Removal of a Mig1p Binding Site Converts a Mal63 Constitutive Mutant Derived by Interchromosomal Gene Conversion to Glucose Insensitivity

Maltose fermenting strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have one or more complex loci called MAL. Each locus comprises at least three genes: MALx1 encodes maltose permease, MALx2 encodes maltase, and MALx3 encodes an activator of MALx1 and MALx2 (x denotes one of five MAL loci, with x = 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6). The MAL43(c) allele is constitutive and relatively insensitive to glucose repression. To understand better this unique phenotype of MAL43(c), we have isolated several MAL63(c) constitutive mutants from a MAL6 strain. All constitutive mutants remain glucose repressible, and all have multiple amino acid substitutions in the C-terminal region, now making this region of Mal63(c)p similar to that of Mal43(c)p. These changes have been generated by gene conversion, which transfers DNA from the telomeres of chromosome II and chromosome III or XVI to chromosome VIII (MAL6). The removal of a Mig1p binding site from the MAL63(c) promoter leads to a loss of glucose repression, imitating the phenotype of MAL43(c). Conversely, addition of a Mig1p binding site to the promoter of MAL43(c) converts it to glucose sensitivity. Mig1p modulation of Mal63p and Mal43p expression therefore plays a substantial role in glucose repression of the MAL genes.