Multiple mechanisms mediate glucose repression of the yeast GAL1 gene

Several mechanisms contribute to the glucose repression of the GAL1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that one mechanism involves the transcriptional down-regulation of the GAL4 gene and a second requires the GAL80 gene. We also examine the contribution of cis-acting negative elements in the GAL1 promoter to glucose repression. In an otherwise wild-type strain disruption of any one of these three mechanisms alleviates repression of GAL1 only 2- to 4-fold. However, in the absence of the other two mechanisms the transcriptional down-regulation of GAL4 is sufficient to repress GAL1 expression 40- to 60-fold and the GAL80-dependent mechanism is sufficient to repress GAL1 expression 20- to 30-fold. These first two mechanisms constitute a functionally redundant system of repression and both must be disrupted in order to abolish glucose repression of GAL1. In contrast, negative elements in the GAL1 promoter are effective in repressing GAL1 expression 2- to 4-fold in glucose medium only when at least one of the other two mechanisms of repression is present. Thus, glucose repression of GAL1 is mediated primarily by the first two mechanisms, whereas the third mechanism supplements repression severalfold.