scholarly journals The Cortical Localization of the Microtubule Orientation Protein, Kar9p, Is Dependent upon Actin and Proteins Required for Polarization

1999 ◽  
Vol 144 (5) ◽  
pp. 963-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita K. Miller ◽  
Dina Matheos ◽  
Mark D. Rose

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, positioning of the mitotic spindle requires both the cytoplasmic microtubules and actin. Kar9p is a novel cortical protein that is required for the correct position of the mitotic spindle and the orientation of the cytoplasmic microtubules. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)– Kar9p localizes to a single spot at the tip of the growing bud and the mating projection. However, the cortical localization of Kar9p does not require microtubules (Miller, R.K., and M.D. Rose. 1998. J. Cell Biol. 140: 377), suggesting that Kar9p interacts with other proteins at the cortex. To investigate Kar9p's cortical interactions, we treated cells with the actin-depolymerizing drug, latrunculin-A. In both shmoos and mitotic cells, Kar9p's cortical localization was completely dependent on polymerized actin. Kar9p localization was also altered by mutations in four genes, spa2Δ, pea2Δ, bud6Δ, and bni1Δ, required for normal polarization and actin cytoskeleton functions and, of these, bni1Δ affected Kar9p localization most severely. Like kar9Δ, bni1Δ mutants exhibited nuclear positioning defects during mitosis and in shmoos. Furthermore, like kar9Δ, the bni1Δ mutant exhibited misoriented cytoplasmic microtubules in shmoos. Genetic analysis placed BNI1 in the KAR9 pathway for nuclear migration. However, analysis of kar9Δ bni1Δ double mutants suggested that Kar9p retained some function in bni1Δ mitotic cells. Unlike the polarization mutants, kar9Δ shmoos had a normal morphology and diploids budded in the correct bipolar pattern. Furthermore, Bni1p localized normally in kar9Δ. We conclude that Kar9p's function is specific for cytoplasmic microtubule orientation and that Kar9p's role in nuclear positioning is to coordinate the interactions between the actin and microtubule networks.

2001 ◽  
Vol 152 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Farkasovsky ◽  
Hans Küntzel

Num1p, a cortical 313-kD protein, controls cytoplasmic microtubule (cMT) functions and nuclear migration through the bud neck in anaphase cells. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Num1p fusion protein localizes at the bud tip and the distal mother pole of living cells, apparently forming cMT capture sites at late anaphase. In addition, galactose-induced GFP-Num1p is seen at the bud neck and in lateral regions of the mother cortex. The bud tip location of Num1p depends on Bni1p but does not require Kar9p, Dyn1p, or cMTs, whereas cMT contacts with polar Num1p dots are reduced in cells lacking Dyn1p. Num1p associates with the dynein intermediate chain Pac11p in the presence of Dyn1p, and with the α-tubulin Tub3p, as shown by coimmune precipitation of tagged proteins. Num1p also forms a complex with Bni1p and Kar9p, although Num1p is not required for Bni1p- and Kar9p-dependent nuclear migration to the bud neck in preanaphase cells. Our data suggest that Num1p controls nuclear migration during late anaphase by forming dynein-interacting cortical cMT capture sites at both cellular poles. In addition, Num1p may transiently cooperate with an associated Bni1p–Kar9p complex at the bud tip of early anaphase cells.


2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2870-2880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karena A. Kosco ◽  
Chad G. Pearson ◽  
Paul S. Maddox ◽  
Peijing Jeremy Wang ◽  
Ian R. Adams ◽  
...  

Stu2p is a member of a conserved family of microtubule-binding proteins and an essential protein in yeast. Here, we report the first in vivo analysis of microtubule dynamics in cells lacking a member of this protein family. For these studies, we have used a conditional Stu2p depletion strain expressing α-tubulin fused to green fluorescent protein. Depletion of Stu2p leads to fewer and less dynamic cytoplasmic microtubules in both G1 and preanaphase cells. The reduction in cytoplasmic microtubule dynamics is due primarily to decreases in both the catastrophe and rescue frequencies and an increase in the fraction of time microtubules spend pausing. These changes have significant consequences for the cell because they impede the ability of cytoplasmic microtubules to orient the spindle. In addition, recovery of fluorescence after photobleaching indicates that kinetochore microtubules are no longer dynamic in the absence of Stu2p. This deficiency is correlated with a failure to properly align chromosomes at metaphase. Overall, we provide evidence that Stu2p promotes the dynamics of microtubule plus-ends in vivo and that these dynamics are critical for microtubule interactions with kinetochores and cortical sites in the cytoplasm.


