Microbes have contributed in diverse ways to problems related to human health and development. Thus, in addition to an interest in these microbes as agents of infectious disease, they have provided a wealth of information about biological processes that are difficult to study in more complex multicellular organisms. Single-celled microorganisms share common metabolic and regulatory pathways with multicellular organisms. Despite the vast evolutionary differences separating members of these Phyla. The investigator is interested in the regulation of alcohol metabolism in budding yeast. Three isozymes catalyze the interconversion of acetaldehyde and ethanol in this species. Their regulation and subcellular compartmentalization allow them to participate in different metabolic pathways for ethanol production and utilization. The regulation of one of these isozymes, ADHII, is particularly interesting. This isozyme is is absent in cells grown in glucose-containing medium, and is present at high levels in cells grown in the absence of glucose. This phenomenon, known as glucose repression, is responsible for regulating the expression, most commonly at the level of transcription initiation, of numerous genes involved in gluconeogenesis, respiration, the TCA and glyoxylate cycles, the use of alternative carbon sources, and biogenesis of mitochondria and peroxisomes. ADHII catalyzes the first step in utilizing ethanol to produce intermediates for other metabolic pathways such as gluconeogenesis and the TCA cycle. Utilizing genetic, molecular, and biochemical techniques the investigator has cloned and characterized the genes encoding the ADH isozymes. The ADH2 gene, has been the major focus of his work. The major transcription factor for this gene is Adr1p, a zinc finger transcription factor. Recent work has shown that ADR1 also regulates expression of genes involved in peroxisome biogenesis and function, and in glycerol metabolism. His major objective in this proposal is to understand how Adr1 mediates glucose repression of the ADH2 gene. Repression of ADH2 expression appears to involve multiple aspects of Adr1p, including regulation of transcription of ADR1, DNA binding by Adr1p, and regulation of its ability to activate transcription. Thus, the proposed specific aims relate to these aspects of the structure and function of Adr1p.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM026079-23
Application #
6385347
Study Section
Microbial Physiology and Genetics Subcommittee 2 (MBC)
Program Officer
Chin, Jean
Project Start
1978-12-01
Project End
2004-05-31
Budget Start
2001-06-01
Budget End
2002-05-31
Support Year
23
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$455,955
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
135646524
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Braun, Katherine A; Dombek, Kenneth M; Young, Elton T (2016) Snf1-Dependent Transcription Confers Glucose-Induced Decay upon the mRNA Product. Mol Cell Biol 36:628-44
Braun, Katherine A; Vaga, Stefania; Dombek, Kenneth M et al. (2014) Phosphoproteomic analysis identifies proteins involved in transcription-coupled mRNA decay as targets of Snf1 signaling. Sci Signal 7:ra64
Braun, Katherine A; Young, Elton T (2014) Coupling mRNA synthesis and decay. Mol Cell Biol 34:4078-87
Parua, Pabitra K; Young, Elton T (2014) Binding and transcriptional regulation by 14-3-3 (Bmh) proteins requires residues outside of the canonical motif. Eukaryot Cell 13:21-30
Parua, Pabitra K; Dombek, Kenneth M; Young, Elton T (2014) Yeast 14-3-3 protein functions as a comodulator of transcription by inhibiting coactivator functions. J Biol Chem 289:35542-60
Braun, Katherine A; Parua, Pabitra K; Dombek, Kenneth M et al. (2013) 14-3-3 (Bmh) proteins regulate combinatorial transcription following RNA polymerase II recruitment by binding at Adr1-dependent promoters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Cell Biol 33:712-24
Infante, Juan Jose; Law, G Lynn; Young, Elton T (2012) Analysis of nucleosome positioning using a nucleosome-scanning assay. Methods Mol Biol 833:63-87
Young, Elton T; Zhang, Chao; Shokat, Kevan M et al. (2012) The AMP-activated protein kinase Snf1 regulates transcription factor binding, RNA polymerase II activity, and mRNA stability of glucose-repressed genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Biol Chem 287:29021-34
Abate, Georgia; Bastonini, Emanuela; Braun, Katherine A et al. (2012) Snf1/AMPK regulates Gcn5 occupancy, H3 acetylation and chromatin remodelling at S. cerevisiae ADY2 promoter. Biochim Biophys Acta 1819:419-27
Parua, Pabitra K; Ryan, Paul M; Trang, Kayla et al. (2012) Pichia pastoris 14-3-3 regulates transcriptional activity of the methanol inducible transcription factor Mxr1 by direct interaction. Mol Microbiol 85:282-98

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