The immunosuppressant FK506 inhibits amino acid import in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The immunosuppressants cyclosporin A, FK506, and rapamycin inhibit growth of unicellular eukaryotic microorganisms and also block activation of T lymphocytes from multicellular eukaryotes. In vitro, these compounds bind and inhibit two different types of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases. Cyclosporin A binds cyclophilins, whereas FK506 and rapamycin bind FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs). Cyclophilins and FKBPs are ubiquitous, abundant, and targeted to multiple cellular compartments, and they may fold proteins in vivo. Previously, a 12-kDa cytoplasmic FKBP was shown to be only one of at least two FK506-sensitive targets in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that a second FK506-sensitive target is required for amino acid import. Amino acid-auxotrophic yeast strains (trp1 his4 leu2) are FK506 sensitive, whereas prototrophic strains (TRP1 his4 leu2, trp1 HIS4 leu2, and trp1 his4 LEU2) are FK506 resistant. Amino acids added exogenously to the growth medium mitigate FK506 toxicity. FK506 induces GCN4 expression, which is normally induced by amino acid starvation. FK506 inhibits transport of tryptophan, histidine, and leucine into yeast cells. Lastly, several genes encoding proteins involved in amino acid import or biosynthesis confer FK506 resistance. These findings demonstrate that FK506 inhibits amino acid import in yeast cells, most likely by inhibiting amino acid transporters. Amino acid transporters are integral membrane proteins which import extracellular amino acids and constitute a protein family sharing 30 to 35% identity, including eight invariant prolines. Thus, the second FK506-sensitive target in yeast cells may be a proline isomerase that plays a role in folding amino acid transporters during transit through the secretory pathway.

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Mutational analysis of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ABD1 gene: cap methyltransferase activity is essential for cell growth.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.16.2.475 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 475-480 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

X Mao ◽

B Schwer ◽

S Shuman

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Amino Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Mutational Analysis ◽

Point Mutations ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

Terminal Deletion ◽

Methyltransferase Activity

RNA (guanine-7-)-methyltransferase is the enzyme responsible for methylating the 5' cap structure of eukaryotic mRNA. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme is a 436-amino-acid protein encoded by the essential ABD1 gene. In this study, deletion and point mutations in ABD1 were tested for the ability to support growth of an abd1 null strain. Elimination of 109 amino acids from the N terminus had no effect on cell viability, whereas a more extensive N-terminal deletion of 155 residues was lethal, as was a C-terminal deletion of 55 amino acids. Alanine substitution mutations were introduced at eight conserved residues within a 206-amino-acid region of similarity between ABD1 and the methyltransferase domain of the vaccinia virus capping enzyme. ABD1 alleles H253A (encoding a substitution of alanine for histidine at position 253), T282A, E287A, E361A, and Y362A were viable, whereas G174A, D178A, and Y254A were either lethal or severely defective for growth. Alanine-substituted and amino-truncated ABD1 proteins were expressed in bacteria, purified, and tested for cap methyltransferase activity in vitro. Mutations that were viable in yeast cells had either no effect or only a moderate effect on the specific methyltransferase activity of the mutated ABD1 protein, whereas mutations that were deleterious in vivo yielded proteins that were catalytically defective in vitro. These findings substantiate for the first time the long-held presumption that cap methylation is an essential function in eukaryotic cells.

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SEN1, a positive effector of tRNA-splicing endonuclease in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.12.5.2154 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 2154-2164 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

D J DeMarini ◽

M Winey ◽

D Ursic ◽

F Webb ◽

M R Culbertson

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Amino Acids ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Gene Product ◽