1998 ◽  
Vol 140 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita K. Miller ◽  
Mark D. Rose

kar9 was originally identified as a bilateral karyogamy mutant, in which the two zygotic nuclei remained widely separated and the cytoplasmic microtubules were misoriented (Kurihara, L.J., C.T. Beh, M. Latterich, R. Schekman, and M.D. Rose. 1994. J. Cell Biol. 126:911–923.). We now report a general defect in nuclear migration and microtubule orientation in kar9 mutants. KAR9 encodes a novel 74-kD protein that is not essential for life. The kar9 mitotic defect was similar to mutations in dhc1/dyn1 (dynein heavy chain gene), jnm1, and act5. kar9Δ dhc1Δ, kar9Δ jnm1Δ, and kar9Δ act5Δ double mutants were synthetically lethal, suggesting that these genes function in partially redundant pathways to carry out nuclear migration. A functional GFP-Kar9p fusion protein localized to a single dot at the tip of the shmoo projection. In mitotic cells, GFP-Kar9p localized to a cortical dot with both mother–daughter asymmetry and cell cycle dependence. In small-budded cells through anaphase, GFP-Kar9p was found at the tip of the growing bud. In telophase and G1 unbudded cells, no localization was observed. By indirect immunofluorescence, cytoplasmic microtubules intersected the GFP-Kar9p dot. Nocodazole experiments demonstrated that Kar9p's cortical localization was microtubule independent. We propose that Kar9p is a component of a cortical adaptor complex that orients cytoplasmic microtubules.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Mehdi Kabani

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae hosts an ensemble of protein-based heritable traits, most of which result from the conversion of structurally and functionally diverse cytoplasmic proteins into prion forms. Among these, [PSI+], [URE3] and [PIN+] are the most well-documented prions and arise from the assembly of Sup35p, Ure2p and Rnq1p, respectively, into insoluble fibrillar assemblies. Yeast prions propagate by molecular chaperone-mediated fragmentation of these aggregates, which generates small self-templating seeds, or propagons. The exact molecular nature of propagons and how they are faithfully transmitted from mother to daughter cells despite spatial protein quality control are not fully understood. In [PSI+] cells, Sup35p forms detergent-resistant assemblies detectable on agarose gels under semi-denaturant conditions and cytosolic fluorescent puncta when the protein is fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP); yet, these macroscopic manifestations of [PSI+] do not fully correlate with the infectivity measured during growth by the mean of protein infection assays. We also discovered that significant amounts of infectious Sup35p particles are exported via extracellular (EV) and periplasmic (PV) vesicles in a growth phase and glucose-dependent manner. In the present review, I discuss how these vesicles may be a source of actual propagons and a suitable vehicle for their transmission to the bud.


2003 ◽  
Vol 371 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shary N. SHELTON ◽  
Barbara BARYLKO ◽  
Derk D. BINNS ◽  
Bruce F. HORAZDOVSKY ◽  
Joseph P. ALBANESI ◽  
...  

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains two known phosphoinositide 4-kinases (PI 4-kinases), which are encoded by PIK1 and STT4; both are essential. Pik1p is important for exocytic transport from the Golgi, whereas Stt4p plays a role in cell-wall integrity and cytoskeletal rearrangements. In the present study, we report that cells have a third PI 4-kinase activity encoded by LSB6, a protein identified previously in a two-hybrid screen as interacting with LAS17p. Although Pik1p and Stt4p are closely related members of the Type III class of PI 4-kinases, Lsb6p belongs to the distinct Type II class, based on its amino acid sequence, its sensitivity to inhibition by adenosine and its insensitivity to wortmannin. Lsb6p is the first fungal Type II enzyme cloned. The protein was expressed and purified from Sf9 cells and used to define kinetic parameters. As commonly observed for surface-active enzymes, activities varied both with substrate concentration and lipid/detergent molar ratios. Maximal activities of approx. 100min−1 were obtained at the PI/Triton X-100 ratio of 1:5. The Km value for ATP was 266μM, intermediate between the values reported for mammalian Type II and III kinases. Epitope-tagged protein, expressed in yeast, was entirely particulate, and about half of it could be extracted with non-ionic detergent. Lsb6p–green fluorescent protein was found both on vacuolar membranes and on the plasma membrane, suggesting a role in endocytic or exocytic pathways.


2001 ◽  
Vol 155 (7) ◽  
pp. 1137-1146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iain M. Cheeseman ◽  
Christine Brew ◽  
Michael Wolyniak ◽  
Arshad Desai ◽  
Scott Anderson ◽  
...  

Dam1p, Duo1p, and Dad1p can associate with each other physically and are required for both spindle integrity and kinetochore function in budding yeast. Here, we present our purification from yeast extracts of an ∼245 kD complex containing Dam1p, Duo1p, and Dad1p and Spc19p, Spc34p, and the previously uncharacterized proteins Dad2p and Ask1p. This Dam1p complex appears to be regulated through the phosphorylation of multiple subunits with at least one phosphorylation event changing during the cell cycle. We also find that purified Dam1p complex binds directly to microtubules in vitro with an affinity of ∼0.5 μM. To demonstrate that subunits of the Dam1p complex are functionally important for mitosis in vivo, we localized Spc19–green fluorescent protein (GFP), Spc34-GFP, Dad2-GFP, and Ask1-GFP to the mitotic spindle and to kinetochores and generated temperature-sensitive mutants of DAD2 and ASK1. These and other analyses implicate the four newly identified subunits and the Dam1p complex as a whole in outer kinetochore function where they are well positioned to facilitate the association of chromosomes with spindle microtubules.


