Genetic interactions between mediator and the late G1-specific transcription factor Swi6 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Swi6 associates with Swi4 to activate HO and many other late G(1)-specific transcripts in budding yeast. Genetic screens for suppressors of SWI6 mutants have been carried out. A total of 112 of these mutants have been identified and most fall into seven complementation groups. Six of these genes have been cloned and identified and they all encode subunits of the mediator complex. These mutants restore transcription to the HO-lacZ reporter in the absence of Swi6 and have variable effects on other Swi6 target genes. Deletions of other nonessential mediator components have been tested directly for suppression of, or genetic interaction with, swi6. Mutations in half of the known subunits of mediator show suppression and/or growth defects in combination with swi6. These phenotypes are highly variable and do not correlate with a specific module of the mediator. Mutations in tail module components sin4 and pgd1 showed both growth defects and suppression when combined with swi6, but a third tail component, gal11, showed neither. A truncated form of the essential Srb7 mediator subunit also suppresses swi6 mutations and shows a defect in recruitment of the tail module components Sin4, Pgd1, and Gal11 to the mediator complex.