scholarly journals The topology of the ER-resident phospholipid methyltransferase Opi3 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is consistent with in trans catalysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (8) ◽  
pp. 2473-2482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Pawlik ◽  
Mike F. Renne ◽  
Matthijs A. Kol ◽  
Anton I. P. M. de Kroon
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Membrane Topology ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Substituted Cysteine Accessibility ◽  
Cytosolic Side ◽  
In Trans ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Topology Prediction

Phospholipid N-methyltransferases (PLMTs) synthesize phosphatidylcholine by methylating phosphatidylethanolamine using S-adenosylmethionine as a methyl donor. Eukaryotic PLMTs are integral membrane enzymes located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recently Opi3, a PLMT of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was proposed to perform in trans catalysis, i.e. while localized in the ER, Opi3 would methylate lipid substrates located in the plasma membrane at membrane contact sites. Here, we tested whether the Opi3 active site is located at the cytosolic side of the ER membrane, which is a prerequisite for in trans catalysis. The membrane topology of Opi3 (and its human counterpart, phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase, expressed in yeast) was addressed by topology prediction algorithms and by the substituted cysteine accessibility method. The results of these analyses indicated that Opi3 (as well as phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase) has an N-out C-in topology and contains four transmembrane domains, with the fourth forming a re-entrant loop. On the basis of the sequence conservation between the C-terminal half of Opi3 and isoprenyl cysteine carboxyl methyltransferases with a solved crystal structure, we identified amino acids critical for Opi3 activity by site-directed mutagenesis. Modeling of the structure of the C-terminal part of Opi3 was consistent with the topology obtained by the substituted cysteine accessibility method and revealed that the active site faces the cytosol. In conclusion, the location of the Opi3 active site identified here is consistent with the proposed mechanism of in trans catalysis, as well as with conventional catalysis in cis.

scholarly journals Mdm1/Snx13 is a novel ER–endolysosomal interorganelle tethering protein

2015 ◽  
Vol 210 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Mike Henne ◽  
Lu Zhu ◽  
Zsolt Balogi ◽  
Christopher Stefan ◽  
Jeffrey A. Pleiss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Disease ◽  
Lipid Binding ◽  
Sphingolipid Metabolism ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Effector Genes ◽  
Px Domain ◽  
In Trans ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Lysosome Membrane

Although endolysosomal trafficking is well defined, how it is regulated and coordinates with cellular metabolism is unclear. To identify genes governing endolysosomal dynamics, we conducted a global fluorescence-based screen to reveal endomembrane effector genes. Screening implicated Phox (PX) domain–containing protein Mdm1 in endomembrane dynamics. Surprisingly, we demonstrate that Mdm1 is a novel interorganelle tethering protein that localizes to endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–vacuole/lysosome membrane contact sites (MCSs). We show that Mdm1 is ER anchored and contacts the vacuole surface in trans via its lipid-binding PX domain. Strikingly, overexpression of Mdm1 induced ER–vacuole hypertethering, underscoring its role as an interorganelle tether. We also show that Mdm1 and its paralogue Ydr179w-a (named Nvj3 in this study) localize to ER–vacuole MCSs independently of established tether Nvj1. Finally, we find that Mdm1 truncations analogous to neurological disease–associated SNX14 alleles fail to tether the ER and vacuole and perturb sphingolipid metabolism. Our work suggests that human Mdm1 homologues may play previously unappreciated roles in interorganelle communication and lipid metabolism.

scholarly journals Cholesterol sensor ORP1L contacts the ER protein VAP to control Rab7–RILP–p150Glued and late endosome positioning

2009 ◽  
Vol 185 (7) ◽  
pp. 1209-1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuno Rocha ◽  
Coenraad Kuijl ◽  
Rik van der Kant ◽  
Lennert Janssen ◽  
Diane Houben ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Proteins ◽  
Oxysterol Binding Protein ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Cholesterol Levels ◽  
Dynein Motor ◽  
Late Endosomes ◽  
In Trans ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Cholesterol Control ◽  
Niemann Pick

