but unlike vht1delta mutants, they possess normal levels of free intracellular biotin. This indicates that free intracellular biotin is irrelevant for gene regulation and identifies biotin-protein ligase as an important element of the biotin-sensing pathway in yeast.     

Pharmacological effects of biotin

In the last few decades, more vitamin-mediated effects have been discovered at the level of gene expression. Increasing knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of these vitamins has opened new perspectives that form a connection between nutritional signals and the development of new therapeutic agents. Besides its role as a carboxylase prosthetic group, biotin regulates gene expression and has a wide repertoire of effects on systemic processes. The vitamin regulates genes that are critical in the regulation of intermediary metabolism: Biotin has stimulatory effects on genes whose action favors hypoglycemia (insulin, insulin receptor, pancreatic and hepatic glucokinase); on the contrary, biotin decreases the expression of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, a key gluconeogenic enzyme that stimulates glucose production by the liver. The findings that biotin regulates the expression of genes that are critical in the regulation of intermediary metabolism are in agreement with several observations that indicate that biotin supply is involved in glucose and lipid homeostasis. Biotin deficiency has been linked to impaired glucose tolerance and decreased utilization of glucose. On the other hand, the diabetic state appears to be ameliorated by pharmacological doses of biotin. Likewise, pharmacological doses of biotin appear to decrease plasma lipid concentrations and modify lipid metabolism. The effects of biotin on carbohydrate metabolism and the lack of toxic effects of the vitamin at pharmacological doses suggest that biotin could be used in the development of new therapeutics in the treatment of hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, an area that we are actively investigating.     

一种基于三顺反子表达载体的生物素诱导表达系统的建立

目的：建立一种以无毒的生物素为诱导剂的哺乳动物细胞诱导表达系统。方法：通过基因组PCR或重叠延伸PCR获得该系统的三个基本构件：大肠杆菌生物素连接酶（BirA）、链亲和素-四环素依赖的抑制因子融合蛋白（SA-TetR）和生物素化信号-VP16转录激活结构域融合蛋白（Avitag-VP16）。将上述基因连入三顺反子表达载体,与响应载体一起共转染293f细胞,以EGFP为报告基因,检测EGFP荧光强度随培养体系中生物素浓度变化的情况。结果：随着生物素浓度的增加,目的基因表达出现OFF-ON-OFF的变化,诱导状态下的EGFP荧光强度约为抑制状态下的3倍。结论：可通过调节生物素浓度对目的基因的表达进行可逆的调节,该系统是一种有应用前景的诱导表达系统。     

一种新型的生物素诱导的真核基因表达调控系统的建立

为建立一种适用于生物制药工业和基因治疗领域的基因表达调控系统,构建枯草芽胞杆菌生物素连接酶(BS-BirA)与转录激活结构域的融合蛋白,以其表达载体为调控载体;在弱化的CMV启动子上游连接BS-BirA特异的操纵子序列,获得响应载体,从而得到响应于生物素的真核基因表达调控系统BS-Biotin-On。以增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)为报告基因对该系统进行考察,结果表明,与现有的类似调控系统相比,该系统具有良好的诱导率;可通过调节培养体系中生物素的浓度,实现对目的基因表达水平快速、较高效的调节。上述结果表明,BS-Biotin-On系统可能为外源基因的调控表达提供新的选择。     

Holocarboxylase synthetase regulates expression of biotin transporters by chromatin remodeling events at the SMVT locus

The sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) is essential for mediating and regulating biotin entry into mammalian cells. In cells, biotin is covalently linked to histones in a reaction catalyzed by holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS); biotinylation of lysine 12-biotinylated histone H4 (K12Bio H4) causes gene silencing. Here, we propose a novel role for HCS in sensing and regulating levels of biotin in eukaryotic cells. We hypothesized that nuclear translocation of HCS increases in response to biotin supplementation; HCS then biotinylates histone H4 at SMVT promoters, silencing biotin transporter genes. Jurkat lymphoma cells were cultured in media containing 0.025, 0.25, or 10 nmol/l biotin. The nuclear translocation of HCS correlated with biotin concentrations in media; the relative enrichment of both HCS and K12Bio H4 at SMVT promoter 1 (but not promoter 2) increased by 91% in cells cultured in medium containing 10 nmol/l biotin compared with 0.25 nmol/l biotin. This increase of K12Bio H4 at the SMVT promoter decreased SMVT expression by up to 86%. Biotin homeostasis by HCS-dependent chromatin remodeling at the SMVT promoter 1 locus was disrupted in HCS knockdown cells, as evidenced by abnormal chromatin structure (K12Bio H4 abundance) and increased SMVT expression. The findings from this study are consistent with the theory that HCS senses biotin, and that biotin regulates its own cellular uptake by participating in HCS-dependent chromatin remodeling events at the SMVT promoter 1 locus in Jurkat cells.     

