scholarly journals Requirement of one functional RAS gene and inability of an oncogenic ras variant to mediate the glucose-induced cyclic AMP signal in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 3051-3057 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Mbonyi ◽  
M Beullens ◽  
K Detremerie ◽  
L Geerts ◽  
J M Thevelein

Addition of glucose to Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells grown on a nonfermentable carbon source triggers a cyclic AMP (cAMP) signal, which induces a protein phosphorylation cascade. In a yeast strain lacking functional RAS1 and RAS2 genes and containing a bcy mutation to suppress the lethality of RAS deficiency, the cAMP signal was absent. Addition of dinitrophenol, which stimulates in vivo cAMP synthesis by lowering intracellular pH, also did not enhance the cAMP level. A bcy control strain, with functional RAS genes present, showed cAMP responses similar to those of a wild-type strain. In disruption mutants containing either a functional RAS1 gene or a functional RAS2 gene, the cAMP signal was not significantly different from the one in wild-type cells, indicating that RAS function cannot be a limiting factor for cAMP synthesis during induction of the signal. Compared with wild-type cells, the cAMP signal decreased in intensity with increasing temperature in a ras2 disruption mutant. When the mutant RAS2Val-19, which carries the equivalent of the human H-rasVal-12 oncogene, was grown under conditions in which RAS1 expression is repressed, the cAMP signal was absent. The oncogene product is known to be deficient in GTPase activity. However, the amino acid change at position 19 (or 12 in the corresponding human oncogene product) might also have other effects, such as abolishing receptor interaction. Such an additional effect probably provides a better explanation for the lack of signal transmission than the impaired GTPase activity. When the RAS2Val-19 mutant was grown under conditions in which RAS1 is expressed, the cAMP signal was present but significantly delayed compared with the signal in wild-type cells. This indicates that oncogenic RAS proteins inhibit normal functioning of wild-type RAS proteins in vivo and also that in spite of the presence of the RAS2(Val-19) oncogene, adenyl cyclase is not maximally stimulated in vivo. Expression of only the RAS(Val-19) gene product also prevented most of the stimulation of cAMP synthesis by dinitrophenol, indicating that lowered intracellular pH does not act directly on adenyl cyclase but on a step earlier in the activation pathway of the enzyme. The results obtained with the control bcy strain, the RAS2(Val-19) strain under conditions in which RAS1 is expressed, and with dinitrophenol show that the inability of the oncogene product to mediate the cAMP signal is not due to feedback inhibition by the high protein kinase activity in strains containing the RAS2(Val-19) oncogene. Hence, the present results show that the RAS protein in S. cerevisiae are involved in the transmission of the glucose-induced cAMP signal and that the oncogenic RAS protein is unable to act as a signal transducer. The RAS protein in S. cerevisiae apparently act similarly to the Gs proteins of mammalian adenyl cyclase, but instead of being involved in hormone signal transmission, they function in a nutrient-induced signal transmission pathway.

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 3051-3057
Author(s):  
K Mbonyi ◽  
M Beullens ◽  
K Detremerie ◽  
L Geerts ◽  
J M Thevelein

