A novel mechanism for target gene-specific SWI/SNF recruitment via the Snf2p N-terminus

• Published in: Nucleic acids research Vol. 39; no. 10; pp. 4088 - 4098
• Main Authors: Weider, M, Schröder, A, Klebl, F, Sauer, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.05.2011
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphatases - chemistry; Adenosine Triphosphatases - genetics; Adenosine Triphosphatases - metabolism; Amino Acid Sequence; Amino Acid Substitution; Biotin - metabolism; Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Gene Regulation, Chromatin and Epigenetics; Membrane Proteins - biosynthesis; Membrane Proteins - genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Phenotype; Point Mutation; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - growth & development; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - biosynthesis; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - chemistry; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Symporters - biosynthesis; Symporters - genetics; Transcription Factors - chemistry; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 0305-1048; 1362-4962
• DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr004

Chromatin-remodeling complexes regulate the expression of genes in all eukaryotic genomes. The SWI/SNF complex of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is recruited to its target promoters via interactions with selected transcription factors. Here, we show that the N-terminus of Snf2p, the chromatin remodeling core unit of the SWI/SNF complex, is essential for the expression of VHT1, the gene of the plasma membrane H(+)/biotin symporter, and of BIO5, the gene of a 7-keto-8-aminopelargonic acid transporter, biotin biosynthetic precursor. chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analyses demonstrate that Vhr1p, the transcriptional regulator of VHT1 and BIO5 expression, is responsible for the targeting of Snf2p to the VHT1 promoter at low biotin. We identified an Snf2p mutant, Snf2p-R(15)C, that specifically abolishes the induction of VHT1 and BIO5 but not of other Snf2p-regulated genes, such as GAL1, SUC2 or INO1. We present a novel mechanism of target gene-specific SWI/SNF recruitment via Vhr1p and a conserved N-terminal Snf2p domain.