Hog1-induced transcription of RTC3 and HSP12 is robust and occurs in cells lacking Msn2, Msn4, Hot1 and Sko1

PLoS One. 2020 Aug 17;15(8):e0237540. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237540. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

The yeast MAP kinase Hog1 pathway activates transcription of several hundreds genes. Large-scale gene expression and DNA binding assays suggest that most Hog1-induced genes are regulated by the transcriptional activators Msn2/4, Hot1 and Sko1. These studies also revealed the target genes of each activator and the putative binding sites on their promoters. In a previous study we identified a group of genes, which we considered the bona fide targets of Hog1, because they were induced in response to expression of intrinsically active mutant of Hog1, in the absence of any stress. We previously analyzed the promoter of the most highly induced gene, STL1, and noticed that some promoter properties were different from those proposed by large-scale data. We therefore continue to study promoters individually and present here analyses of promoters of more Hog1's targets, RTC3, HSP12, DAK1 and ALD3. We report that RTC3 and HSP12 promoters are robust and are induced, to different degrees, even in cells lacking all four activators. DAK1 and ALD3 promoters are not robust and fully depend on a single activator, DAK1 on Sko1 and ALD3 on Msn2/4. Most of these observations could not be inferred from the large-scale data. Msn2/4 are involved in regulating all four promoters. It was assumed, therefore, that the promoters are spontaneously active in ras2Δ cells, in which Msn2/4 are known to be de-repressed. Intriguingly, the promoters were not active in BY4741ras2Δ cells, but were de-repressed, as expected, in ras2Δ cells of other genetic backgrounds. This study describes two phenomena. One, some Hog1's target promoters are most robust, backupped by many activators. Second, in contrast to most laboratory strains, the widely used BY4741 strain does not induce Msn2/4 activity when the Ras/cAMP cascade is downregulated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Binding Sites
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / chemistry
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / genetics*
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / growth & development*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / chemistry
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / genetics

Substances

  • Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • HOT1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • HSP12 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Heat-Shock Proteins
  • MSN2 protein, S cerevisiae
  • MSN4 protein, S cerevisiae
  • RTC3 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Repressor Proteins
  • SKO1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • HOG1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) grants #180/09 and 1772/13 (to AA and DE) and ISF grant #1463/18 (to DE), and by the National Research Fund, Prime Minister Office, Singapore, under its Campus of Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) (to DE).