Project description:Spn1/Iws1 is an essential eukaryotic transcription elongation factor that is conserved from yeast to humans. Several studies have shown that Spn1 functions as a histone chaperone to control transcription, RNA splicing, genome stability, and histone modifications as an integral member of the RNA polymerase II elongation complex. However, the precise role of Spn1 is not understood, and there is little understanding of why it is essential for viability. To address these issues, we have isolated eight suppressor mutations that bypass the essential requirement for Spn1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Unexpectedly, the suppressors identify several functionally distinct complexes and activities, including the histone chaperone FACT, the histone methyltransferase Set2, the Rpd3S histone deacetylase complex, the histone acetyltransferase Rtt109, the nucleosome remodeler Chd1, and a member of the SAGA co-activator complex, Sgf73. The identification of these distinct groups and their analysis suggests that there are multiple mechanisms by which Spn1 bypass can occur, including changes in histone acetylation and alterations of other histone chaperones. Thus, Spn1 may participate in multiple functions during transcription. Our results suggest that bypass of a subset of these functions allows viability in the absence of Spn1.
Project description:ESA1 (essential SAS-family acetyltransferase) is the only known yeast histone acetyltransferase (HAT) required for cell viability. It is a member of the MYST (MOZ, YBF2/SAS3, SAS2, Tip60) family of HAT proteins and contains a conserved acetyltransferase domain in addition to a chromodomain. While ESA1âs HAT activity is important in processes such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair, acetylation is likely not its essential function. Our lab has shown that mutants with a single point mutation in the active site cysteine are still viable even though their acetyltransferase abilities are abolished. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays have shown ESA1 distributed evenly along the length of chromatin, not localized to specific promoters as would be expected from a HAT protein involved in transcriptional regulation. As is the case for other HAT proteins, ESA1âs acetyltransferase activity is significant, but in processes such as DNA replication, DNA repair and cell cycle progression. The aim of this project is to determine the essential function of ESA1 - the catalytic subunit of the yeast HAT complex, NuA4 (nucleosome acetyltransferase of H4) â using a bypass suppression screen to identify suppressors of ESA1. It is proposed that suppressing mutations will alter a gene involved in the process that is the essential function of ESA1. Thus, identifying a suppressor that can bypass the need for ESA1 may provide insight into its essential function. Since ESA1 is an essential gene, a haploid esa1â strain in which wild-type ESA1 is provided on a centromeric plasmid was utilized. The bypass suppression screen resulted in suppressors of ESA1 that allowed esa1â cells to be viable even in the absence of the essential gene. These second site suppressors (sup-) of ESA1 each show the Mendelian segregation pattern of the suppressing gene and ESA1 in 2:2 ratios, implying they are single genes unlinked to ESA1. Microarray and nuclear morphology studies show abnormal gene expression and morphology of the esa1ï sup- cells, further implicating the suppressing mutation in DNA repair and replication processes. Investigating ESA1âs essential role and a probable conservation of function across species can provide a deeper understanding of the capabilities of HAT complexes. Experiment Overall Design: Eight samples were analyzed. The only variables are the ESA1 and SUP2 genes. WT (ESA1 SUP2), 2 replicates. Single mutant (ESA1 sup2-), 3 replicates. Double mutant (esa1 sup2-), 3 replicates.
Project description:ESA1 (essential SAS-family acetyltransferase) is the only known yeast histone acetyltransferase (HAT) required for cell viability. It is a member of the MYST (MOZ, YBF2/SAS3, SAS2, Tip60) family of HAT proteins and contains a conserved acetyltransferase domain in addition to a chromodomain. While ESA1’s HAT activity is important in processes such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair, acetylation is likely not its essential function. Our lab has shown that mutants with a single point mutation in the active site cysteine are still viable even though their acetyltransferase abilities are abolished. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays have shown ESA1 distributed evenly along the length of chromatin, not localized to specific promoters as would be expected from a HAT protein involved in transcriptional regulation. As is the case for other HAT proteins, ESA1’s acetyltransferase activity is significant, but in processes such as DNA replication, DNA repair and cell cycle progression. The aim of this project is to determine the essential function of ESA1 - the catalytic subunit of the yeast HAT complex, NuA4 (nucleosome acetyltransferase of H4) – using a bypass suppression screen to identify suppressors of ESA1. It is proposed that suppressing mutations will alter a gene involved in the process that is the essential function of ESA1. Thus, identifying a suppressor that can bypass the need for ESA1 may provide insight into its essential function. Since ESA1 is an essential gene, a haploid esa1∆ strain in which wild-type ESA1 is provided on a centromeric plasmid was utilized. The bypass suppression screen resulted in suppressors of ESA1 that allowed esa1∆ cells to be viable even in the absence of the essential gene. These second site suppressors (sup-) of ESA1 each show the Mendelian segregation pattern of the suppressing gene and ESA1 in 2:2 ratios, implying they are single genes unlinked to ESA1. Microarray and nuclear morphology studies show abnormal gene expression and morphology of the esa1- sup- cells, further implicating the suppressing mutation in DNA repair and replication processes. Investigating ESA1’s essential role and a probable conservation of function across species can provide a deeper understanding of the capabilities of HAT complexes. Keywords: Comparison of strains lacking essential ESA1 gene to those containing an ESA1 bypass suppressor.
Project description:In this study, we generate genomic maps of Mediator, Pol II, TBP, TFIIH, TFIIA, TFIIB, TFIIE, TFIIF, by ChIP coupled to next generation sequencing technology (ChIP-seq), in wild type strains from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in a mutant for the Mediator essential subunit Med10
Project description:Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains carrying mutations of the essential Mediator subunit Med11 as well as strains lacking the non-essential Mediator subunits Med2 and Med20 were compared to the corresponding wild-type strains.
Project description:Histone chaperones are critical for controlling chromatin integrity during transcription, DNA replication, and DNA repair. We have discovered that the physical interaction between two essential histone chaperones, Spt6 and Spn1/Iws1, is required for transcriptional accuracy and nucleosome organization. To understand this requirement, we have isolated suppressors of an spt6 mutation that disrupts the Spt6-Spn1 interaction. Several suppressors are in a third essential histone chaperone, FACT, while another suppressor is in the transcription elongation factor Spt5/DSIF. The FACT suppressors weaken FACT-nucleosome interactions and bypass the requirement for Spn1, possibly by restoring a necessary balance between Spt6 and FACT on chromatin. In contrast, the Spt5 suppressor modulates Spt6 function in a Spn1-dependent manner. Despite these distinct mechanisms, both suppressors alleviate the nucleosome organization defects caused by disruption of the Spt6-Spn1 interaction. Taken together, we have uncovered a network in which histone chaperones and other elongation factors coordinate transcriptional integrity and chromatin structure.
Project description:Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an excellent microorganism for industrial succinic acid production, but high succinic acid concentration will inhibit the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae then reduce the production of succinic acid. Through analysis the transcriptomic data of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with different genetic backgrounds under different succinic acid stress, we hope to find the response mechanism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to succinic acid.
Project description:To gather more in-depth knowledge of the Mtl1p mechanosensor's role in Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolism, we conducted a comparative metabolomic analysis of two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains: the wild type and mtl1Δ, which carries a deletion of the mechanosensor Mtl1p. Both strains were grown under normal conditions at 27°C. The most significant metabolic changes between these strains were related to amino acid metabolism, purine metabolism, and carboxylic acid metabolism.