Oxygen-Dependent Transcriptional Regulator Hap1p Limits Glucose Uptake by Repressing the Expression of the Major Glucose Transporter GeneRAG1inKluyveromyces lactis

Abstract

ABSTRACTTheHAP1(CYP1) gene product ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaeis known to regulate the transcription of many genes in response to oxygen availability. This response varies according to yeast species, probably reflecting the specific nature of their oxidative metabolism. It is suspected that a difference in the interaction of Hap1p with its target genes may explain some of the species-related variation in oxygen responses. As opposed to the fermentativeS. cerevisiae,Kluyveromyces lactisis an aerobic yeast species which shows different oxygen responses. We examined the role of theHAP1-equivalent gene (KlHAP1) inK. lactis. KlHap1p showed a number of sequence features and some gene targets (such as KlCYC1) in common with itsS. cerevisiaecounterpart, and KlHAP1was capable of complementing thehap1mutation. However, the KlHAP1disruptant showed temperature-sensitive growth on glucose, especially at low glucose concentrations. At normal temperature, 28°C, the mutant grew well, the colony size being even greater than that of the wild type. The most striking observation was that KlHap1p repressed the expression of the major glucose transporter geneRAG1and reduced the glucose uptake rate. This suggested an involvement of KlHap1p in the regulation of glycolytic flux through the glucose transport system. The ΔKlhap1mutant showed an increased ability to produce ethanol during aerobic growth, indicating a possible transformation of its physiological property to Crabtree positivity or partial Crabtree positivity. Dual roles of KlHap1p in activating respiration and repressing fermentation may be seen as a basis of the Crabtree-negative physiology ofK. lactis.