The Kluyveromyces lactis repertoire of transcriptional regulators

We have exploited the recently obtained complete genome sequence of Kluyveromyces lactis to compare the repertoire of transcriptional regulators between K. lactis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Looking for similarities with the S. cerevisiae proteins of this functional class, we observed a reduction in gene number, which is not randomly distributed among the different DNA-binding classes, the zinc binuclear cluster class (Zn(II)2Cys6), specific to ascomycetes, being one of the most affected. However, when one examines the number of proteins that, in the K. lactis genome, possess the different DNA-binding signatures, it is not reduced compared to S. cerevisiae. This indicates that transactivator proteins have strongly diverged between the two species and cannot be recognized any more, and/or that each genome has developed a specific set of regulators to adapt the cell to its specific niches. These two aspects are discussed on the basis of available data.