Addition of glucose to Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells grown on a nonfermentable carbon source triggers a cyclic AMP (cAMP) signal, which induces a protein phosphorylation cascade. In a yeast strain lacking functional RAS1 and RAS2 genes and containing a bcy mutation to suppress the lethality of RAS deficiency, the cAMP signal was absent. Addition of dinitrophenol, which stimulates in vivo cAMP synthesis by lowering intracellular pH, also did not enhance the cAMP level. A bcy control strain, with functional RAS genes present, showed cAMP responses similar to those of a wild-type strain. In disruption mutants containing either a functional RAS1 gene or a functional RAS2 gene, the cAMP signal was not significantly different from the one in wild-type cells, indicating that RAS function cannot be a limiting factor for cAMP synthesis during induction of the signal. Compared with wild-type cells, the cAMP signal decreased in intensity with increasing temperature in a ras2 disruption mutant. When the mutant RAS2Val-19, which carries the equivalent of the human H-rasVal-12 oncogene, was grown under conditions in which RAS1 expression is repressed, the cAMP signal was absent. The oncogene product is known to be deficient in GTPase activity. However, the amino acid change at position 19 (or 12 in the corresponding human oncogene product) might also have other effects, such as abolishing receptor interaction. Such an additional effect probably provides a better explanation for the lack of signal transmission than the impaired GTPase activity. When the RAS2Val-19 mutant was grown under conditions in which RAS1 is expressed, the cAMP signal was present but significantly delayed compared with the signal in wild-type cells. This indicates that oncogenic RAS proteins inhibit normal functioning of wild-type RAS proteins in vivo and also that in spite of the presence of the RAS2(Val-19) oncogene, adenyl cyclase is not maximally stimulated in vivo. Expression of only the RAS(Val-19) gene product also prevented most of the stimulation of cAMP synthesis by dinitrophenol, indicating that lowered intracellular pH does not act directly on adenyl cyclase but on a step earlier in the activation pathway of the enzyme. The results obtained with the control bcy strain, the RAS2(Val-19) strain under conditions in which RAS1 is expressed, and with dinitrophenol show that the inability of the oncogene product to mediate the cAMP signal is not due to feedback inhibition by the high protein kinase activity in strains containing the RAS2(Val-19) oncogene. Hence, the present results show that the RAS protein in S. cerevisiae are involved in the transmission of the glucose-induced cAMP signal and that the oncogenic RAS protein is unable to act as a signal transducer. The RAS protein in S. cerevisiae apparently act similarly to the Gs proteins of mammalian adenyl cyclase, but instead of being involved in hormone signal transmission, they function in a nutrient-induced signal transmission pathway.


1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 1333-1342 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Jung ◽  
L Chen ◽  
S L Hofmann ◽  
M Wigler ◽  
S Powers

We have identified a gene, SHR5, in a screen for extragenic suppressors of the hyperactive RAS2Val-19 mutation in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. SHR5 was cloned, sequenced, and found to encode a 23-kDa protein not significantly homologous to other proteins in the current data bases. Genetic evidence arguing that Shr5 operates at the level of Ras is presented. We tested whether SHR5, like previously isolated suppressors of hyperactivated RAS2, acts by affecting the membrane attachment and/or posttranslational modification of Ras proteins. We found that less Ras protein is attached to the membrane in shr5 mutants than in wild-type cells and that the Ras proteins are markedly underpalmitoylated, suggesting that Shr5 is involved in palmitoylation of Ras proteins. However, shr5null mutants exhibit normal palmitoyltransferase activity measured in vitro. Further, shr5null mutations attenuate Ras function in cells containing mutant Ras2 proteins that are not palmitoylated or farnesylated. We conclude that SHR5 encodes a protein that participates in the membrane localization of Ras but also interacts in vivo with completely unprocessed and cytosolic Ras proteins.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 4084-4092
Author(s):  
P C McCabe ◽  
H Haubruck ◽  
P Polakis ◽  
F McCormick ◽  
M A Innis

