scholarly journals Modeling disease-correlated TUBA1A mutation in budding yeast reveals a molecular basis for tubulin dysfunction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Denarier ◽  
K.H. Ecklund ◽  
G. Berthier ◽  
A. Favier ◽  
S. Gory ◽  
...  

AbstractMalformations of cortical development (MCD) of the human brain are a likely consequence of defective neuronal migration, and/or proliferation of neuronal progenitor cells, both of which are dictated in part by microtubule-dependent transport of various cargoes, including the mitotic spindle. Throughout the evolutionary spectrum, proper spindle positioning depends on cortically anchored dynein motors that exert forces on astral microtubules emanating from spindle poles. A single heterozygous amino acid change, G436R, in the conserved TUBA1A α-tubulin gene was reported to account for MCD in patients. The mechanism by which this mutation disrupts microtubule function in the developing cerebral cortex is not understood. Studying the consequence of tubulin mutations in mammalian cells is challenging partly because of the large number of α-tubulin isotypes expressed. To overcome this challenge, we have generated a budding yeast strain expressing the mutated tubulin (Tub1G437R in yeast) as one of the main sources of α-tubulin (in addition to Tub3, another α-tubulin isotype in this organism). Although viability of the yeast was unimpaired by this mutation, they became reliant on Tub3, as was apparent by the synthetic lethality of this mutant in combination with tub3Δ. We find that Tub1G437R assembles into microtubules that support normal G1 activity, but lead to enhanced dynein-dependent nuclear migration phenotypes during G2/M, and a consequential disruption of spindle positioning. We find that this mutation impairs the interaction between She1 – a negative regulator of dynein – and microtubules, as was apparent from a yeast two-hybrid assay, a co-sedimentation assay, and from live cell imaging. We conclude that a weaker interaction between She1 and Tub1G437R-containing microtubules results in enhanced dynein activity, ultimately leading to the spindle positioning defect. Our results provide the first evidence of an impaired interaction between microtubules and a dynein regulator as a consequence of a tubulin mutation, and sheds light on a mechanism that may be causative of neurodevelopmental diseases.

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 901-913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Zheng ◽  
Qingwen Wan ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
Huabin Zhu ◽  
Xiaogang Chu ◽  
...  

Spindle positioning is believed to be governed by the interaction between astral microtubules and the cell cortex and involve cortically anchored motor protein dynein. How dynein is recruited to and regulated at the cell cortex to generate forces on astral microtubules is not clear. Here we show that mammalian homologue of Drosophila Pins (Partner of Inscuteable) (LGN), a Gαi-binding protein that is critical for spindle positioning in different systems, associates with cytoplasmic dynein heavy chain (DYNC1H1) in a Gαi-regulated manner. LGN is required for the mitotic cortical localization of DYNC1H1, which, in turn, also modulates the cortical accumulation of LGN. Using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis, we show that cortical LGN is dynamic and the turnover of LGN relies, at least partially, on astral microtubules and DYNC1H1. We provide evidence for dynein- and astral microtubule–mediated transport of Gαi/LGN/nuclear mitotic apparatus (NuMA) complex from cell cortex to spindle poles and show that actin filaments counteract such transport by maintaining Gαi/LGN/NuMA and dynein at the cell cortex. Our results indicate that astral microtubules are required for establishing bipolar, symmetrical cortical LGN distribution during metaphase. We propose that regulated cortical release and transport of LGN complex along astral microtubules may contribute to spindle positioning in mammalian cells.


PLoS Genetics ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. e1004938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Scarfone ◽  
Marianna Venturetti ◽  
Manuel Hotz ◽  
Jette Lengefeld ◽  
Yves Barral ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (35) ◽  
pp. 17438-17443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayathri Srinivasan ◽  
Elizabeth A. Williamson ◽  
Kimi Kong ◽  
Aruna S. Jaiswal ◽  
Guangcun Huang ◽  
...  

Defects in DNA repair give rise to genomic instability, leading to neoplasia. Cancer cells defective in one DNA repair pathway can become reliant on remaining repair pathways for survival and proliferation. This attribute of cancer cells can be exploited therapeutically, by inhibiting the remaining repair pathway, a process termed synthetic lethality. This process underlies the mechanism of the Poly-ADP ribose polymerase-1 (PARP1) inhibitors in clinical use, which target BRCA1 deficient cancers, which is indispensable for homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair. HR is the major repair pathway for stressed replication forks, but when BRCA1 is deficient, stressed forks are repaired by back-up pathways such as alternative nonhomologous end-joining (aNHEJ). Unlike HR, aNHEJ is nonconservative, and can mediate chromosomal translocations. In this study we have found that miR223-3p decreases expression of PARP1, CtIP, and Pso4, each of which are aNHEJ components. In most cells, high levels of microRNA (miR) 223–3p repress aNHEJ, decreasing the risk of chromosomal translocations. Deletion of the miR223 locus in mice increases PARP1 levels in hematopoietic cells and enhances their risk of unprovoked chromosomal translocations. We also discovered that cancer cells deficient in BRCA1 or its obligate partner BRCA1-Associated Protein-1 (BAP1) routinely repress miR223-3p to permit repair of stressed replication forks via aNHEJ. Reconstituting the expression of miR223-3p in BRCA1- and BAP1-deficient cancer cells results in reduced repair of stressed replication forks and synthetic lethality. Thus, miR223-3p is a negative regulator of the aNHEJ DNA repair and represents a therapeutic pathway for BRCA1- or BAP1-deficient cancers.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leeanna El-Houjeiri ◽  
Elite Possik ◽  
Tarika Vijayaraghavan ◽  
Mathieu Paquette ◽  
José A Martina ◽  
...  

