GAL4 fusion vectors for expression in yeast or mammalian cells

We describe two sets of vectors, one for yeast (pY1, pY2 and pY3) and one for mammalian cells (pM1, pM2, and pM3), that simplify the production of fusion proteins containing the DNA-binding domain of GAL4. This protein fragment, consisting of GAL4 amino acid (aa) residues 1-147, binds to a specific 17-bp nucleotide sequence, but is incapable of activating transcription unless fused to a protein that can contribute an activating function. Genetic strategies exploiting this property of GAL4 (aa 1-147) have been developed to characterize transcription factor functional domains, protein-protein interactions, and site-specific proteolysis. The vectors we describe allow fusion to the C terminus of GAL4 (aa 1-147) in any reading frame, and thus facilitate these experimental strategies.