Identification and characterization of a low oxygen response element involved in the hypoxic induction of a family of Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes. Implications for the conservation of oxygen sensing in eukaryotes.

An organism's ability to respond to changes in oxygen tension depends in large part on alterations in gene expression. The oxygen sensing and signaling mechanisms in eukaryotic cells are not fully understood. To further define these processes, we have studied the Delta9 fatty acid desaturase gene OLE1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have confirmed previous data showing that the expression of OLE1 mRNA is increased in hypoxia and in the presence of certain transition metals. OLE1 expression was also increased in the presence of the iron chelator 1,10-phenanthroline. A 142-base pair (bp) region 3' to the previously identified fatty acid response element was identified as critical for the induction of OLE1 in response to these stimuli using OLE1 promoter-lacZ reporter constructs. Electromobility shift assays confirmed the presence of an inducible band shift in response to hypoxia and cobalt. Mutational analysis defined the nonameric sequence ACTCAACAA as necessary for transactivation. A 20-base pair oligonucleotide containing this nonamer confers up-regulation by hypoxia and inhibition by unsaturated fatty acids when placed upstream of a heterologous promoter in a lacZ reporter construct. Additional yeast genes were identified which respond to hypoxia and cobalt in a manner similar to OLE1. A number of mammalian genes are also up-regulated by hypoxia, cobalt, nickel, and iron chelators. Hence, the identification of a family of yeast genes regulated in a similar manner has implications for understanding oxygen sensing and signaling in eukaryotes.