AbstractTFEB and TFE3 are transcriptional regulators of the innate immune response, but the mechanisms regulating their activation upon pathogen infection are poorly elucidated. UsingC. elegansand mammalian models, we report that the master metabolic modulator 5’-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its negative regulator Folliculin (FLCN) act upstream of TFEB/TFE3 in the innate immune response, independently of the mTORC1 signaling pathway. In nematodes, loss of FLCN or overexpression of AMPK conferred pathogen resistanceviaactivation of TFEB/TFE3-dependent antimicrobial genes, while ablation of total AMPK activity abolished this phenotype. Similarly, in mammalian cells, loss of FLCN or pharmacological activation of AMPK induced TFEB/TFE3-dependent pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Importantly, a rapid reduction in cellular ATP levels in murine macrophages was observed upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment accompanied by an acute AMPK activation and TFEB nuclear localization. These results uncover an ancient, highly conserved and pharmacologically actionable mechanism coupling energy status with innate immunity.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eriko Watada ◽  
Sihan Li ◽  
Yutaro Hori ◽  
Katsunori Fujiki ◽  
Katsuhiko Shirahige ◽  
...  

AbstractThe ribosomal RNA gene, which consists of tandem repetitive arrays (rDNA repeat), is one of the most unstable regions in the genome. The rDNA repeat in the budding yeast is known to become unstable as the cell ages. However, it is unclear how the rDNA repeat changes in ageing mammalian cells. Using quantitative analyses, we identified age-dependent alterations in rDNA copy number and levels of methylation in mice. The degree of methylation and copy number of rDNA from bone marrow cells of 2-year-old mice were increased by comparison to 4-week-old mice in two mouse strains, BALB/cA and C57BL/6. Moreover, the level of pre-rRNA transcripts was reduced in older BALB/cA mice. We also identified many sequence variations among the repeats with two mutations being unique to old mice. These sequences were conserved in budding yeast and equivalent mutations shortened the yeast chronological lifespan. Our findings suggest that rDNA is also fragile in mammalian cells and alterations within this region have a profound effect on cellular function.Author SummaryThe ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) is one of the most unstable regions in the genome due to its tandem repetitive structure. rDNA copy number in the budding yeast increases and becomes unstable as the cell ages. It is speculated that the rDNA produces an “aging signal” inducing senescence and death. However, it is unclear how the rDNA repeat changes during the aging process in mammalian cells. In this study, we attempted to identify the age-dependent alteration of rDNA in mice. Using quantitative single cell analysis, we show that rDNA copy number increases in old mice bone marrow cells. By contrast, the level of ribosomal RNA production was reduced because of increased levels of DNA methylation that represses transcription. We also identified many sequence variations in the rDNA. Among them, three mutations were unique to old mice and two of them were found in the conserved region in budding yeast. We then established a yeast strain with the old mouse-specific mutations and found this shortened the lifespan of the cells. These findings suggest that rDNA is also fragile in mammalian cells and alteration to this region of the genome affects cellular senescence.


2016 ◽  
Vol 397 (7) ◽  
pp. 637-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Tan ◽  
Marcel Zimmermann ◽  
Andreas S. Reichert

Abstract Mitophagy is a selective autophagy pathway conserved in eukaryotes and plays an essential role in mitochondrial quality and quantity control. Mitochondrial fission and fusion cycles maintain a certain amount of healthy mitochondria and allow the isolation of damaged mitochondria for their elimination by mitophagy. Mitophagy can be classified into receptor-dependent and ubiquitin-dependent pathways. The mitochondrial outer membrane protein Atg32 is identified as the only known receptor for mitophagy in baker’s yeast, whereas mitochondrial proteins FUNDC1, NIX/BNIP3L, BNIP3 and Bcl2L13 are recognized as mitophagy receptors in mammalian cells. Earlier studies showed that ubiquitination and deubiquitination occurs in yeast, yet there is no direct evidence for an ubiquitin-dependent mitophagy pathway in this organism. In contrast, a ubiquitin-/PINK1-/Parkin-dependent mitophagy pathway was unraveled and was extensively characterized in mammals in recent years. Recently, a quantitative method termed synthetic quantitative array (SQA) technology was developed to identify modulators of mitophagy in baker’s yeast on a genome-wide level. The Ubp3-Bre5 deubiquitination complex was found as a negative regulator of mitophagy while promoting other autophagic pathways. Here we discuss how ubiquitination and deubiquitination regulates mitophagy and other selective forms of autophagy and what argues for using baker’s yeast as a model to study the ubiquitin-dependent mitophagy pathway.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 6698-6706 ◽  
Author(s):  
B H Spain ◽  
K S Bowdish ◽  
A R Pacal ◽  
S F Staub ◽  
D Koo ◽  
...  