Signal Sequence ◽

Null Alleles ◽

Nucleoside Triphosphate ◽

Temperature Sensitive ◽

Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Amino Terminal

The SEN1 gene, which is essential for growth in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is required for endonucleolytic cleavage of introns from all 10 families of precursor tRNAs. A mutation in SEN1 conferring temperature-sensitive lethality also causes in vivo accumulation of pre-tRNAs and a deficiency of in vitro endonuclease activity. Biochemical evidence suggests that the gene product may be one of several components of a nuclear-localized splicing complex. We have cloned the SEN1 gene and characterized the SEN1 mRNA, the SEN1 gene product, the temperature-sensitive sen1-1 mutation, and three SEN1 null alleles. The SEN1 gene corresponds to a 6,336-bp open reading frame coding for a 2,112-amino-acid protein (molecular mass, 239 kDa). Using antisera directed against the C-terminal end of SEN1, we detect a protein corresponding to the predicted molecular weight of SEN1. The SEN1 protein contains a leucine zipper motif, consensus elements for nucleoside triphosphate binding, and a potential nuclear localization signal sequence. The carboxy-terminal 1,214 amino acids of the SEN1 protein are essential for growth, whereas the amino-terminal 898 amino acids are dispensable. A sequence of approximately 500 amino acids located in the essential region of SEN1 has significant similarity to the yeast UPF1 gene product, which is involved in mRNA turnover, and the mouse Mov-10 gene product, whose function is unknown. The mutation that creates the temperature-sensitive sen1-1 allele is located within this 500-amino-acid region, and it causes a substitution for an amino acid that is conserved in all three proteins.

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Secretion-defective mutations in the signal sequence for Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.6.7.2382-2391.1986 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 6 (7) ◽

pp. 2382-2391

Author(s):

C A Kaiser ◽

D Botstein

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Secretory Pathway ◽

Signal Sequence ◽

Mutant Gene ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

Molecular Weight Characteristic ◽

Cell Extracts ◽

Substitution Mutations ◽

Membrane Components

Nine mutations in the signal sequence region of the gene specifying the secreted Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme invertase were constructed in vitro. The consequences of these mutations were studied after returning the mutated genes to yeast cells. Short deletions and two extensive substitution mutations allowed normal expression and secretion of invertase. Other substitution mutations and longer deletions blocked the formation of extracellular invertase. Yeast cells carrying this second class of mutant gene expressed novel active internal forms of invertase that exhibited the following properties. The new internal proteins had the mobilities in denaturing gels expected of invertase polypeptides that had retained a defective signal sequence and were otherwise unmodified. The large increase in molecular weight characteristic of glycosylation was not seen. On nondenaturing gels the mutant enzymes were found as heterodimers with a normal form of invertase that is known to be cytoplasmic, showing that the mutant forms of the enzyme are assembled in the same compartment as the cytoplasmic enzyme. All of the mutant enzymes were soluble and not associated with the membrane components after fractionation of crude cell extracts on sucrose gradients. Therefore, these signal sequence mutations result in the production of active internal invertase that has lost the ability to enter the secretory pathway. This demonstrates that the signal sequence is required for the earliest steps in membrane translocation.

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Molecular genetic analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae C1-tetrahydrofolate synthase mutants reveals a noncatalytic function of the ADE3 gene product and an additional folate-dependent enzyme

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.10.11.5679-5687.1990 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 5679-5687

Author(s):

C K Barlowe ◽

D R Appling

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

De Novo ◽

Point Mutations ◽

Gene Replacement ◽

Molecular Genetic Analysis ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Purine Synthesis

In eucaryotes, 10-formyltetrahydrofolate (formyl-THF) synthetase, 5,10-methenyl-THF cyclohydrolase, and NADP(+)-dependent 5,10-methylene-THF dehydrogenase activities are present on a single polypeptide termed C1-THF synthase. This trifunctional enzyme, encoded by the ADE3 gene in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is thought to be responsible for the synthesis of the one-carbon donor 10-formyl-THF for de novo purine synthesis. Deletion of the ADE3 gene causes adenine auxotrophy, presumably as a result of the lack of cytoplasmic 10-formyl-THF. In this report, defined point mutations that affected one or more of the catalytic activities of yeast C1-THF synthase were generated in vitro and transferred to the chromosomal ADE3 locus by gene replacement. In contrast to ADE3 deletions, point mutations that inactivated all three activities of C1-THF synthase did not result in an adenine requirement. Heterologous expression of the Clostridium acidiurici gene encoding a monofunctional 10-formyl-THF synthetase in an ade3 deletion strain did not restore growth in the absence of adenine, even though the monofunctional synthetase was catalytically competent in vivo. These results indicate that adequate cytoplasmic 10-formyl-THF can be produced by an enzyme(s) other than C1-THF synthase, but efficient utilization of that 10-formyl-THF for purine synthesis requires a nonenzymatic function of C1-THF synthase. A monofunctional 5,10-methylene-THF dehydrogenase, dependent on NAD+ for catalysis, has been identified and purified from yeast cells (C. K. Barlowe and D. R. Appling, Biochemistry 29:7089-7094, 1990). We propose that the characteristics of strains expressing full-length but catalytically inactive C1-THF synthase could result from the formation of a purine-synthesizing multienzyme complex involving the structurally unchanged C1-THF synthase and that production of the necessary one-carbon units in these strains is accomplished by an NAD+ -dependent 5,10-methylene-THF dehydrogenase.