Late endosomes (LEs) have characteristic intracellular distributions determined by their interactions with various motor proteins. Motor proteins associated to the dynactin subunit p150Glued bind to LEs via the Rab7 effector Rab7-interacting lysosomal protein (RILP) in association with the oxysterol-binding protein ORP1L. We found that cholesterol levels in LEs are sensed by ORP1L and are lower in peripheral vesicles. Under low cholesterol conditions, ORP1L conformation induces the formation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–LE membrane contact sites. At these sites, the ER protein VAP (VAMP [vesicle-associated membrane protein]-associated ER protein) can interact in trans with the Rab7–RILP complex to remove p150Glued and associated motors. LEs then move to the microtubule plus end. Under high cholesterol conditions, as in Niemann-Pick type C disease, this process is prevented, and LEs accumulate at the microtubule minus end as the result of dynein motor activity. These data explain how the ER and cholesterol control the association of LEs with motor proteins and their positioning in cells.

scholarly journals SAC1 Degrades its Lipid Substrate PtdIns4P in the Endoplasmic Reticulum to Maintain a Steep Chemical Gradient with Donor Membranes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Zewe ◽  
Rachel C. Wills ◽  
Sahana Sangappa ◽  
Brady D. Goulden ◽  
Gerald R. V. Hammond
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Lipid Homeostasis ◽  
Chemical Gradient ◽  
Vesicular Traffic ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Catalytic Domains ◽  
In Trans ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
And Function

AbstractGradients of PtdIns4P between organelle membranes and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are thought to drive counter-transport of other lipids via non-vesicular traffic. This novel pathway requires the SAC1 phosphatase to degrade PtdIns4P in a “cis” configuration at the ER to maintain the gradient. However, SAC1 has also been proposed to act in “trans” at membrane contact sites, which could oppose lipid traffic. It is therefore crucial to determine which mode SAC1 uses in living cells. We report that acute inhibition of SAC1 causes accumulation of PtdIns4P in the ER, that SAC1 does not enrich at membrane contact sites, and that SAC1 has little activity in “trans”, unless a linker is added between its ER-anchored and catalytic domains. The data reveal an obligate “cis” activity of SAC1, supporting its role in non-vesicular lipid traffic and implicating lipid traffic more broadly in inositol lipid homeostasis and function.

scholarly journals Improved Production of Germacrene A, a Direct Precursor of ß-elemene, in Engineered Saccharomyces Cerevisiae by Expressing a Cyanobacterial Germacrene A Synthase 

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weixin Zhang ◽  
Junqi Guo ◽  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Yanwei Li ◽  
Xiangfeng Meng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Shake Flask ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Chinese Medicinal Herb ◽  
Active Site Cavity ◽  
Improved Performance ◽  
Engineered Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Different Sources

Abstract BackgroundThe sesquiterpene germacrene A is a direct precursor of ß-elemene that is a major component of the Chinese medicinal herb Curcuma wenyujin with prominent antitumor activity. The microbial platform for germacrene A production was previously established in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the germacrene A synthase (LTC2) of Lactuca sativa. ResultsWe evaluated the performance of LTC2 as well as nine other identified or putative germacrene A synthases from different sources for the production of germacrene A. AvGAS, a synthase of Anabaena variabilis, was found to be the most efficient in germacrene A production in yeast. AvGAS expression alone in S. cerevisiae CEN.PK2-1D already resulted in a substantial production of germacrene A while LTC2 expression did not. Further metabolic engineering the yeast using known strategies including overexpression of tHMGR1, repression of squalene synthesis pathway and decreasing farnesol synthesis, led to an 11-fold increase in germacrene A production. Site-directed mutagenesis of AvGAS revealed that while changes of several residues located within the active site cavity severely compromised germacrene A production , substitution of Phe23 located on the lateral surface with tryptophan or valine led to a 35.2% and 21.8% increase in germacrene A production, respectively. Finally, the highest production titer of germacrene A reached 309.8 mg/L in shake-flask batch culture. ConclusionsOur study highlights the potential of applying bacterial sesquiterpene synthases with improved performance by mutagenesis engineering in producing germacrene A.

