The RNA recognition motif of NIFK is required for rRNA maturation during cell cycle progression

ARS2 is a regulator of RNA polymerase II transcript processing through its role in the maturation of distinct nuclear cap-binding complex (CBC)-controlled RNA families. In this study, we examined ARS2 domain function in transcript processing. Structural modeling based on the plant ARS2 orthologue, SERRATE, revealed 2 previously uncharacterized domains in mammalian ARS2: an N-terminal domain of unknown function (DUF3546), which is also present in SERRATE, and an RNA recognition motif (RRM) that is present in metazoan ARS2 but not in plants. Both the DUF3546 and zinc finger domain (ZnF) were required for association with microRNA and replication-dependent histone mRNA. Mutations in the ZnF disrupted interaction with FLASH, a key component in histone pre-mRNA processing. Mutations targeting the Mid domain implicated it in DROSHA interaction and microRNA biogenesis. The unstructured C terminus was required for interaction with the CBC protein CBP20, while the RRM was required for cell cycle progression and for binding to FLASH. Together, our results support a bridging model in which ARS2 plays a central role in RNA recognition and processing through multiple protein and RNA interactions.

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Mdt1, a Novel Rad53 FHA1 Domain-Interacting Protein, Modulates DNA Damage Tolerance and G2/M Cell Cycle Progression in Saccharomycescerevisiae

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.24.7.2779-2788.2004 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 24 (7) ◽

pp. 2779-2788 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Brietta L. Pike ◽

Suganya Yongkiettrakul ◽

Ming-Daw Tsai ◽

Jörg Heierhorst

Keyword(s):

Cell Cycle ◽

Dna Damage ◽

Cell Cycle Progression ◽

Structural Integrity ◽

Damage Tolerance ◽

Rna Recognition Motif ◽

M Cell ◽

Dna Damage Tolerance ◽

Cycle Progression ◽

Dependent Cell

ABSTRACT The Rad53 kinase plays a central role in yeast DNA damage checkpoints. Rad53 contains two FHA phosphothreonine-binding domains that are required for Rad53 activation and possibly downstream signaling. Here we show that the N-terminal Rad53 FHA1 domain interacts with the RNA recognition motif, coiled-coil, and SQ/TQ cluster domain-containing protein Mdt1 (YBl051C). The interaction of Rad53 and Mdt1 depends on the structural integrity of the FHA1 phosphothreonine-binding site as well as threonine-305 of Mdt1. Mdt1 is constitutively threonine phosphorylated and hyperphosphorylated in response to DNA damage in vivo. DNA damage-dependent Mdt1 hyperphosphorylation depends on the Mec1 and Tel1 checkpoint kinases, and Mec1 can directly phosphorylate a recombinant Mdt1 SQ/TQ domain fragment. MDT1 overexpression is synthetically lethal with a rad53 deletion, whereas mdt1 deletion partially suppresses the DNA damage hypersensitivity of checkpoint-compromised strains and generally improves DNA damage tolerance. In the absence of DNA damage, mdt1 deletion leads to delayed anaphase completion, with an elongated cell morphology reminiscent of that of G2/M cell cycle mutants. mdt1-dependent and DNA damage-dependent cell cycle delays are not additive, suggesting that they act in the same pathway. The data indicate that Mdt1 is involved in normal G2/M cell cycle progression and is a novel target of checkpoint-dependent cell cycle arrest pathways.

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