scholarly journals Interactions between Centromere Complexes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2003 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 4931-4946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir S. Nekrasov ◽  
Melanie A. Smith ◽  
Sew Peak-Chew ◽  
John V. Kilmartin

We have purified two new complexes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one containing the centromere component Mtw1p together with Nnf1p, Nsl1p, and Dsn1p, which we call the Mtw1p complex, and the other containing Spc105p and Ydr532p, which we call the Spc105p complex. Further purifications using Dsn1p tagged with protein A show, in addition to the other components of the Mtw1p complex, the two components of the Spc105p complex and the four components of the previously described Ndc80p complex, suggesting that all three complexes are closely associated. Fluorescence microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy show that Nnf1p, Nsl1p, Dsn1p, Spc105p, and Ydr532p all localize to the nuclear side of the spindle pole body and along short spindles. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show that all five proteins are associated with centromere DNA. Homologues of Nsl1p and Spc105p in Schizosaccharomyces pombe also localize to the centromere. Temperature-sensitive mutations of Nsl1p, Dsn1p, and Spc105p all cause defects in chromosome segregation. Synthetic-lethal interactions are found between temperature-sensitive mutations in proteins from all three complexes, in agreement with their close physical association. These results show an increasingly complex structure for the S. cerevisiae centromere and a probable conservation of structure between parts of the centromeres of S. cerevisiae and S. pombe.

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 2201-2216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thu Nguyen ◽  
Dani B.N. Vinh ◽  
Douglas K. Crawford ◽  
Trisha N. Davis

The spindle pole body (SPB) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae functions as the microtubule-organizing center. Spc110p is an essential structural component of the SPB and spans between the central and inner plaques of this multilamellar organelle. The amino terminus of Spc110p faces the inner plaque, the substructure from which spindle microtubules radiate. We have undertaken a synthetic lethal screen to identify mutations that enhance the phenotype of the temperature-sensitive spc110–221 allele, which encodes mutations in the amino terminus. The screen identified mutations inSPC97 and SPC98, two genes encoding components of the Tub4p complex in yeast. The spc98–63allele is synthetic lethal only with spc110 alleles that encode mutations in the N terminus of Spc110p. In contrast, thespc97 alleles are synthetic lethal withspc110 alleles that encode mutations in either the N terminus or the C terminus. Using the two-hybrid assay, we show that the interactions of Spc110p with Spc97p and Spc98p are not equivalent. The N terminus of Spc110p displays a robust interaction with Spc98p in two different two-hybrid assays, while the interaction between Spc97p and Spc110p is not detectable in one strain and gives a weak signal in the other. Extra copies of SPC98 enhance the interaction between Spc97p and Spc110p, while extra copies of SPC97interfere with the interaction between Spc98p and Spc110p. By testing the interactions between mutant proteins, we show that the lethal phenotype in spc98–63 spc110–221 cells is caused by the failure of Spc98–63p to interact with Spc110–221p. In contrast, the lethal phenotype in spc97–62 spc110–221 cells can be attributed to a decreased interaction between Spc97–62p and Spc98p. Together, these studies provide evidence that Spc110p directly links the Tub4p complex to the SPB. Moreover, an interaction between Spc98p and the amino-terminal region of Spc110p is a critical component of the linkage, whereas the interaction between Spc97p and Spc110p is dependent on Spc98p.


2003 ◽  
Vol 162 (7) ◽  
pp. 1211-1221 ◽  
Author(s):  
John V. Kilmartin

Centrins are calmodulin-like proteins present in microtubule-organizing centers. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae centrin, Cdc31p, was functionally tagged with a single Z domain of protein A, and used in pull-down experiments to isolate Cdc31p-binding proteins. One of these, Sfi1p, localizes to the half-bridge of the spindle pole body (SPB), where Cdc31p is also localized. Temperature-sensitive mutants in SFI1 show a defect in SPB duplication and genetic interactions with cdc31-1. Sfi1p contains multiple internal repeats that are also present in a Schizosaccharomyces pombe protein, which also localizes to the SPB, and in several human proteins, one of which localizes close to the centriole region. Cdc31p binds directly to individual Sfi1 repeats in a 1:1 ratio, so a single molecule of Sfi1p binds multiple molecules of Cdc31p. The centrosomal human protein containing Sfi1 repeats also binds centrin in the repeat region, showing that this centrin-binding motif is conserved.


