Heme control region of the catalase T gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

The 5'-flanking region of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae catalase T gene (CTT1) and the part of the gene coding for the N-terminus of catalase T were sequenced. 5'-Ends of transcripts of the region were located by S1 nuclease mapping and primer extension. To analyse control elements in the upstream region, a CTT1-lacZ gene fusion was constructed. Deletion analysis was carried out within a part of the 5'-flanking region showing homology to the upstream region of the yeast CYC1 gene. Like the CTT1 gene, this gene is controlled by heme, oxygen and glucose. The results obtained show that the CTT1 gene is positively controlled by heme. Tentative evidence has been obtained for the involvement of upstream sequences homologous to UAS1 and UAS2 of the CYC1 gene in heme control. Further, a negative site has been located between the upstream activator sites and the transcription start. Within this negative region a ten base-pair sequence was detected that shows high homology to a sequence located within a negative control region of the CYC1 gene and some homology to the negative control elements of the S. cerevisiae CAR1 and CAR2 genes.