Deletion mapping a eukaryotic promoter.

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Abstract
The phenotypes of 24 mutants that successively delete DNA sequences adjacent to the 5'' end of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) his3 structural gene are described. Deletions retaining > 155 base pairs before the mRNA coding sequences are phenotypically indistinguishable from the wild-type his3 allele. Deletions having end points between 113 and 65 base pairs before the transcription initiation site express his3 at reduced levels. Mutations retaining < 45 base pairs are indistinguishable from null alleles of the his3 locus. A sequence located 113-155 base pairs upstream from the transcribed region is necessary for wild-type expression. The T-A-T-A box (a sequence in front of most eukaryotic genes) is not sufficient for wild-type promoter function. The yeast his4 promoter region appears large when compared with prokaryotic promoters, suggesting that it may be more complex than a simple site of interaction between RNA polymerase and DNA.