Positive and negative transcriptional regulation by the yeast GAL11 protein depends on the structure of the promoter and a combination of cis elements.

GAL11 was first identified as a gene required for full expression of some galactose-inducible genes that are activated by GAL4, and it was subsequently shown to be necessary for full expression of another set of genes activated by RAP1/GRF1/TUF. Genetic analysis suggests that GAL11 functions as a coactivator, mediating the interaction of sequence-specific activators with basal transcription factors. To test this hypothesis, we first tried to identify functional domains by deletion analysis and found that the 866-910 region is indispensable for function. Using reporters bearing various upstream activating sequences (UAS) and different core promoter structures, we show that the involvement of GAL11 in transcriptional activation varies with the target promoter and the particular combination of cis elements. Gel electrophoresis in the presence of chloroquine shows that GAL11 affects the chromatin structure of a circular plasmid. Based on these findings, the role of GAL11 in regulation of transcription, including an alteration in chromatin structure, is discussed.