scholarly journals Adaptive evolution of transcription factor binding affinities

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungeui Hong ◽  
Nathan Brandt ◽  
Ally Yang ◽  
Tim Hughes ◽  
David Gresham
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Adaptive Evolution ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Binding Affinities ◽  
Synonymous Mutations

Understanding the molecular basis of gene expression evolution is a central problem in evolutionary biology. However, connecting changes in gene expression to increased fitness, and identifying the functional basis of those changes, remains challenging. To study adaptive evolution of gene expression in real time, we performed long term experimental evolution (LTEE) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) in ammonium-limited chemostats. Following several hundred generations of continuous selection we found significant divergence of nitrogen-responsive gene expression in lineages with increased fitness. In multiple independent lineages we found repeated selection for non-synonymous mutations in the zinc finger DNA binding domain of the activating transcription factor (TF), GAT1, that operates within incoherent feedforward loops to control expression of the nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR) regulon. Missense mutations in the DNA binding domain of GAT1 reduce its binding affinity for the GATAA consensus sequence in a promoter-specific manner, resulting in increased expression of ammonium permease genes via both direct and indirect effects, thereby conferring increased fitness. We find that altered transcriptional output of the NCR regulon results in antagonistic pleiotropy in alternate environments and that the DNA binding domain of GAT1 is subject to purifying selection in natural populations. Our study shows that adaptive evolution of gene expression can entail tuning expression output by quantitative changes in TF binding affinities while maintaining the overall topology of a gene regulatory network.

scholarly journals An incoherent feedforward loop facilitates adaptive tuning of gene expression

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungeui Hong ◽  
Nathan Brandt ◽  
Farah Abdul-Rahman ◽  
Ally Yang ◽  
Tim Hughes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Ammonium Transporter ◽  
Transcriptional Networks ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Adaptive Tuning ◽  
Feedforward Loop

We studied adaptive evolution of gene expression using long-term experimental evolution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in ammonium-limited chemostats. We found repeated selection for non-synonymous variation in the DNA binding domain of the transcriptional activator, GAT1, which functions with the repressor, DAL80 in an incoherent type-1 feedforward loop (I1-FFL) to control expression of the high affinity ammonium transporter gene, MEP2. Missense mutations in the DNA binding domain of GAT1 reduce its binding to the GATAA consensus sequence. However, we show experimentally, and using mathematical modeling, that decreases in GAT1 binding result in increased expression of MEP2 as a consequence of properties of I1-FFLs. Our results show that I1-FFLs, one of the most commonly occurring network motifs in transcriptional networks, can facilitate adaptive tuning of gene expression through modulation of transcription factor binding affinities. Our findings highlight the importance of gene regulatory architectures in the evolution of gene expression.

scholarly journals The Saccharomyces cerevisiae MADS-box transcription factor Rlm1 is a target for the Mpk1 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1848-1859 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Dodou ◽  
R Treisman
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Mads Box

Mutation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae RLM1, which encodes a MADS-box transcription factor, confers resistance to the toxic effects of constitutive activity of the Mpk1 mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) pathway. The Rlm1 DNA-binding domain, which is similar to that of the metazoan MEF2 transcription factors, is also closely related to that of a second S. cerevisiae protein, Smp1 (second MEF2-like protein), encoded by the YBR182C open reading frame (N. Demolis et al., Yeast 10:1511-1525, 1994; H. Feldmann et al., EMBO J. 13:5795-5809, 1994). We show that Rlm1 and Smp1 have MEF2-related DNA-binding specificities: Rlm1 binds with the same specificity as MEF2, CTA(T/A)4TAG, while SMP1 binds a more extended consensus sequence, ACTACTA(T/A)4TAG. The two DNA-binding domains can heterodimerize with each other and with MEF2A. Deletion of RLM1 enhances resistance to cell wall disruptants, increases saturation density, reduces flocculation, and inactivates reporter genes controlled by the Rlm1 consensus binding site. Deletion of SMP1 neither causes these phenotypes nor enhances the Rlm1 deletion phenotype. However, overexpression of the DNA-binding domain of either protein causes an osmoremedial phenotype. Synthetic and naturally occurring MEF2 consensus sequences exhibit strong RLM1- and MPK1-dependent upstream activation sequence activity. Transcriptional activation by Rlm1 requires its C-terminal sequences, and Gal4 fusion proteins containing Rlm1 C-terminal sequences also act as MPK1-dependent transcriptional activators. These results establish the Rlm1 C-terminal sequences as a target for the Mpk1 MAPK pathway.

