279, 21976 -21983).We examined the effects of zinc depletion on the regulation of the PIS1-encoded phosphatidylinositol synthase, the enzyme that catalyzes the formation of phosphatidylinositol from CDP-diacylglycerol and inositol. Phosphatidylinositol synthase activity increased when zinc was depleted from the growth medium. Analysis of a zrt1⌬ zrt2⌬ mutant defective in plasma membrane zinc transport indicated that the cytoplasmic levels of zinc were responsible for the regulation of phosphatidylinositol synthase. PIS1 mRNA, its encoded protein Pis1p, and the -galactosidase activity driven by the P PIS1 -lacZ reporter gene were elevated in zinc-depleted cells. This indicated that the increase in phosphatidylinositol synthase activity was the result of a transcriptional mechanism. The zinc-mediated induction of the P PIS1 -lacZ reporter gene, Pis1p, and phosphatidylinositol synthase activity was lost in zap1⌬ mutant cells. These data indicated that the regulation of PIS1 gene expression by zinc depletion was mediated by the zinc-regulated transcription factor Zap1p. Direct interaction between glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Zap1p 687-880 and a putative upstream activating sequence (UAS) zinc-responsive element in the PIS1 promoter was demonstrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Mutations in the UAS zinc-responsive element in the PIS1 promoter abolished the GSTZap1p 687-880 -DNA interaction in vitro and abolished the zinc-mediated regulation of the PIS1 gene in vivo. This work advances understanding of phospholipid synthesis regulation by zinc and the transcription control of the PIS1 gene.
Phosphatidylinositol (PI)1 is the third most abundant phospholipid in the cellular membranes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (1-3), and it is essential for the growth and metabolism of this model eukaryote (4 -6). In addition to being a major structural component of the membrane, PI serves as the precursor for sphingolipids (7,8), the D-3, D-4, and D-5 phosphoinositides (3, 9 -12), and glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors (13, 14) (Fig. 1). Several of these PI-derived lipids and their metabolic products are prominent signaling molecules in S. cerevisiae and in higher eukaryotes that contribute to essential physiological functions (12,(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20).The enzyme responsible for the synthesis of PI in S. cerevisiae is the essential PIS1-encoded PI synthase (CDP-diacylglycerol:myo-inositol 3-phosphatidyltransferase, EC 2.7.8.11) (6, 21-23). This endoplasmic reticulum-associated (24) enzyme catalyzes the formation of PI and CMP from CDP-diacylglycerol and inositol (25) (Fig. 1). The regulation of PI synthase activity in vivo is largely governed by the availability of its substrates inositol and CDP-diacylglycerol (26 -28). Cellular inositol levels are controlled by expression of the INO1 gene encoding inositol-3-phosphate synthase and by inositol supplementation (26 -28). The levels of CDP-diacylglycerol are controlled through its utilization by the PI synthase enzyme itself and the competing activity of ...