The SNF5 Protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Is a Glutamine- and Proline-Rich Transcriptional Activator That Affects Expression of a Broad Spectrum of Genes

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SNF5 gene affects expression of both glucose- and phosphate-regulated genes and appears to function in transcription. We report the nucleotide sequence, which predicts that SNF5 encodes a 102,536-dalton protein. The N-terminal third of the protein is extremely rich in glutamine and proline. Mutants carrying a deletion of the coding sequence were viable but grew slowly, indicating that the SNF5 gene is important but not essential. Evidence that SNF5 affects expression of the cell type-specific genes MF alpha 1 and BAR1 at the RNA level extends the known range of SNF5 function. SNF5 is apparently required for expression of a wide variety of differently regulated genes. A bifunctional SNF5-beta-galactosidase fusion protein was localized in the nucleus by immunofluorescence. No DNA-binding activity was detected for SNF5. A LexA-SNF5 fusion protein, when bound to a lexA operator, functioned as a transcriptional activator.