scholarly journals The Schizosaccharomyces pombe mei4+ Gene Encodes a Meiosis-Specific Transcription Factor Containing a forkhead DNA-Binding Domain

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2118-2129 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Horie ◽  
Y. Watanabe ◽  
K. Tanaka ◽  
S. Nishiwaki ◽  
H. Fujioka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Schizosaccharomyces Pombe ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Specific Transcription Factor ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Diploid Cells

ABSTRACT The mei4 + gene of the fission yeastSchizosaccharomyces pombe was cloned by functional complementation. The mei4 disruptant failed to complete meiosis-I but could proliferate normally. mei4 +was transcribed only in meiosis-proficient diploid cells after premeiotic DNA replication. The mei4 + open reading frame encodes a 57-kDa serine-rich protein comprised of 517 amino acids with a forkhead/HNF3 DNA-binding domain in the amino-terminal region. Transcription of spo6 +, a gene required for sporulation, was dependent on themei4 + function. Two copies of the GTAAAYA consensus sequence, proposed as the binding site for human forkhead proteins, were found in the promoter region ofspo6 +. A gel mobility shift assay demonstrated the sequence-dependent binding of the GST-Mei4 forkhead domain fusion protein to DNA fragments with one of the consensus elements. Deletion of this consensus element from the spo6 promoter abolished the transcription of spo6 + and resulted in a sporulation deficiency. One-hybrid assay of Mei4 which was fused to the Gal4 DNA-binding domain localized the transcriptional activation domain in the C-terminal 140 amino acids of Mei4. These results indicate that Mei4 functions as a meiosis-specific transcription factor of S. pombe.

Mutational analysis of human heat-shock transcription factor 1 reveals a regulatory role for oligomerization in DNA-binding specificity

2009 ◽  
Vol 424 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukiko Takemori ◽  
Yasuaki Enoki ◽  
Noritaka Yamamoto ◽  
Yo Fukai ◽  
Kaori Adachi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Heat Shock ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Heat Shock Transcription Factor ◽  
Yeast Cells ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Regulate Gene Expression ◽  
Regulate Gene

HSF (heat-shock transcription factor) trimers bind to the HSE (heat-shock element) regulatory sequence of target genes and regulate gene expression. A typical HSE consists of at least three contiguous inverted repeats of the 5-bp sequence nGAAn. Yeast HSF is able to recognize discontinuous HSEs that contain gaps in the array of the nGAAn sequence; however, hHSF1 (human HSF1) fails to recognize such sites in vitro, in yeast and in HeLa cells. In the present study, we isolated suppressors of the temperature-sensitive growth defect of hHSF1-expressing yeast cells. Intragenic suppressors contained amino acid substitutions in the DNA-binding domain of hHSF1 that enabled hHSF1 to regulate the transcription of genes containing discontinuous HSEs. The substitutions facilitated hHSF1 oligomerization, suggesting that the DNA-binding domain is important for this conformational change. Furthermore, other oligomerization-prone derivatives of hHSF1 were capable of recognizing discontinuous HSEs. These results suggest that modulation of oligomerization is important for the HSE specificity of hHSF1 and imply that hHSF1 possesses the ability to bind to and regulate gene expression via various types of HSEs in diverse cellular processes.

GATA-1 interacts with the myeloid PU.1 transcription factor and represses PU.1-dependent transcription

Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 95 (8) ◽  
pp. 2543-2551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus Nerlov ◽  
Erich Querfurth ◽  
Holger Kulessa ◽  
Thomas Graf
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Transactivation Domain ◽  
Ets Domain ◽  
And Function

Abstract The GATA-1 transcription factor is capable of suppressing the myeloid gene expression program when ectopically expressed in myeloid cells. We examined the ability of GATA-1 to repress the expression and function of the PU.1 transcription factor, a central regulator of myeloid differentiation. We found that GATA-1 is capable of suppressing the myeloid phenotype without interfering with PU.1 gene expression, but instead was capable of inhibiting the activity of the PU.1 protein in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibition was independent of the ability of GATA-1 to bind DNA, suggesting that it is mediated by protein-protein interaction. We examined the ability of PU.1 to interact with GATA-1 and found a direct interaction between the PU.1 ETS domain and the C-terminal finger region of GATA-1. Replacing the PU.1 ETS domain with the GAL4 DNA-binding domain removed the ability of GATA-1 to inhibit PU.1 activity, indicating that the PU.1 DNA-binding domain, rather than the transactivation domain, is the target for GATA-1–mediated repression. We therefore propose that GATA-1 represses myeloid gene expression, at least in part, through its ability to directly interact with the PU.1 ETS domain and thereby interfere with PU.1 function.