2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 2021-2034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir P. Efimov ◽  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Xin Xiang

Proteins in the cytoplasmic dynein pathway accumulate at the microtubule plus end, giving the appearance of comets when observed in live cells. The targeting mechanism for NUDF (LIS1/Pac1) of Aspergillus nidulans, a key component of the dynein pathway, has not been clear. Previous studies have demonstrated physical interactions of NUDF/LIS1/Pac1 with both NUDE/NUDEL/Ndl1 and CLIP-170/Bik1. Here, we have identified the A. nidulans CLIP-170 homologue, CLIPA. The clipA deletion did not cause an obvious nuclear distribution phenotype but affected cytoplasmic microtubules in an unexpected manner. Although more microtubules failed to undergo long-range growth toward the hyphal tip at 32°C, those that reached the hyphal tip were less likely to undergo catastrophe. Thus, in addition to acting as a growth-promoting factor, CLIPA also promotes microtubule dynamics. In the absence of CLIPA, green fluorescent protein-labeled cytoplasmic dynein heavy chain, p150Glued dynactin, and NUDF were all seen as plus-end comets at 32°C. However, under the same conditions, deletion of both clipA and nudE almost completely abolished NUDF comets, although nudE deletion itself did not cause a dramatic change in NUDF localization. Based on these results, we suggest that CLIPA and NUDE both recruit NUDF to the microtubule plus end. The plus-end localization of CLIPA itself seems to be regulated by different mechanisms under different physiological conditions. Although the KipA kinesin (Kip2/Tea2 homologue) did not affect plus-end localization of CLIPA at 32°C, it was required for enhancing plus-end accumulation of CLIPA at an elevated temperature (42°C).


1997 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet L. Carminati ◽  
Tim Stearns

Proper orientation of the mitotic spindle is critical for successful cell division in budding yeast. To investigate the mechanism of spindle orientation, we used a green fluorescent protein (GFP)–tubulin fusion protein to observe microtubules in living yeast cells. GFP–tubulin is incorporated into microtubules, allowing visualization of both cytoplasmic and spindle microtubules, and does not interfere with normal microtubule function. Microtubules in yeast cells exhibit dynamic instability, although they grow and shrink more slowly than microtubules in animal cells. The dynamic properties of yeast microtubules are modulated during the cell cycle. The behavior of cytoplasmic microtubules revealed distinct interactions with the cell cortex that result in associated spindle movement and orientation. Dynein-mutant cells had defects in these cortical interactions, resulting in misoriented spindles. In addition, microtubule dynamics were altered in the absence of dynein. These results indicate that microtubules and dynein interact to produce dynamic cortical interactions, and that these interactions result in the force driving spindle orientation.


2002 ◽  
Vol 158 (5) ◽  
pp. 841-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko J. Kallio ◽  
Victoria A. Beardmore ◽  
Jasminder Weinstein ◽  
Gary J. Gorbsky

Cdc20 is a substrate adaptor and activator of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), the E3 ubiquitin ligase whose activity is required for anaphase onset and exit from mitosis. A green fluorescent protein derivative, Cdc20–GFP, bound to centrosomes throughout the cell cycle and to kinetochores from late prophase to late telophase. We mapped distinct domains of Cdc20 that are required for association with kinetochores and centrosomes. FRAP measurements revealed extremely rapid dynamics at the kinetochores (t1/2 = 5.1 s) and spindle poles (t1/2 = 4.7 s). This rapid turnover is independent of microtubules. Rapid transit of Cdc20 through kinetochores may ensure that spindle checkpoint signaling at unattached/relaxed kinetochores can continuously inhibit APC/CCdc20 targeting of anaphase inhibitors (securins) throughout the cell until all the chromosomes are properly attached to the mitotic spindle.


2009 ◽  
Vol 184 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Maresca ◽  
Edward D. Salmon

Cells have evolved a signaling pathway called the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) to increase the fidelity of chromosome segregation by generating a “wait anaphase” signal until all chromosomes are properly aligned within the mitotic spindle. It has been proposed that tension generated by the stretch of the centromeric chromatin of bioriented chromosomes stabilizes kinetochore microtubule attachments and turns off SAC activity. Although biorientation clearly causes stretching of the centromeric chromatin, it is unclear whether the kinetochore is also stretched. To test whether intrakinetochore stretch occurs and is involved in SAC regulation, we developed a Drosophila melanogaster S2 cell line expressing centromere identifier–mCherry and Ndc80–green fluorescent protein to mark the inner and outer kinetochore domains, respectively. We observed stretching within kinetochores of bioriented chromosomes by monitoring both inter- and intrakinetochore distances in live cell assays. This intrakinetochore stretch is largely independent of a 30-fold variation in centromere stretch. Furthermore, loss of intrakinetochore stretch is associated with enhancement of 3F3/2 phosphorylation and SAC activation.


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