Transcriptional regulation of a sterol-biosynthetic enzyme by sterol levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Sterols and all nonsterol isoprenoids are derived from the highly conserved mevalonate pathway. In animal cells, this pathway is regulated in part at the transcriptional level through the action of sterol response element-binding proteins acting at specific DNA sequences near promoters. Here we extend at least part of this regulatory paradigm to the ERG10 gene, which encodes a sterol-biosynthetic enzyme of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Specifically, the discovery of sterol-mediated feedback control of ERG10 transcription is reported. Deletion analysis of the ERG10 promoter region identified sequences involved in the expression of ERG10. This regulatory axis appeared to involve sterol levels, as a late block in the pathway that depletes sterol, but not nonsterol isoprenoids, was able to elicit the regulatory response.