Transcriptional regulation in the yeast GAL gene family: a complex genetic network.

Regulation of the GAL structural genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is implemented by the products of GAL-specific (GAL4, GAL80, GAL3) and general (GAL11, SWI1, 2, 3, SNF5, 6, numerous glucose repression) genes. Recent work has 1) yielded significant new insights on the DNA binding and transcription activation/Gal80 protein binding functions of the Gal4 activator protein, 2) described the characterization of purified Gal4 protein-Gal80 protein complexes, 3) deconvoluted the multiple and complex glucose repression pathways acting on GAL genes, 4) suggested a new mechanism for the Gal3 protein-mediated induction of GAL structural gene expression, 5) introduced Gal1 protein, a structural gene product, into the regulation scheme, and 6) extended our already substantial understanding of GAL regulatory gene control. The mechanisms which control structural and regulatory gene expression in the GAL family are compared and GAL structural/regulatory gene chromatin structure is discussed.