GATA-1 interacts with the myeloid PU.1 transcription factor and represses PU.1-dependent transcription

Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 95 (8) ◽  
pp. 2543-2551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus Nerlov ◽  
Erich Querfurth ◽  
Holger Kulessa ◽  
Thomas Graf
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Transactivation Domain ◽  
Ets Domain ◽  
And Function

The GATA-1 transcription factor is capable of suppressing the myeloid gene expression program when ectopically expressed in myeloid cells. We examined the ability of GATA-1 to repress the expression and function of the PU.1 transcription factor, a central regulator of myeloid differentiation. We found that GATA-1 is capable of suppressing the myeloid phenotype without interfering with PU.1 gene expression, but instead was capable of inhibiting the activity of the PU.1 protein in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibition was independent of the ability of GATA-1 to bind DNA, suggesting that it is mediated by protein-protein interaction. We examined the ability of PU.1 to interact with GATA-1 and found a direct interaction between the PU.1 ETS domain and the C-terminal finger region of GATA-1. Replacing the PU.1 ETS domain with the GAL4 DNA-binding domain removed the ability of GATA-1 to inhibit PU.1 activity, indicating that the PU.1 DNA-binding domain, rather than the transactivation domain, is the target for GATA-1–mediated repression. We therefore propose that GATA-1 represses myeloid gene expression, at least in part, through its ability to directly interact with the PU.1 ETS domain and thereby interfere with PU.1 function.

scholarly journals Gene Expression and Cell Cycle Arrest Mediated by Transcription Factor DMP1 Is Antagonized by D-Type Cyclins through a Cyclin-Dependent-Kinase-Independent Mechanism

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1590-1600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazushi Inoue ◽  
Charles J. Sherr
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Cell Cycle Arrest ◽  
S Phase ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Cyclin Dependent Kinase ◽  
Cycle Arrest

ABSTRACT A novel 761-amino-acid transcription factor, DMP1, contains a central DNA binding domain that includes three imperfect myb repeats flanked by acidic transactivating domains at the amino and carboxyl termini. D-type cyclins associate with a region of the DMP1 DNA binding domain immediately adjacent to the myb repeats to form heteromeric complexes which detectably interact neither with cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) nor with DNA. The segment of D-type cyclins required for its interaction with DMP1 falls outside the “cyclin box,” which contains the residues predicted to contact CDK4. Hence, D-type cyclin point mutants that do not interact with CDK4 can still bind to DMP1. Enforced coexpression of either of three D-type cyclins (D1, D2, or D3) with DMP1 in mammalian cells canceled its ability to activate gene expression. This property was not shared by cyclins A, B, C, or H; did not depend upon CDK4 or CDK2 coexpression; was not subverted by a mutation in cyclin D1 that prevents its interaction with CDK4; and was unaffected by inhibitors of CDK4 catalytic activity. Introduction of DMP1 into mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts inhibited entry into S phase. Cell cycle arrest depended upon the ability of DMP1 to bind to DNA and to transactivate gene expression and was specifically antagonized by coexpression of D-type cyclins, including a D1 point mutant that does not bind to CDK4. Taken together, these findings suggest that DMP1 induces genes that inhibit S phase entry and that D-type cyclins can override DMP1-mediated growth arrest in a CDK-independent manner.

NMR Structure of Transcription Factor Sp1 DNA Binding Domain†,‡

Biochemistry ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 43 (51) ◽  
pp. 16027-16035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinichiro Oka ◽  
Yasuhisa Shiraishi ◽  
Takuya Yoshida ◽  
Tadayasu Ohkubo ◽  
Yukio Sugiura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Nmr Structure ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Transcription Factor Sp1

scholarly journals Investigation of the Pyrimidine Preference by the c-Myb DNA-binding Domain at the Initial Base of the Consensus Sequence

1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (29) ◽  
pp. 17966-17971 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masayuki Oda ◽  
Koji Furukawa ◽  
Kazuhiro Ogata ◽  
Akinori Sarai ◽  
Shunsuke Ishii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Consensus Sequence ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Initial Base

scholarly journals Solution Structure of the DNA-Binding Domain of the Tomato Heat-Stress Transcription Factor HSF24

1996 ◽  
Vol 236 (3) ◽  
pp. 911-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurgen Schultheiss ◽  
Olaf Kunert ◽  
Uwe Gase ◽  
Klaus-Dieter Scharf ◽  
Lutz Nover ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Solution Structure ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Domain
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