The rap1A gene encodes a 21-kDa, ras-related GTP-binding protein (p21rap1A) of unknown function. A close structural homolog of p21rap1A (65% identity in the amino-terminal two-thirds) is the RSR1 gene product (Rsr1p) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although Rsr1p is not essential for growth, its presence is required for nonrandom selection of bud sites. To assess the similarity of these proteins at the functional level, wild-type and mutant forms of p21rap1A were tested for complementation of activities known to be fulfilled by Rsr1p. Expression of p21rap1A, like multicopy expression of RSR1, suppressed the conditional lethality of a temperature-sensitive cdc24 mutation. Point mutations predicted to affect the localization of p21rap1A or its ability to cycle between GDP and GTP-bound states disrupted suppression of cdc24ts, while other mutations in the 61-65 loop region improved suppression. Expression of p21rap1A could not, however, suppress the random budding phenotype of rsr1 cells. p21rap1A also apparently interfered with the normal activity of Rsrlp, causing random budding in diploid wild-type cells, suggesting an inability of p21rap1A to interact appropriately with Rsr1p regulatory proteins. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found an Rsr1p-specific GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity in yeast membranes which was not active toward p21rap1A, indicating that p21rap1A may be predominantly GTP bound in yeast cells. Coexpression of human Rap1-specific GAP suppressed the random budding due to expression of p21rap1A or its derivatives, including Rap1AVal-12. Although Rap1-specific GAP stimulated the GTPase of Rsr1p in vitro, it did not dominantly interfere with Rsr1p function in vivo. A chimera consisting of Rap1A1-165::Rsr1p166-272 did not exhibit normal Rsr1p function in the budding pathway. These results indicated that p21rap1A and Rsr1p share at least partial functional homology, which may have implications for p21rap1A function in mammalian cells.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1805-1812 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Zhu ◽  
R H Schiestl

Chromosome aberrations may cause cancer and many heritable diseases. Topoisomerase I has been suspected of causing chromosome aberrations by mediating illegitimate recombination. The effects of deletion and of overexpression of the topoisomerase I gene on illegitimate recombination in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been studied. Yeast transformations were carried out with DNA fragments that did not have any homology to the genomic DNA. The frequency of illegitimate integration was 6- to 12-fold increased in a strain overexpressing topoisomerase I compared with that in isogenic control strains. Hot spot sequences [(G/C)(A/T)T] for illegitimate integration target sites accounted for the majority of the additional events after overexpression of topoisomerase I. These hot spot sequences correspond to sequences previously identified in vitro as topoisomerase I preferred cleavage sequences in other organisms. Furthermore, such hot spot sequences were found in 44% of the integration events present in the TOP1 wild-type strain and at a significantly lower frequency in the top1delta strain. Our results provide in vivo evidence that a general eukaryotic topoisomerase I enzyme nicks DNA and ligates nonhomologous ends, leading to illegitimate recombination.


Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 888-888
Author(s):  
Iman Fares ◽  
Rahul S. Vedula ◽  
Shabbir M. Vahanvaty ◽  
Christopher S Waters ◽  
Marlise R. Luskin ◽  
...  

