The yeast ROAM mutation--identification of the sequences mediating host gene activation and cell-type control in the yeast retrotransposon, Ty.

When the yeast retrotransposon, Ty, integrates into the 5' flanking region of a gene it can activate the expression of that gene. At the same time the activated gene is brought under cell-type specific control such that expression is high in haploid a or alpha cells but low in a/alpha diploids. These Ty mediated mutations are known as ROAM mutations. In this study we have used a ROAM mutation created in vitro to identify the sequences within Ty that mediate this phenomenon. We show that a single activator located within the coding region of the Ty element is responsible for ROAM activation. This sequence, which is regulated by the mating type of the cell, differs from classical enhancer elements in that its activity is strictly orientation dependent. An independent activator located downstream of the ROAM sequence activated transcription only in the non-ROAM orientation. This sequence may be part of an internal promoter that controls expression of the sub-genomic 5.0kb Ty transcript.