The Saccharomyces cerevisiae ESU1 gene, which is responsible for enhancement of termination suppression, corresponds to the 3′‐terminal half of GAL11

A DNA fragment enhancing efficiency of [PSI+]‐dependent termination suppressor, sup111, was isolated from a genomic library of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its function was attributed to an ORF of 1272 bp. This ORF, designated ESU1 (enhancer of termination suppression), corresponded to the 3′‐terminal portion of GAL11. Contrasting to ESU1, GAL11 lowered the suppression efficiency of [PSI+] sup111. ESU1 possesses a TATA‐like sequence of its own and three ATG codons following it within a distance of about 70 bp and all in the same reading frame as GAL11. A 52.7 kDa protein corresponding in size to the predicted Esu1 protein is detected by western blot analysis using anti‐Gal11 antiserum. We therefore conclude that ESU1 is the gene that encodes a polypeptide corresponding to the C‐terminal 424 amino acids of Gal11. It was further found that ESU1 increases the level of GAL11 mRNA and probably also of its own mRNA. Moreover, ESU1 increased the cellular level of mRNA transcribed from the leu2‐1UAA mutant gene, while GAL11 did not. Based on these findings, we propose the following scheme for the events taking place in the [PSI+] sup111 cell that is transformed with an ESU1‐bearing plasmid: (a) ESU1 stimulates transcription of leu2‐1; (b) leu2‐1 mRNA is not effectively degraded because of the possession of sup111, which belongs to the upf group; (c) [PSI+] causes increased mis‐termination due to depletion of eRF3; (d) functional Leu2 product is made using leu2‐1 mRNA; and (d) suppression of leu2‐1 is eventually accomplished. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.