scholarly journals Localization of Fission Yeast Type II Myosin, Myo2, to the Cytokinetic Actin Ring Is Regulated by Phosphorylation of a C-Terminal Coiled-Coil Domain and Requires a Functional Septation Initiation Network

2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 4044-4053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Mulvihill ◽  
Caroline Barretto ◽  
Jeremy S. Hyams

Myo2 truncations fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) defined a C-terminal domain essential for the localization of Myo2 to the cytokinetic actin ring (CAR). The localization domain contained two predicted phosphorylation sites. Mutation of serine 1518 to alanine (S1518A) abolished Myo2 localization, whereas Myo2 with a glutamic acid at this position (S1518E) localized to the CAR. GFP-Myo2 formed rings in the septation initiation kinase (SIN) mutant cdc7-24 at 25°C but not at 36°C. GFP-Myo2S1518E rings persisted at 36°C incdc7-24 but not in another SIN kinase mutant,sid2-250. To further examine the relationship between Myo2 and the SIN pathway, the chromosomal copy ofmyo2+was fused to GFP (strainmyo2-gc). Myo2 ring formation was abolished in the double mutants myo2-gc cdc7.24 and myo2-gc sid2-250 at the restrictive temperature. In contrast, activation of the SIN pathway in the double mutant myo2-gc cdc16-116 resulted in the formation of Myo2 rings which subsequently collapsed at 36°C. We conclude that the SIN pathway that controls septation in fission yeast also regulates Myo2 ring formation and contraction. Cdc7 and Sid2 are involved in ring formation, in the case of Cdc7 by phosphorylation of a single serine residue in the Myo2 tail. Other kinases and/or phosphatases may control ring contraction.

2000 ◽  
Vol 113 (13) ◽  
pp. 2421-2432 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.C. Wong ◽  
N.I. Naqvi ◽  
Y. Iino ◽  
M. Yamamoto ◽  
M.K. Balasubramanian

Cell division in many eukaryotes, including the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, utilizes a contractile actomyosin ring. In S. pombe, the actomyosin ring is assembled at the medial cortex upon entry into mitosis and constricts at the end of anaphase to guide the centripetal deposition of the septum. Despite identification of several structural components essential for actomyosin ring assembly, the interdependencies between these gene-products in the process of ring assembly are unknown. This study investigates the role of Rng3p, a member of the UCS-domain containing protein family (Unc-45p, Cro1p, She4p), in actomyosin ring assembly. Null mutants in rng3 resemble deletion mutants in the type II myosin heavy chain (myo2) and rng3(ts) mutants show strong negative interactions with the myo2-E1 mutant, suggesting that Rng3p is involved in modulating aspects of type II myosin function. Interestingly, a green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagged Rng3p fusion is detected at the division site in the myo2-E1 mutant, but not in other myo2-alleles, wild-type cells or in 18 other cytokinesis mutants. Assembly and maintenance of Rng3p at the division site in the myo2-E1 mutant requires F-actin. Rng3p is also required for the proper assembly of Myo2p and F-actin into a functional actomyosin ring but is not necessary for their accumulation at the division site. We conclude that Rng3p is a novel component of the F-actin cytoskeleton essential for a late step in actomyosin ring assembly and that it might monitor some aspect of type II myosin assembly during actomyosin ring construction.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (10) ◽  
pp. 6194-6206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa J. Broering ◽  
Michelle M. Arnold ◽  
Cathy L. Miller ◽  
Jessica A. Hurt ◽  
Patricia L. Joyce ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mammalian orthoreoviruses are believed to replicate in distinctive, cytoplasmic inclusion bodies, commonly called viral factories or viroplasms. The viral nonstructural protein μNS has been implicated in forming the matrix of these structures, as well as in recruiting other components to them for putative roles in genome replication and particle assembly. In this study, we sought to identify the regions of μNS that are involved in forming factory-like inclusions in transfected cells in the absence of infection or other viral proteins. Sequences in the carboxyl-terminal one-third of the 721-residue μNS protein were linked to this activity. Deletion of as few as eight residues from the carboxyl terminus of μNS resulted in loss of inclusion formation, suggesting that some portion of these residues is required for the phenotype. A region spanning residues 471 to 721 of μNS was the smallest one shown to be sufficient for forming factory-like inclusions. The region from positions 471 to 721 (471-721 region) includes both of two previously predicted coiled-coil segments in μNS, suggesting that one or both of these segments may also be required for inclusion formation. Deletion of the more amino-terminal one of the two predicted coiled-coil segments from the 471-721 region resulted in loss of the phenotype, although replacement of this segment with Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein, which is known to weakly dimerize, largely restored inclusion formation. Sequences between the two predicted coiled-coil segments were also required for forming factory-like inclusions, and mutation of either one His residue (His570) or one Cys residue (Cys572) within these sequences disrupted the phenotype. The His and Cys residues are part of a small consensus motif that is conserved across μNS homologs from avian orthoreoviruses and aquareoviruses, suggesting this motif may have a common function in these related viruses. The inclusion-forming 471-721 region of μNS was shown to provide a useful platform for the presentation of peptides for studies of protein-protein association through colocalization to factory-like inclusions in transfected cells.


