Multigene families are a ubiquitous feature of eukaryotes; however, their presence in Saccharomyces is more limited. The MAL multigene family is comprised of five unlinked loci, MAL1, MAL2, MAL3, MAL4 and MAL6, any one of which is sufficient for yeast to metabolize maltose. A cloned MAL6 locus was used as a probe to facilitate the cloning of the other four functional loci as well as two partially active alleles of MAL1. Each locus could be characterized as a cluster of three genes, MALR (regulatory), MALT (maltose transport or permease) and MALS (structural or maltase), encoded by a total of about 7 kb of DNA; however, homologous sequences at each locus extend beyond the coding regions. Our results indicate that there is extensive homology among the MAL loci, especially within their maltase genes. The greatest sequence diversity occurs in their regulatory gene regions. Southern cross analyses of the cloned MAL loci indicate a single duplication of the MAL6R-homologous sequences upstream of the MAL6R gene as well as an extensive duplication of more than 10 kb at the MAL3 locus. The large repeat at the MAL3 locus results in the presence of four copies of MAL3R-homologous sequences and two copies of MAL3T-homologous sequences at that locus. Two naturally occurring inactive alleles of MAL1 show a deletion or divergence of their MALR sequences. The significance of these repeats in the evolution of the MAL multigene family is discussed.
Transcription of the three unlinked, homologous STA1-3 glucoamylase-encoding genes, involved in starch degradation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was previously shown to be down-regulated by the presence of STA10, acting via three upstream repression sequence regions that were identified in the STA2 promoter. Here we report the cloning and characterization of a putative transcriptional activator gene, MSS10 (multicopy suppressor of STA10), which, when present in multiple copies, overcomes STA10 repression. Deletion of MSS10, located on chromosome XV, resulted in media-specific extinction of glucoamylase synthesis. The nucleotide sequence of MSS10 is identical to three other genes from S. cerevisiae identified as: FUP1, a gene that enhances iron-limited growth; PHD2, a gene identified for its ability to induce pseudohyphal growth in diploid cells grown on nitrogen-limited media; and MSN1, a gene encoding a transcriptional activator involved in invertase regulation.
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