Genetics ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 859-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Schild ◽  
Breck Byers

ABSTRACT The meiotic effects of two cell-division-cycle mutations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (cdc5 and cdc14) have been examined. These mutations were isolated by L. H. Hartwell and his colleagues and characterized as defective in mitosis, causing a temperature-sensitive arrest in late nuclear division. When subjected to the restrictive temperature in meiosis, diploid cells homozygous for either of these mutations generally proceeded through premeiotic DNA synthesis and commitment to meiotic levels of recombination, but then arrested at a stage following spindle pole body (SPB) duplication and separation. The two SPBs lacked the interconnection by spindle microtubules typical of the complete meiosis I spindle. Challenge of these homozygotes by a semi-restrictive temperature often caused the production of asci containing two diploid spores. Genetic analysis of the viable pairs of spores revealed that each spore had become homozygous for centromere-linked markers significantly more frequently than for distal markers, indicating that the two spores each contained pairs of sister centromeres that had co-segregated in the reductional division of meiosis I. Ultrastructural analysis of the cdc5 homozygote demonstrated that these cells had completed meiosis I and formed two meiosis II spindles, but that the latter remained unusually short. This resulted in the encapsulation of both poles of each spindle within a single spore wall. These mutations therefore are defective in both meiotic divisions, as well as in the mitotic division described originally.


1995 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 793-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
P B Meluh ◽  
D Koshland

The MIF2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been implicated in mitosis. Here we provide genetic evidence that MIF2 encodes a centromere protein. Specifically, we found that mutations in MIF2 stabilize dicentric minichromosomes and confer high instability (i.e., a synthetic acentric phenotype) to chromosomes that bear a cis-acting mutation in element I of the yeast centromeric DNA (CDEI). Similarly, we observed synthetic phenotypes between mutations in MIF2 and trans-acting mutations in three known yeast centromere protein genes-CEP1/CBF1/CPF1, NDC10/CBF2, and CEP3/CBF3B. In addition, the mif2 temperature-sensitive phenotype can be partially rescued by increased dosage of CEP1. Synthetic lethal interactions between a cep1 null mutation and mutations in either NDC10 or CEP3 were also detected. Taken together, these data suggest that the Mif2 protein interacts with Cep1p at the centromere and that the yeast centromere indeed exists as a higher order protein-DNA complex. The Mif2 and Cep1 proteins contain motifs of known transcription factors, suggesting that assembly of the yeast centromere is analogous to that of eukaryotic enhancers and origins of replication. We also show that the predicted Mif2 protein shares two short regions of homology with the mammalian centromere Ag CENP-C and that two temperature-sensitive mutations in MIF2 lie within these regions. These results provide evidence for structural conservation between yeast and mammalian centromeres.


1999 ◽  
Vol 145 (4) ◽  
pp. 809-823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian R. Adams ◽  
John V. Kilmartin

We have examined the process of spindle pole body (SPB) duplication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by electron microscopy and found several stages. These include the assembly, probably from the satellite, of a large plaque-like structure, the duplication plaque, on the cytoplasmic face of the half-bridge and its insertion into the nuclear envelope. We analyzed the role of the main SPB components in the formation of these structures by identifying them from an SPB core fraction by mass spectrometry. Temperature-sensitive mutants for two of the components, Spc29p and Nud1p, were prepared to partly define their function. The composition of two of the intermediates in SPB duplication, the satellite and the duplication plaque, was examined by immunoelectron microscopy. Both contain cytoplasmic SPB components showing that duplication has already been partly achieved by the end of the preceding cell cycle when the satellite is formed. We show that by overexpression of SPB components the structure of the satellite can be changed and SPB duplication inhibited by disrupting the attachment of the plaque-like intermediate to the half-bridge. We present a model for SPB duplication where binding of SPB components to either end of the bridge structure ensures two separate SPBs.


1985 ◽  
Vol 100 (6) ◽  
pp. 1854-1862 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Uno ◽  
K Matsumoto ◽  
A Hirata ◽  
T Ishikawa

Sporulation in diploid cells homozygous for the cyr1-2 mutation of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was examined. This mutation causes a defect in adenylate cyclase and temperature-sensitive arrest in the G1 phase of the mitotic cell cycle. The cyr1-2/cyr1-2 diploid cells were able to initiate meiotic divisions, but produced predominantly two-spored asci at the restrictive temperature. Temperature-sensitive period for production of two-spored asci was approximately 12 h after the transfer of cells to the sporulation medium. The levels of cAMP increased during this period in the wild type and cyr1-2/cyr1-2 diploid cells incubated at the permissive temperature, but remained at an extremely low level in the cyr1-2/cyr1-2 diploid cells incubated at the restrictive temperature. Dyad analysis of the cyr1-2 strain indicated that meiotic products were randomly included into ascospores. Fluorescent microscopy of the cyr1-2/cyr1-2 diploid cells incubated at the restrictive temperature revealed that individual haploid nuclei were enclosed in each of the two spores after meiosis. About half of the cyr1-2/cyr1-2 diploid cells entered normal meiosis 1 producing two normal spindle pole bodies with inner and outer plaques, and the other half entered abnormal meiosis 1 producing one normal spindle pole body and one defective spindle pole body without out plaque. At meiosis II, some cells contained a pair of normal spindle pole bodies and other cells contained pairs of normal and abnormal spindle pole bodies.


