Yeast PKA represses Msn2p/Msn4p‐dependent gene expression to regulate growth, stress response and glycogen accumulation

• Published in: The EMBO journal 1998-07, Vol.17 (13), p.3556-3564
• Main Authors: Smith, Angela, Ward, Mary P., Garrett, Stephen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases - genetics; Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases - metabolism; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; DNA-Binding Proteins - physiology; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; Fungal Proteins - physiology; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Glycogen - metabolism; growth; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Msn2p; Mutagenesis; PKA; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - enzymology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - physiology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transcription Factors - physiology; YAK1; Zinc Fingers
• ISSN: 0261-4189; 1460-2075
• DOI: 10.1093/emboj/17.13.3556

Yeast cAMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity is essential for growth and antagonizes induction of the general stress response as well as accumulation of glycogen stores. Previous studies have suggested that the PKA effects on the two latter processes result in part from transcription repression. Here we show that transcription derepression that accompanies PKA depletion is dependent upon the presence of two redundant Zn 2+ ‐finger transcription factors, Msn2p and Msn4p. The Msn2p and Msn4p proteins were shown previously to act as positive transcriptional factors in the stress response pathway, and our results suggest that Msn2p and Msn4p also mediate PKA‐dependent effects on stress response as well as glycogen accumulation genes. Interestingly, PKA activity is dispensable in a strain lacking Msn2p and Msn4p activity. Thus, Msn2p and Msn4p may antagonize PKAdependent growth by stimulating expression of genes that inhibit growth. In agreement with this model, Msn2p/Msn4p function is required for expression of a gene, YAK1 , previously shown to antagonize PKA‐dependent growth. These results suggest that Msn2p/Msn4p‐dependent gene expression may account for all, or at least most, of the pleiotropic effects of yeast PKA, including growth regulation, response to stress and carbohydrate store accumulation.