Abstract Somatic mutations can have highly stereotyped positions in the myeloid clonal hierarchy and distinct patterns of co-occurring mutations. Gene mutations that cause aberrant activation of RAS/MAPK signaling are typically late events in myeloid disease progression and are closely associated with leukemic transformation. We hypothesized that the phenotypic output of oncogenic RAS signaling is dynamically reprogrammed during leukemogenesis based on evolving genetic and epigenetic context. To identify genetic alterations that may modulate RAS-mediated transformation, we evaluated 1273 adults with myelodysplastic syndrome, including 150 with mutations in NRAS, KRAS, PTPN11, CBL, RIT1, NF1, or FLT3. Somatic mutations in ASXL1 (q<0.0001), RUNX1 (q<0.0001), EZH2 (q<0.0001), BCOR (q=0.0002), and STAG2 (q=0.001) were most significantly associated with co-occurring RAS pathway mutations, compared to those without RAS pathway mutations, while TP53 mutations were less frequent (q=0.059). We validated these observations in an independent cohort of 6343 unselected patients, including 1081 patients harboring either RAS pathway mutations (n=651),TP53 mutations (n=494), or both (n=57). To define the effects of sequential acquisition of driver mutations, we developed a mouse serial transplantation model of somatic myeloid transformation. First, we used in vivo pI:pC treatment to induce biallelic inactivation of Tet2 in adult Mx1-Cre/Tet2flox/floxmice. After 12 weeks, we purified Tet2-/-or control hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and used CRISPR/Cas9 to separately introduce inactivating mutations in Ezh2, Asxl1-exon12, Stag2, or Bcor, then evaluated their functional effects using ex vivo serial replating or in vivo competitive transplantation. Tet2-/-HSPCs with control sgRNA showed a modest enhancement of serial replating compared to Tet2-wild type HSPCs, while Tet2-/-HSPCs Asxl1, Stag2, and Bcor, but not Ezh2 sgRNA had markedly enhanced serial replating capacity (>6 platings in all replicates). In primary transplantation, secondary mutations caused in vivo clonal advantage after 16 weeks, but never resulted in histologic transformation to acute leukemia. We next evaluated the impact of tertiary NRASG12Dmutations in each pairwise Tet2-/-CRISPR combination (Asxl1, Bcor, Ezh2, Stag2, control). We purified HSPCs from recipient mice 16 weeks after primary transplantation, transduced with a lentiviral NRASG12Dexpression vector and transplanted into secondary recipients. Recipients of Tet2/Bcor/NRAS, Tet2/Asxl1/NRAS, or Tet2/Ezh2/NRAS cells succumbed to CD11b+myeloid disease with variable latency in Bcor (14 days), Ezh2 (50 days), and Asxl1 (120 days) cells, suggesting that combined Tet2 and PRC1/2 alterations may modify the effects of oncogenic RAS signaling. To determine whether pre-existing epigenetic mutations cooperate to alter the transcriptional response to acute oncogenic stress compared to wild type cells, weperformed RNA-seq 12 and 24 hours after induced expression of NRASG12D in isogenic immortalized mouse progenitor cells deficient for Tet2, Bcor, or both Tet2 and Bcor. We observed rapid activation of inflammatory and cellular senescence programs in all conditions, suggesting a genotype-independent immediate early response to oncogenic signaling. However, we also identified genotype-specific regulation of tumor suppressor and cell cycle checkpoint pathways. While Cdnk1a expression was strongly induced in all conditions, Cdnk2a expression (and p16Ink4a and p19ARF protein levels) was preferentially upregulated in the context of Bcor deficiency. Moreover, expression of the p53 negative regulator Mdm2 was increased 11-fold in Tet2/Bcor-deficient cells, but only 4 to 5-fold in wild type, Tet2-, or Bcor-deficient cells. Tet2/Bcor-deficient cells were significantly more sensitive to treatment with the Mdm2 antogonist, Nutlin, upon induction of NRAS expression than were wild-type cells, suggesting that Mdm2 overexpression directly mediates acquired tolerance of oncogene stress. These human genetic data and mouse models suggest that epigenetic alterations occurring during early myeloid leukemogenesis may enable evasion of oncogene protection mechanism. Bcor mutations can pair with initiating Tet2 mutations to facilitate RAS mediated transformation while incurring a dependency on Mdm2 overexpression. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1179-1185 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Morrison ◽  
E J Miller ◽  
L Prakash

The RAD6 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is required for normal tolerance of DNA damage and for sporulation, encodes a 172-residue protein whose 23 carboxyl-terminal residues are almost all acidic. We show that this polyacidic sequence appends to RAD6 protein as a polyanionic tail and that its function in vivo does not require stoichiometry of length. RAD6 protein was purified to near homogeneity from a yeast strain carrying a RAD6 overproducing plasmid. Approximately the first 150 residues of RAD6 protein composed a structural domain that was resistant to proteinase K and had a Stokes radius typical of a globular protein of its calculated mass. The carboxyl-terminal polyacidic sequence was sensitive to proteinase K, and it endowed RAD6 protein with an aberrantly large Stokes radius that indicates an asymmetric shape. We deduce that RAD6 protein is monomeric and comprises a globular domain with a freely extending polyacidic tail. We tested the phenotypic effects of partial or complete deletion of the polyacidic sequence, demonstrating the presence of the shortened proteins in the cell by using antibody to RAD6 protein. Removal of the entire polyacidic sequence severely reduced sporulation but only slightly affected survival after UV irradiation or UV-induced mutagenesis. Strains with deletions of all but the first 4 or 15 residues of the polyacidic sequence were phenotypically almost wild type or wild type, respectively. We conclude that the intrinsic activity of RAD6 protein resides in the globular domain, that the polyacidic sequence has a stimulatory or modifying role evident primarily in sporulation, and that only a short section apparently functions as effectively as the entire polyacidic sequence.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4937-4945
Author(s):  
J Wang ◽  
N Suzuki ◽  
T Kataoka