We have isolated two novel human cDNAs, gps1-1 and gps2, that suppress lethal G-protein subunit-activating mutations in the pheromone response pathway of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Suppression of other pathway-activating events was examined. In wild-type cells, expression of either gps1-1 or gps2 led to enhanced recovery from cell cycle arrest induced by pheromone. Sequence analysis indicated that gps1-1 contains only the carboxy-terminal half of the gps1 coding sequence. The predicted gene product of gps1 has striking similarity to the protein encoded by the Arabidopsis FUS6 (COP11) gene, a negative regulator of light-mediated signal transduction that is known to be essential for normal development. A chimeric construct containing gps1 and FUS6 sequences also suppressed the yeast pheromone pathway, indicating functional conservation between these human and plant genes. In addition, when overexpressed in mammalian cells, gps1 or gps2 potently suppressed a RAS- and mitogen-activated protein kinase-mediated signal and interfered with JNK activity, suggesting that signal repression is part of their normal function. For gps1, these results are consistent with the proposed function of FUS6 (COP11) as a signal transduction repressor in plants.


2020 ◽  
pp. jcs.251835
Author(s):  
Azia S. Evans ◽  
Nicholas J. Lennemann ◽  
Carolyn B. Coyne

Autophagy is a degradative cellular pathway that targets cytoplasmic contents and organelles for turnover by the lysosome. Various autophagy pathways play key roles in the clearance of viral infections, and many families of viruses have developed unique methods for avoiding degradation. Some positive stranded RNA viruses, such as enteroviruses and flaviviruses, usurp the autophagic pathway to promote their own replication. We previously identified the endoplasmic reticulum-localized protein BPIFB3 as an important negative regulator of non-canonical autophagy that uniquely impacts the replication of enteroviruses and flaviviruses. Here, we find that many components of the canonical autophagy machinery are not required for BPIFB3 depletion induced autophagy and identify the host factors that facilitate its role in the replication of enteroviruses and flaviviruses. Using proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) followed by mass spectrometry, we identify ARFGAP1 and TMED9 as two cellular components that interact with BPIFB3 to regulate autophagy and viral replication. Importantly, our data demonstrate that non-canonical autophagy in mammalian cells can be controlled outside of the traditional pathway regulators and define the role of two proteins in BPIFB3 depletion mediated non-canonical autophagy.


1988 ◽  
Vol 106 (6) ◽  
pp. 2011-2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Gu ◽  
S A Lewis ◽  
N J Cowan

To assay the functional significance of the multiple but closely related alpha-tubulin polypeptides that are expressed in mammalian cells, we generated three specific immune sera, each of which uniquely recognizes a distinct alpha-tubulin isotype. All three isotypes are expressed in a tissue-restricted manner: one (M alpha 3/7) only in mature testis, one (M alpha 4) mainly in muscle and brain, and the third (M alpha 6) in several tissues at a very low level. A fourth specific antiserum was also generated that distinguishes between the tyrosinated and nontyrosinated form of a single alpha-tubulin isotype. Because individual tubulin isotypes cannot be purified biochemically, these sera were raised using cloned fusion proteins purified from host Escherichia coli cells. To suppress the immune response to shared epitopes, animals were first rendered tolerant to fusion proteins encoding all but one of the known mammalian alpha-tubulin isotypes. Subsequent challenge with the remaining fusion protein then resulted in the elicitation of an immune response to unique epitopes. Three criteria were used to establish the specificity of the resulting sera: (a) their ability to discriminate among cloned fusion proteins representing all the known mammalian alpha-tubulin isotypes; (b) their ability to uniquely detect alpha-tubulin in whole extracts of tissues; and (c) their capacity to stain microtubules in fixed preparations of cells transfected with sequences encoding the corresponding isotype. The transfection experiments served to demonstrate (a) the coassembly of M alpha 3/7, M alpha 4, and M alpha 6 into both interphase and spindle microtubules in HeLa cells and NIH 3T3 cells, and (b) that the M alpha 4 isotype, which is unique among mammalian alpha-tubulins in that it lacks an encoded carboxy-terminal tyrosine residue, behaves like other alpha-tubulin isotypes with respect to the cycle of tyrosination/detyrosination that occurs in most cultured cells.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document