Evolution of alternative transcriptional circuits with identical logic

Annie E. Tsong, Brian B. Tuch, Hao Li and Alexander D. Johnson ()
Additional contact information
Annie E. Tsong: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Brian B. Tuch: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Hao Li: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics
Alexander D. Johnson: Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics

Nature, 2006, vol. 443, issue 7110, 415-420

Abstract: Abstract Evolution of gene regulation is an important contributor to the variety of life. Here, we analyse the evolution of a combinatorial transcriptional circuit composed of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins that are conserved among all eukaryotes. This circuit regulates mating in the ascomycete yeast lineage. We first identify a group of mating genes that was transcriptionally regulated by an activator in a fungal ancestor, but is now transcriptionally regulated by a repressor in modern bakers' yeast. Despite this change in regulatory mechanism, the logical output of the overall circuit remains the same. By examining the regulation of mating in modern yeasts that are related to different extents, we deduce specific, sequential changes in both cis- and trans-regulatory elements that constitute the transition from positive to negative regulation. These changes indicate specific mechanisms by which fitness barriers were traversed during the transition.

Date: 2006
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05099 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:nature:v:443:y:2006:i:7110:d:10.1038_nature05099

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/

DOI: 10.1038/nature05099

Access Statistics for this article

Nature is currently edited by Magdalena Skipper

More articles in Nature from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().