scholarly journals Systematic analysis of membrane contact sites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae uncovers modulators of cellular lipid distribution

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inês Gomes Castro ◽  
Shawn P Shortill ◽  
Samantha Katarzyna Dziurdzik ◽  
Angela Cadou ◽  
Suriakarthiga Ganesan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Cell Cortex ◽  
Uncharacterized Protein ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Potential Contact ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Cellular Compartments

Actively maintained close appositions, or contact sites, between organelle membranes, enable the efficient transfer of biomolecules between the various cellular compartments. Several such sites have been described together with their tethering machinery. Despite these advances we are still far from a comprehensive understanding of the function and regulation of most contact sites. To systematically characterize the proteome of contact sites and support the discovery of new tethers and functional molecules, we established a high throughput screening approach in Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on co-localization imaging. We imaged split fluorescence reporters for six different contact sites, two of which have never been studied before, on the background of 1165 strains expressing a mCherry-tagged yeast protein that have a cellular punctate distribution (a hallmark of contact sites). By scoring both co-localization events and effects on reporter size and abundance, we discovered over 100 new potential contact site residents and effectors in yeast. Focusing on several of the newly identified residents, we identified one set of hits as previously unrecognized homologs to Vps13 and Atg2. These proteins share their lipid transport domain, thus expanding this family of lipid transporters. Analysis of another candidate, Ypr097w, which we now call Lec1 (Lipid-droplet Ergosterol Cortex 1), revealed that this previously uncharacterized protein dynamically shifts between lipid droplets and the cell cortex, and plays a role in regulation of ergosterol distribution in the cell.

ER-Golgi membrane contact sites

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossella Venditti ◽  
Maria Chiara Masone ◽  
Maria Antonietta De Matteis
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Transfer ◽  
Lipid Transfer Proteins ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Lipid Exchange ◽  
Pathological Conditions ◽  
The Sixties ◽  
In Trans ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Methodological Approaches

Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are sites where the membranes of two different organelles come into close apposition (10–30 nm). Different classes of proteins populate MCSs including factors that act as tethers between the two membranes, proteins that use the MCSs for their function (mainly lipid or ion exchange), and regulatory proteins and enzymes that can act in trans across the MCSs. The ER-Golgi MCSs were visualized by electron microscopists early in the sixties but have remained elusive for decades due to a lack of suitable methodological approaches. Here we report recent progress in the study of this class of MCSs that has led to the identification of their main morphological features and of some of their components and roles. Among these, lipid transfer proteins and lipid exchange have been the most studied and understood so far. However, many unknowns remain regarding their regulation and their role in controlling key TGN functions such as sorting and trafficking as well as their relevance in physiological and pathological conditions.

Nucleus–vacuole junctions in yeast: anatomy of a membrane contact site

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Kvam ◽  
D.S. Goldfarb
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Model System ◽  
Specific Interactions ◽  
Contact Site ◽  
Vacuole Membrane ◽  
Membrane Contact Sites ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Unique Model ◽  
Membrane Contact ◽  
Autophagic Process

NV junctions (nucleus–vacuole junctions) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are MCSs (membrane contact sites) formed through specific interactions between Vac8p on the vacuole membrane and Nvj1p in the outer nuclear membrane, which is continuous with the perinuclear ER (endoplasmic reticulum). NV junctions mediate a unique autophagic process that degrades portions of the yeast nucleus through a process called ‘piecemeal microautophagy of the nucleus’ (PMN). Our studies suggest that the lipid composition of NV junctions plays an important role in the biogenesis of PMN structures. NV junctions represent a unique model system for studying the biology of ER MCSs, as well as the molecular mechanism of selective microautophagy.

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