Genome-wide analysis of transcriptional expression programs, regulatory networks and Cis-regulatory sequences in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

Historically, knowledge of gene-specific transcription has been accumulated by the study of the individual genetic and physical interactions between transcriptional regulators and the genes they regulate, often requiring considerable time and effort. Microarray technology now enables investigation of gene expression at the level of the entire genome, allowing researchers access to rich datasets and promising new levels of depth in the understanding of transcriptional regulation. Our lab has made use of these technologies both to measure the levels of all mRNA transcripts within a population of cells, as well as to locate the regions within the genome that are bound by transcriptional regulators. Such studies not only allow for the functional annotation of both genes and regulators, but can also provide clues about the identity of the regulatory regions within DNA, the structure of global regulatory networks and the regulation of DNA-binding proteins. These and other insights are presented here based on our genome-wide studies of transcriptional regulation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.