Identification of two factors which bind to the upstream sequences of a number of nuclear genes coding for mitochondrial proteins and to genetic elements important for cell division in yeast.

Two abundant factors, GFI and GFII which interact with the 5' flanking regions of nuclear genes coding for proteins of the mitochondrial respiratory chain have been identified. In one case (subunit VIII of QH2: cytochrome c oxidoreductase) the binding sites for both factors overlap completely and their binding is mutually exclusive. For the other 5' regions tested the GFI and GFII binding sites do not coincide. Interestingly, binding sites for GFI and GFII are also present in or at the 3' ends of the coding regions of two genes of the PHO gene family and in DNA elements important for optimal ARS and CEN function respectively. The sites recognized by GFI conform to the consensus RTCRNNNNNNACGNR, while those recognized by GFII contain the element RTCACGTG. We speculate that GFI and GFII may play a role in different cellular processes, dependent on the context of their binding sites and that one of these processes may be the coordination of the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis with the progress of the cell cycle.