1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 3211-3225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kentaro Nabeshima ◽  
Takashi Nakagawa ◽  
Aaron F. Straight ◽  
Andrew Murray ◽  
Yuji Chikashige ◽  
...  

In higher eukaryotic cells, the spindle forms along with chromosome condensation in mitotic prophase. In metaphase, chromosomes are aligned on the spindle with sister kinetochores facing toward the opposite poles. In anaphase A, sister chromatids separate from each other without spindle extension, whereas spindle elongation takes place during anaphase B. We have critically examined whether such mitotic stages also occur in a lower eukaryote, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Using the green fluorescent protein tagging technique, early mitotic to late anaphase events were observed in living fission yeast cells. S. pombe has three phases in spindle dynamics, spindle formation (phase 1), constant spindle length (phase 2), and spindle extension (phase 3). Sister centromere separation (anaphase A) rapidly occurred at the end of phase 2. The centromere showed dynamic movements throughout phase 2 as it moved back and forth and was transiently split in two before its separation, suggesting that the centromere was positioned in a bioriented manner toward the poles at metaphase. Microtubule-associating Dis1 was required for the occurrence of constant spindle length and centromere movement in phase 2. Normal transition from phase 2 to 3 needed DNA topoisomerase II and Cut1 but not Cut14. The duration of each phase was highly dependent on temperature.


Microbiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 155 (4) ◽  
pp. 1226-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Visacka ◽  
Joachim M. Gerhold ◽  
Jana Petrovicova ◽  
Slavomir Kinsky ◽  
Priit Jõers ◽  
...  

Mitochondria of eukaryotic organisms contain populations of DNA molecules that are packed into higher-order structures called mitochondrial nucleoids (mt-nucleoids). In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the compaction of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) into mt-nucleoids is mediated primarily by the high-mobility group (HMG) box-containing protein Abf2, which is an important player in stabilization and metabolism of mtDNA. Although it is evident that analogous proteins must exist in other yeast species, an apparently fast divergence rate has precluded their identification, characterization and comparative analysis. Using in silico analysis of the complete genome sequence of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans we predicted that the ORF 19.400/19.8030 assigned as GCF1 encodes a putative mitochondrial HMG box-containing protein. In contrast to Abf2p, which contains two HMG boxes, Gcf1p contains only one C-terminal HMG box. In addition, it contains one putative coiled-coil domain with a potential role in protein dimerization. Fluorescence microscopy analysis of a C-terminally tagged Gcf1p with green fluorescent protein (GFP) revealed its mitochondrial localization in both heterologous (S. cerevisiae) and native (C. albicans) hosts. Biochemical analyses of DNA-binding properties indicate that Gcf1p is, similarly to Abf2p, a non-specific DNA-binding protein. To analyse the role of Gcf1p in mtDNA metabolism, we constructed strains lacking one functional allele of the GCF1 gene and carrying one GCF1 allele under the control of the MET3 promoter. Under repressible conditions this strain exhibited a more than 3000-fold decrease in levels of GCF1 mRNA, which was correlated with a substantial decrease in the number of mtDNA copies as well as recombination intermediates. The dramatic effect of reduced levels of Gcf1p on mtDNA metabolism indicates that the protein is involved in essential molecular transactions that relate to the mitochondrial genome.


2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (2) ◽  
pp. C308-C317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Insil Kim ◽  
John J. Lemasters

Fasting in vivo and nutrient deprivation in vitro enhance sequestration of mitochondria and other organelles by autophagy for recycling of essential nutrients. Here our goal was to use a transgenic mouse strain expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to rat microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain 3 (LC3), a marker protein for autophagy, to characterize the dynamics of mitochondrial turnover by autophagy (mitophagy) in hepatocytes during nutrient deprivation. In complete growth medium, GFP-LC3 fluorescence was distributed diffusely in the cytosol and incorporated in mostly small (0.2–0.3 μm) patches in proximity to mitochondria, which likely represent preautophagic structures (PAS). After nutrient deprivation plus 1 μM glucagon to simulate fasting, PAS grew into green cups (phagophores) and then rings (autophagosomes) that enveloped individual mitochondria, a process that was blocked by 3-methyladenine. Autophagic sequestration of mitochondria took place in 6.5 ± 0.4 min and often occurred coordinately with mitochondrial fission. After ring formation and apparent sequestration, mitochondria depolarized in 11.8 ± 1.4 min, as indicated by loss of tetramethylrhodamine methylester fluorescence. After ring formation, LysoTracker Red uptake, a marker of acidification, occurred gradually, becoming fully evident at 9.9 ± 1.9 min of ring formation. After acidification, GFP-LC3 fluorescence dispersed. PicoGreen labeling of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) showed that mtDNA was also sequestered and degraded in autophagosomes. Overall, the results indicate that PAS serve as nucleation sites for mitophagy in hepatocytes during nutrient deprivation. After autophagosome formation, mitochondrial depolarization and vesicular acidification occur, and mitochondrial contents, including mtDNA, are degraded.


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