Targeting Activity Is Required for SWI/SNF Function In Vivo and Is Accomplished through Two Partially Redundant Activator-Interaction Domains

• Published in: Molecular cell 2003-10, Vol.12 (4), p.983-990
• Main Authors: Prochasson, Philippe, Neely, Kristen E, Hassan, Ahmed H, Li, Bing, Workman, Jerry L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cells, Cultured; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal - genetics; Genes, Regulator - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Protein Structure, Tertiary - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism; SMARCB1 Protein; Snf5 protein; SWI/SNF complex; swi1 protein; Trans-Activators - genetics; Trans-Activators - metabolism; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcriptional Activation - genetics; Yeasts - genetics; Yeasts - metabolism
• ISSN: 1097-2765; 1097-4164
• DOI: 10.1016/S1097-2765(03)00366-6

The SWI/SNF complex is required for the expression of many yeast genes. Previous studies have implicated DNA binding transcription activators in targeting SWI/SNF to UASs and promoters. To determine how activators interact with the complex and to examine the importance of these interactions, relative to other potential targeting mechanisms, for SWI/SNF function, we sought to identify and mutate the activator-interaction domains in the complex. Here we show that the N-terminal domain of Snf5 and the second quarter of Swi1 are sites of activation domain contact. Deletion of both of these domains left the SWI/SNF complex intact but impaired its ability to bind activation domains. Importantly, while deletion of either domain alone had minor phenotypic effect, deletion of both resulted in strong SWI/SNF related phenotypes. Thus, two distinct activator-interaction domains play overlapping roles in the targeting activity of SWI/SNF, which is essential for its function in vivo.