CHARACTERIZATION OF YEAST DNA-SEQUENCES CAPABLE OF DIRECTING TRANSCRIPTION IN STREPTOMYCES AND ESCHERICHIA-COLI

Random genomic DNA fragments from Saccharomyces cervisiae were tested for their ability to activate transcription of a promoterless aminogly coside phosphotransferase-encoding gene in Streptomyces. About 10% of the insertions led to kanamycin resistance when selected at low concen tration (5 mu g ml(-1)). The nucleotide sequences of five insertions t hat allowed growth at different concentrations of the antibiotic were determined. Three of them contained -10 and -35 consensus sequences fo r the major class of eubacterial promoters. In two others, a -10 seque nce could be identified, but a -35 element was absent at the appropria te distance. All of the five inserts were also transcriptionally activ e in Escherichia coil and therefore probably belong to the major class of eubacterial promoters. Three of the characterized insertions found to match known yeast sequences did not derive from promoter regions. We conclude that sequences that function as eubacterial promoters occu r at random in the yeast genome.