Decoupling transcription factor expression and activity enables dimmer switch gene regulation

Gene-regulatory networks achieve complex mappings of inputs to outputs through mechanisms that are poorly understood. We found that in the galactose-responsive pathway in , the decision to activate the transcription of genes encoding pathway components is controlled independently from the expression...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2021-04, Vol.372 (6539), p.292-295
Main Authors: Ricci-Tam, C, Ben-Zion, I, Wang, J, Palme, J, Li, A, Savir, Y, Springer, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catalytic activity
Chromatin
Circuit design
Combinatorial analysis
Decoupling
DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics
DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism
Galactokinase - genetics
Galactokinase - metabolism
Galactose
Galactose - metabolism
Gene expression
Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
Gene regulation
Gene Regulatory Networks
Genetic Fitness
Glucose - metabolism
Metabolic Networks and Pathways - genetics
Metabolism
Models, Genetic
Nutrient concentrations
Physiology
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Repressor Proteins - genetics
Repressor Proteins - metabolism
Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics
Saccharomyces cerevisiae - growth & development
Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - genetics
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism
Time
Transcription factors
Transcription Factors - genetics
Transcription Factors - metabolism
Transcription, Genetic
Yeast
Yeasts
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Summary:Gene-regulatory networks achieve complex mappings of inputs to outputs through mechanisms that are poorly understood. We found that in the galactose-responsive pathway in , the decision to activate the transcription of genes encoding pathway components is controlled independently from the expression level, resulting in behavior resembling that of a mechanical dimmer switch. This was not a direct result of chromatin regulation or combinatorial control at galactose-responsive promoters; rather, this behavior was achieved by hierarchical regulation of the expression and activity of a single transcription factor. Hierarchical regulation is ubiquitous, and thus dimmer switch regulation is likely a key feature of many biological systems. Dimmer switch gene regulation may allow cells to fine-tune their responses to multi-input environments on both physiological and evolutionary time scales.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aba7582