Three regulatory systems control expression of glutamine synthetase inSaccharomyces cerevisiae at the level of transcription

Abstract
TheGLN1 gene ofSaccharomyces cerivisiae was cloned by complementation of agln1 auxotroph. AGLN1-lacZ fusion was constructed to assayGLN1 promoter activity. β-Galactosidase and glutamine synthetase expression in chromosomally integratedGLN1-lacZ fusion strains were co-regulated in response to a shift from glutamine to glutamate as the nitrogen source, purine limitation, and 3-aminotriazole-induced histidine starvation. Regulation ofGLN1 expression by each of the three pathways occurred at the transcriptional level. Increased accumulation ofGLN1 mRNA was observed within 5 min after a shift from glutamine to glutamate as the nitrogen source. After 5 min following glutamine addition to the cells growing with glutamate as nitrogen source. This indicates that theGLN1 message is unstable and has a half-life of approximately 3 min. Deletion analysis indicated that the sequences required forGLN1 expression are located within approximately 350 bp upstream from the transcriptional initiation site.