Role of Atfl and Papl in the Induction of the Catalase Gene of Fission Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Abstract

We examined the induction of the catalase gene (cttl⁺) of fission yeast Schixosaccharomyces pombe in response to several stresses by using mutants of transcription factors (Atfl and Papl) and a series of deletion mutants of the ctt1⁺ promoter region. A tran-scription factor, Atfl, and its binding site are necessary for the induction of ^ctt1+ by osmotic stress, UV irradiation, and heat shock. Induction by menadione treatment, which produces superoxide anion, required element A, the region from -111 to -90 (numbered with the transcription start site as +1). The factor responsible for the induction of the gene by oxidative stress via element A was identified as the transcription factor Papl. We also found that Atfl is activated by menadione treatment in papl mutant cells, although it is not activated by menadione treatment in pap1⁺ cells. The activity of cata-lase is not increased in pap1 cells by several stresses, despite mRNA induction, suggesting that Papl plays some role in the expression of catalase activity.

Atfl, catalase, Pap1, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, stress response