Expression of the biotin biosynthetic operon of Escherichia coli is regulated by the rate of protein biotination

In Escherichia coli biotin biosynthesis is repressed by high concentrations of exogenous biotin. This paper reports that upon high level production of the apo form of a biotinated protein, biotin operon expression was derepressed by 8-10-fold. The biotinated protein studied was the 1.3 S subunit of Propionibacterium shermanii, and transcarboxylase derepression was assayed by beta-galactosidase production in strains which carry a lacZ gene altered such that it is transcribed from biotin operon promoters. Depression of beta-galactosidase synthesis upon production of the apo 1.3 S protein was observed over a several hundred-fold range of biotin concentrations and also resulted in an increased level of biotin operon expression at maximally repressing biotin concentrations. Biotin operon derepression by apobiotin protein production seems a direct consequence of the properties of the biotin repressor protein which also functions as the ligase catalyzing the covalent attachment of biotin to apoproteins.     

Identification and characterization of a novel biotin biosynthesis gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells generally cannot synthesize biotin, a vitamin required for many carboxylation reactions. Although sake yeasts, which are used for Japanese sake brewing, are classified as S. cerevisiae, they do not require biotin for their growth. In this study, we identified a novel open reading frame (ORF) in the genome of one strain of sake yeast that we speculated to be involved in biotin synthesis. Homologs of this gene are widely distributed in the genomes of sake yeasts. However, they are not found in many laboratory strains and strains used for wine making and beer brewing. This ORF was named BIO6 because it has 52% identity with BIO3, a biotin biosynthesis gene of a laboratory strain. Further research showed that yeasts without the BIO6 gene are auxotrophic for biotin, whereas yeasts holding the BIO6 gene are prototrophic for biotin. The BIO6 gene was disrupted in strain A364A, which is a laboratory strain with one copy of the BIO6 gene. Although strain A364A is prototrophic for biotin, a BIO6 disrupted mutant was found to be auxotrophic for biotin. The BIO6 disruptant was able to grow in biotin-deficient medium supplemented with 7-keto-8-amino-pelargonic acid (KAPA), while the bio3 disruptant was not able to grow in this medium. These results suggest that Bio6p acts in an unknown step of biotin synthesis before KAPA synthesis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that expression of the BIO6 gene, like that of other biotin synthesis genes, was upregulated by depletion of biotin. We conclude that the BIO6 gene is a novel biotin biosynthesis gene of S. cerevisiae.     

The gene encoding the biotin carboxylase subunit of Escherichia coli acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

We report the molecular cloning and DNA sequence of the gene encoding the biotin carboxylase subunit of Escherichia coli acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The biotin carboxylase gene encodes a protein of 449 residues that is strikingly similar to amino-terminal segments of two biotin-dependent carboxylase proteins, yeast pyruvate carboxylase and the alpha-subunit of rat propionyl-CoA carboxylase. The deduced biotin carboxylase sequence contains a consensus ATP binding site and a cysteine-containing sequence preserved in all sequenced bicarbonate-dependent biotin carboxylases that may play a key catalytic role. The gene encoding the biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP) subunit of acetyl-CoA carboxylase is located upstream of the biotin carboxylase gene and the two genes are cotranscribed. As previously reported by others, the BCCP sequence encoded a protein of 16,688 molecular mass. However, this value is much smaller than that (22,500 daltons) obtained by analysis of the protein. Amino-terminal amino acid sequencing of the purified BCCP protein confirmed the deduced amino acid sequence indicating that BCCP is a protein of atypical physical properties. Northern and primer extension analyses demonstrate that BCCP and biotin carboxylase are transcribed as a single mRNA species that contains an unusually long untranslated leader preceding the BCCP gene. We have also determined the mutational alteration in a previously isolated acetyl-CoA carboxylase (fabE) mutant and show the lesion maps within the BCCP gene and results in a BCCP species defective in acceptance of biotin. Translational fusions of the carboxyl-terminal 110 or 84 (but not 76) amino acids of BCCP to beta-galactosidase resulted in biotinated beta-galactosidase molecules and production of one such fusion was shown to result in derepression of the biotin biosynthetic operon.