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Nucleic Acids Res. 1991 Oct 11; 19(19): 5345–5350.
doi: 10.1093/nar/19.19.5345
PMCID: PMC328897
PMID: 1923818

Sequence conservation in the Saccharomyces and Kluveromyces GAL11 transcription activators suggests functional domains.

L M Mylin, C J Gerardot, J E Hopper, and R C Dickson
Author information Copyright and License information PMC Disclaimer

Abstract

Efficient transcription of many Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes requires the GAL11 Protein. GAL11 belongs to a class of transcription activator that lacks a DNA-binding domain. Such proteins are thought to activate specific genes by complexing with DNA-bound proteins. To begin to understand the domain structure-function relationships of GAL11 we cloned and sequenced a homologue from the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, Kl-GAL11. The two predicted GAL11 proteins show high overall amino acid conservation and an unusual amino acid composition including 18% glutamine, 10% asparagine (S. cerevisiae) or 7% (K. lactis), and 8% proline (K. lactis) or 5% (S. cerevisiae) residues. Both proteins have runs of pure glutamines. Sc-GAL11 has glutamine-alanine runs but in Kl-GAL11 the alanines in such runs are replaced by proline and other residues. The primary sequence similarity is reflected in functional similarity since a gal11 mutation in K. lactis creates phenotypes similar to those seen previously in gal11-defective S. cerevisiae. In addition, Kl-GAL11 complements a gal11-defect in S. cerevisiae by partially restoring induction of GAL1 expression, growth on nonfermentable carbon sources, and phosphorylation of GAL4.

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Selected References

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