High impact information on DAL3

• Identification of the ureidoglycolate hydrolase gene in the DAL gene cluster of Saccharomyces cerevisiae [1].
• Most of the work leading to the above conclusions has employed inducer-independent allantoin pathway genes (e.g. DAL5 and DAL3) [2].
• The amount of DAL80 expression also dictates the level at which DAL3, a gene activated almost exclusively by Gln3p, is transcribed [3].
• Uninduced cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibit high basal levels of allantoinase, allantoicase, and ureidoglycolate hydrolase, the enzymes responsible for degrading allantoin to urea [4].
• Missing from the DAL3 upstream region were any sequences related to those shown to be required for a DAL7 response to inducer, the UIS element [5].

Biological context of DAL3

• Here we show that DAL80 protein binds to DAL3 and UGA4 upstream DNA sequences, designated URSGATA, consisting of two GATAA-containing sites separated by at least 15 bp [6].
• The four carboxy-terminal amino acids of DAL3 product (Cys-Ile-Ile-Ile) are homologous to those (CAAX) previously shown to be the primary structural signal for post-translational farnesylation of yeast RAS protein and mating factor [5].
• The upstream region of DAL3 contains six copies of a sequence that is homologous to the positively acting DAL UASNTR reported to be required for transcriptional activation of the DAL5 and DAL7 genes [5].

References