TY - JOUR

T1 - Transcriptional repression of the yeast CHA1 gene requires the chromatin-remodeling complex RSC

AU - Moreira, José Manuel Alfonso

AU - Holmberg, S

PY - 1999

Y1 - 1999

N2 - In eukaryotes, DNA is packaged into chromatin, a compact structure that must be disrupted when genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase II. For transcription to take place, chromatin is remodeled via nucleosome disruption or displacement, a fundamental transcriptional regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic organisms. Here we show that the yeast chromatin-remodeling complex, RSC (remodels the structure of chromatin), isolated on the basis of homology to the SWI/SNF complex, is required for proper transcriptional regulation and nucleosome positioning in the highly inducible CHA1 promoter. In the absence of Sth1p/Nps1p (a homolog of Swi2p/Snf2p) or of Swh3p (a homolog of Swi3p), expression of CHA1 in non-induced cells is increased to a level comparable with that of fully induced cells. Furthermore, in non-induced cells depleted for Sth1p/Nps1p or Swh3p, a nucleosome positioned over the TATA box of the CHA1 promoter is disrupted, an architectural change normally only observed during transcriptional induction. In addition, deletion of the gene-specific activator Cha4p did not affect derepression of CHA1 in cells depleted for Swh3p. Thus, CHA1 constitutes a target for the RSC complex, and we propose that RSC is essential for maintaining a repressive chromatin structure at the CHA1 promoter.

AB - In eukaryotes, DNA is packaged into chromatin, a compact structure that must be disrupted when genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase II. For transcription to take place, chromatin is remodeled via nucleosome disruption or displacement, a fundamental transcriptional regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic organisms. Here we show that the yeast chromatin-remodeling complex, RSC (remodels the structure of chromatin), isolated on the basis of homology to the SWI/SNF complex, is required for proper transcriptional regulation and nucleosome positioning in the highly inducible CHA1 promoter. In the absence of Sth1p/Nps1p (a homolog of Swi2p/Snf2p) or of Swh3p (a homolog of Swi3p), expression of CHA1 in non-induced cells is increased to a level comparable with that of fully induced cells. Furthermore, in non-induced cells depleted for Sth1p/Nps1p or Swh3p, a nucleosome positioned over the TATA box of the CHA1 promoter is disrupted, an architectural change normally only observed during transcriptional induction. In addition, deletion of the gene-specific activator Cha4p did not affect derepression of CHA1 in cells depleted for Swh3p. Thus, CHA1 constitutes a target for the RSC complex, and we propose that RSC is essential for maintaining a repressive chromatin structure at the CHA1 promoter.

KW - Chromatin

KW - DNA-Binding Proteins

KW - Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal

KW - Genes, Fungal

KW - Membrane Transport Proteins

KW - Nucleosomes

KW - Phosphate Transport Proteins

KW - RNA, Messenger

KW - Repressor Proteins

KW - Saccharomyces cerevisiae

KW - Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins

KW - Trans-Activators

KW - Transcription Factors

KW - Transcription, Genetic

U2 - 10.1093/emboj/18.10.2836

DO - 10.1093/emboj/18.10.2836

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 10329629

VL - 18

SP - 2836

EP - 2844

JO - E M B O Journal

JF - E M B O Journal

SN - 0261-4189

IS - 10

ER -