The Hap Complex in Yeasts: Structure, Assembly Mode, and Gene Regulation

• Main Authors: Yinhe Mao, Changbin Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-07-01
• Series: Frontiers in Microbiology
• Subjects: Hap complex; CCAAT box; reactive oxygen species; iron homeostasis; yeast; cytotoxicity
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01645/full

The CCAAT box-harboring proteins represent a family of heterotrimeric transcription factors which is highly conserved in eukaryotes. In fungi, one of the particularly important homologs of this family is the Hap complex that separates the DNA-binding domain from the activation domain and imposes essential impacts on regulation of a wide range of cellular functions. So far, a comprehensive summary of this complex has been described in filamentous fungi but not in the yeast. In this review, we summarize a number of studies related to the structure and assembly mode of the Hap complex in a list of representative yeasts. Furthermore, we emphasize recent advances in understanding the regulatory functions of this complex, with a special focus on its role in regulating respiration, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron homeostasis.