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Identification of pre-mRNA polyadenylation sites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.12.9.4215-4229.1992 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 4215-4229

Author(s):

S Heidmann ◽

B Obermaier ◽

K Vogel ◽

H Domdey

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Signal Sequence ◽

Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Adh1 Gene ◽

Polyadenylation Sites ◽

Yeast Genes

In contrast to higher eukaryotes, little is known about the nature of the sequences which direct 3'-end formation of pre-mRNAs in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The hexanucleotide AAUAAA, which is highly conserved and crucial in mammals, does not seem to have any functional importance for 3'-end formation in yeast cells. Instead, other elements have been proposed to serve as signal sequences. We performed a detailed investigation of the yeast ACT1, ADH1, CYC1, and YPT1 cDNAs, which showed that the polyadenylation sites used in vivo can be scattered over a region spanning up to 200 nucleotides. It therefore seems very unlikely that a single signal sequence is responsible for the selection of all these polyadenylation sites. Our study also showed that in the large majority of mRNAs, polyadenylation starts directly before or after an adenosine residue and that 3'-end formation of ADH1 transcripts occurs preferentially at the sequence PyAAA. Site-directed mutagenesis of these sites in the ADH1 gene suggested that this PyAAA sequence is essential for polyadenylation site selection both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the 3'-terminal regions of the yeast genes investigated here are characterized by their capacity to act as signals for 3'-end formation in vivo in either orientation.

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Signals that produce 3' termini in CYC1 mRNA of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.13.12.7836-7849.1993 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 7836-7849

Author(s):

P Russo ◽

W Z Li ◽

Z Guo ◽

F Sherman

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

In Vitro Mutagenesis ◽

Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Upstream Element ◽

A Site ◽

Derivatives Of ◽

Acting In Concert

The cyc1-512 mutant was previously shown to contain a 38-bp deletion, 8 nucleotides upstream from the major wild-type poly(A) site, in the CYC1 gene, which encodes iso-1-cytochrome c of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This 38-bp deletion caused a 90% reduction in the CYC1 transcripts, which were heterogeneous in size, aberrantly long, and presumably labile (K. S. Zaret and F. Sherman, Cell 28:563-573, 1982). Site-directed mutagenesis in and adjacent to the 38-bp region was used to identify signals involved in the formation and positioning of CYC1 mRNA 3' ends. In addition, combinations of various putative 3' end-forming signals were introduced by in vitro mutagenesis into the 3' region of the cyc1-512 mutant. The combined results from both studies suggest that 3' end formation in yeast cells involves signals having the following three distinct but integrated elements acting in concert: (i) the upstream element, including sequences TATATA, TAG ... TATGTA, and TTTTTATA, which function by enhancing the efficiency of downstream elements; (ii) downstream elements, such as TTAAGAAC and AAGAA, which position the poly(A) site; and (iii) the actual site of polyadenylation, which often occurs after cytidine residues that are 3' to the so-called downstream element. While the upstream element is required for efficient 3' end formation, alterations of the downstream element and poly(A) sites generally do not affect the efficiency of 3' end formation but appear to alter the positions of poly(A) sites. In addition, we have better defined the upstream elements by examining various derivatives of TATATA and TAG ... TATGTA, and we have examined the spatial requirements of the three elements by systematically introducing or deleting upstream and downstream elements and cytidine poly(A) sites.

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Secretion-defective mutations in the signal sequence for Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.6.7.2382 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 6 (7) ◽

