Activated levels of rRNA synthesis in fission yeast are driven by an intergenic rDNA region positioned over 2500 nucleotides upstream of the initiation site

RNA polymerase I-catalyzed synthesis of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe similar to 37S pre-rRNAs was shown to be sensitive to regulatory sequences located several kilobases upstream of the initiation site for the rRNA gene. An in vitro transcription system for RNA polymerase I-catalyzed RNA synthesis was established that supports correct and activated transcription from templates bearing a full S. pombe rRNA gene promoter. A 780 bp region starting at -2560 significantly stimulates transcription of a cis-located rDNA promoter and competes with an rDNA promoter in trans, thus displaying some of the activities of rDNA transcriptional enhancers in vitro. Deletion of a 30 bp enhancer-homologous domain in this 780 bp far upstream region blocked its cis-stimulatory effect. The sequence of the S. pombe 3.5 kb intergenic spacer was determined and its organization differs from that of vertebrate, Drosophila, Acanthamoeba and plant intergenic rDNA spacers: it does not contain multiple, imperfect copies of the rRNA gene promoter nor repetitive elements of 140 bp, as are found in vertebrate rDNA enhancers.