High impact information on DAL4

• FUI1 and function unknown now 26 (FUN26) are proteins of uncertain function with sequence similarities to members of the uracil/allantoin permease and equilibrative nucleoside transporter families of transporter proteins, respectively [1].
• A putative allantoin transporter (PvUPS1) was isolated from nodulated roots of French bean and was functionally characterized in an allantoin transport-deficient yeast mutant showing that PvUPS1 transports allantoin but also binds its precursors xanthine and uric acid [2].
• Allantoin transport (DAL4 gene) is inducible, while allantoate uptake is constitutive (it occurs at full levels in the absence of any allantoate-related compounds from the culture medium) [3].
• We interpret the pleiotropic behavior of the dal4 and dal5 mutations as deriving from a functional interaction between elements of the two transport systems [3].
• Conversely, dal4 mutants previously described are unable to transport allantoin and exhibit a 50% loss of allantoate transport [3].

Biological context of DAL4

• Deletion of sequences containing ORC-binding sites near the DAL2 and DAL4 genes in the DAL gene cluster, which are induced by either the orc2-1 mutation or by starvation, constitutively activates these genes and abolishes their activation by the orc2-1 mutation [4].
• The rna1 gene product appeared to be required for allantoin permease induction, suggesting that control was exerted at the level of gene expression [5].

Associations of DAL4 with chemical compounds

• We show that the allantoin transport system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae responds to two induction systems, one mediated by allophanate or its analog oxalurate and the other mediated by allantoin or its analog hydantoin acetate [6].
• Hydantoin and hydantoin acetic acid were able to induce allantoin transport to 63 and 95% of the levels observed with allantoin [5].

Other interactions of DAL4

• Moreover, the FUI1 gene product does not play any role in allantoin transport [7].
• Cis-acting sites contributing to expression of divergently transcribed DAL1 and DAL4 genes in S. cerevisiae: a word of caution when correlating cis-acting sequences with genome-wide expression analyses [8].
• Like other allantoin pathway genes, oxalurate-mediated induction of allantoin transport required a functional DAL81 gene product [6].

References