pp. 2382-2391 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

C A Kaiser ◽

D Botstein

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Secretory Pathway ◽

Signal Sequence ◽

Mutant Gene ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

Molecular Weight Characteristic ◽

Cell Extracts ◽

Substitution Mutations ◽

Membrane Components

Nine mutations in the signal sequence region of the gene specifying the secreted Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme invertase were constructed in vitro. The consequences of these mutations were studied after returning the mutated genes to yeast cells. Short deletions and two extensive substitution mutations allowed normal expression and secretion of invertase. Other substitution mutations and longer deletions blocked the formation of extracellular invertase. Yeast cells carrying this second class of mutant gene expressed novel active internal forms of invertase that exhibited the following properties. The new internal proteins had the mobilities in denaturing gels expected of invertase polypeptides that had retained a defective signal sequence and were otherwise unmodified. The large increase in molecular weight characteristic of glycosylation was not seen. On nondenaturing gels the mutant enzymes were found as heterodimers with a normal form of invertase that is known to be cytoplasmic, showing that the mutant forms of the enzyme are assembled in the same compartment as the cytoplasmic enzyme. All of the mutant enzymes were soluble and not associated with the membrane components after fractionation of crude cell extracts on sucrose gradients. Therefore, these signal sequence mutations result in the production of active internal invertase that has lost the ability to enter the secretory pathway. This demonstrates that the signal sequence is required for the earliest steps in membrane translocation.

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Signals that produce 3' termini in CYC1 mRNA of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.13.12.7836 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 7836-7849 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

P Russo ◽

W Z Li ◽

Z Guo ◽

F Sherman

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

In Vitro Mutagenesis ◽

Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Upstream Element ◽

A Site ◽

Derivatives Of ◽

Acting In Concert

The cyc1-512 mutant was previously shown to contain a 38-bp deletion, 8 nucleotides upstream from the major wild-type poly(A) site, in the CYC1 gene, which encodes iso-1-cytochrome c of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This 38-bp deletion caused a 90% reduction in the CYC1 transcripts, which were heterogeneous in size, aberrantly long, and presumably labile (K. S. Zaret and F. Sherman, Cell 28:563-573, 1982). Site-directed mutagenesis in and adjacent to the 38-bp region was used to identify signals involved in the formation and positioning of CYC1 mRNA 3' ends. In addition, combinations of various putative 3' end-forming signals were introduced by in vitro mutagenesis into the 3' region of the cyc1-512 mutant. The combined results from both studies suggest that 3' end formation in yeast cells involves signals having the following three distinct but integrated elements acting in concert: (i) the upstream element, including sequences TATATA, TAG ... TATGTA, and TTTTTATA, which function by enhancing the efficiency of downstream elements; (ii) downstream elements, such as TTAAGAAC and AAGAA, which position the poly(A) site; and (iii) the actual site of polyadenylation, which often occurs after cytidine residues that are 3' to the so-called downstream element. While the upstream element is required for efficient 3' end formation, alterations of the downstream element and poly(A) sites generally do not affect the efficiency of 3' end formation but appear to alter the positions of poly(A) sites. In addition, we have better defined the upstream elements by examining various derivatives of TATATA and TAG ... TATGTA, and we have examined the spatial requirements of the three elements by systematically introducing or deleting upstream and downstream elements and cytidine poly(A) sites.

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Properties of the DNA-binding domain of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae STE12 protein.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.11.12.5910 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 5910-5918 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Y L Yuan ◽

S Fields

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Amino Acids ◽

Dna Binding ◽

Binding Affinity ◽

Binding Domain ◽

Upstream Region ◽

Dna Binding Domain ◽

Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Dnase I Footprinting

The STE12 protein of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae binds to the pheromone response element (PRE) present in the upstream region of genes whose transcription is induced by pheromone. Using DNase I footprinting assays with bacterially made STE12 fragments, we localized the DNA-binding domain to 164 amino acids near the amino terminus. Footprinting of oligonucleotide-derived sequences containing one PRE, or two PREs in head-to-tail or tail-to-tail orientation, showed that the N-terminal 215 amino acids of STE12 has similar binding affinity to either of the dimer sites and a binding affinity 5- to 10-fold lower for the monomer site. This binding cooperativity was also evident on a fragment from the MFA2 gene, which encodes the a-factor pheromone. On this fragment, the 215-amino-acid STE12 fragment protected both a consensus PRE as well as a degenerate PRE containing an additional residue. Mutation of the degenerate site led to a 5- to 10-fold decrease in binding; mutation of the consensus site led to a 25-fold decrease in binding. The ability of PREs to function as pheromone-inducible upstream activation sequences in yeast correlated with their ability to bind the STE12 domain in vitro. The sequence of the STE12 DNA-binding domain contains similarities to the homeodomain, although it is highly diverged from other known examples of this motif. Moreover, the alignment between STE12 and the homeodomain postulates loops after both the putative helix 1 and helix 2 of the STE12 sequence.

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