1997 ◽  
Vol 136 (5) ◽  
pp. 969-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy R. Schutz ◽  
Thomas H. Giddings ◽  
Estelle Steiner ◽  
Mark Winey

The MPS1 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes an essential protein kinase required for spindle pole body (SPB) duplication and for the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint. Cells with the mps1-1 mutation fail early in SPB duplication and proceed through monopolar mitosis with lethal consequences. We identified CDC37 as a multicopy suppressor of mps1-1 temperature-sensitive growth. Suppression is allele specific, and synthetic lethal interactions occur between mps1 and cdc37 alleles. We examined the cdc37-1 phenotype for defects related to the SPB cycle. The cdc37-1 temperature-sensitive allele causes unbudded, G1 arrest at Start (Reed, S.I. 1980. Genetics. 95: 561–577). Reciprocal shifts demonstrate that cdc37-1 arrest is interdependent with α-factor arrest but is not a normal Start arrest. Although the cells are responsive to α-factor at the arrest, SPB duplication is uncoupled from other aspects of G1 progression and proceeds past the satellite-bearing SPB stage normally seen at Start. Electron microscopy reveals side-by-side SPBs at cdc37-1 arrest. The outer plaque of one SPB is missing or reduced, while the other is normal. Using the mps2-1 mutation to distinguish between the SPBs, we find that the outer plaque defect is specific to the new SPB. This phenotype may arise in part from reduced Mps1p function: although Mps1p protein levels are unaffected by the cdc37-1 mutation, kinase activity is markedly reduced. These data demonstrate a requirement for CDC37 in SPB duplication and suggest a role for this gene in G1 control. CDC37 may provide a chaperone function that promotes the activity of protein kinases.


1999 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuemei Zeng ◽  
Jason A. Kahana ◽  
Pamela A. Silver ◽  
Mary K. Morphew ◽  
J. Richard McIntosh ◽  
...  

We have identified a novel centromere-associated gene product from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that plays a role in spindle assembly and stability. Strains with a deletion of SLK19 (synthetic lethal Kar3p gene) exhibit abnormally short mitotic spindles, increased numbers of astral microtubules, and require the presence of the kinesin motor Kar3p for viability. When cells are deprived of both Slk19p and Kar3p, rapid spindle breakdown and mitotic arrest is observed. A functional fusion of Slk19p to green fluorescent protein (GFP) localizes to kinetochores and, during anaphase, to the spindle midzone, whereas Kar3p-GFP was found at the nuclear side of the spindle pole body. Thus, these proteins seem to play overlapping roles in stabilizing spindle structure while acting from opposite ends of the microtubules.


Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 160 (4) ◽  
pp. 1439-1450
Author(s):  
Mark E Nickas ◽  
Aaron M Neiman

Abstract Spore formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires the de novo synthesis of prospore membranes and spore walls. Ady3p has been identified as an interaction partner for Mpc70p/Spo21p, a meiosis-specific component of the outer plaque of the spindle pole body (SPB) that is required for prospore membrane formation, and for Don1p, which forms a ring-like structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane during meiosis II. ADY3 expression has been shown to be induced in midsporulation. We report here that Ady3p interacts with additional components of the outer and central plaques of the SPB in the two-hybrid assay. Cells that lack ADY3 display a decrease in sporulation efficiency, and most ady3Δ/ady3Δ asci that do form contain fewer than four spores. The sporulation defect in ady3Δ/ady3Δ cells is due to a failure to synthesize spore wall polymers. Ady3p forms ring-like structures around meiosis II spindles that colocalize with those formed by Don1p, and Don1p rings are absent during meiosis II in ady3Δ/ady3Δ cells. In mpc70Δ/mpc70Δ cells, Ady3p remains associated with SPBs during meiosis II. Our results suggest that Ady3p mediates assembly of the Don1p-containing structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with components of the SPB and that this structure is involved in spore wall formation.


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