Hog1 bypasses stress-mediated down-regulation of transcription by PolII redistribution and chromatin remodeling

Cells are subjected to dramatic changes on gene expression upon environmental changes. Stress causes a general down-regulation of gene expression together with the induction of a set of stress-responsive genes. Genome wide localisation studies showed major changes on Pol II localisation towards stress-responsive genes in contrast to housekeeping genes. Pol II relocalisation requires of the Hog1 SAPK, which also associates at stress-responsive loci. Chromatin structure was not significantly altered upon stress except for those genes that displayed Hog1 association. Together, Hog1 serves to bypass the general down-regulation of gene expression by targeting RNA Pol II machinery and inducing chromatin remodeling at stress-responsive loci. Overall design: Hog1 and Pol II ChIP-Seq and Mnase-Seq experiments in both strains WT and Hog1 mutant, for 2 conditions: Exposed and not exposed to osmostress