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, adenylyl cyclase is regulated by RAS proteins. We show here that the yeast adenylyl cyclase forms at least two high-molecular-weight complexes, one with the RAS protein-dependent adenylyl cyclase activity and the other with the Mn(2+)-dependent activity, which are separable by their size difference. The 70-kDa adenylyl cyclase-associated protein (CAP) existed in the former complex but not in the latter. Missense mutations in conserved motifs of the leucine-rich repeats of the catalytic subunit of adenylyl cyclase abolished the RAS-dependent activity, which was accompanied by formation of a very high molecular weight complex having the Mn(2+)-dependent activity. Contrary to previous results, disruption of the gene encoding CAP did not alter the extent of RAS protein-dependent activation of adenylyl cyclase, while a concomitant decrease in the size of the RAS-responsive complex was observed. These results indicate that CAP is not essential for interaction of the yeast adenylyl cyclase with RAS proteins even though it is an inherent component of the RAS-responsive adenylyl cyclase complex.


1990 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 5071-5076
Author(s):  
C A Hrycyna ◽  
S Clarke

Membrane extracts of sterile Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains containing the a-specific ste14 mutation lack a farnesyl cysteine C-terminal carboxyl methyltransferase activity that is present in wild-type a and alpha cells. Other a-specific sterile strains with ste6 and ste16 mutations also have wild-type levels of the farnesyl cysteine carboxyl methyltransferase activity. This enzyme activity, detected by using a synthetic peptide sequence based on the C-terminus of a ras protein, may be responsible not only for the essential methylation of the farnesyl cysteine residue of a mating factor, but also for the methylation of yeast RAS1 and RAS2 proteins and possibly other polypeptides with similar C-terminal structures. We demonstrate that the farnesylation of the cysteine residue in the peptide is required for the methyltransferase activity, suggesting that methyl esterification follows the lipidation reaction in the cell. To show that the loss of methyltransferase activity is a direct result of the ste14 mutation, we transformed ste14 mutant cells with a plasmid complementing the mating defect of this strain and found that active enzyme was produced. Finally, we demonstrated that a similar transformation of cells possessing the wild-type STE14 gene resulted in sixfold overproduction of the enzyme. Although more complicated possibilities cannot be ruled out, these results suggest that STE14 is a candidate for the structural gene for a methyltransferase involved in the formation of isoprenylated cysteine alpha-methyl ester C-terminal structures.


1999 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1054-1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy S. Vincent ◽  
Jennifer E. Fraylick ◽  
Eileen M. McGuffie ◽  
Joan C. Olson

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 4722-4730 ◽  
Author(s):  
K A Cadwallader ◽  
H Paterson ◽  
S G Macdonald ◽  
J F Hancock

Plasma membrane targeting of Ras requires CAAX motif modifications together with a second signal from an adjacent polybasic domain or nearby cysteine palmitoylation sites. N-terminal myristoylation is known to restore membrane binding to H-ras C186S (C-186 is changed to S), a mutant protein in which all CAAX processing is abolished. We show here that myristoylated H-ras C186S is a substrate for palmitoyltransferase, despite the absence of C-terminal farnesylation, and that palmitoylation is absolutely required for plasma membrane targeting of myristoylated H-ras. Similarly, the polybasic domain is required for specific plasma membrane targeting of myristoylated K-ras. In contrast, the combination of myristoylation plus farnesylation results in the mislocalization of Ras to numerous intracellular membranes. Ras that is only myristoylated does not bind with a high affinity to any membrane. The specific targeting of Ras to the plasma membrane is therefore critically dependent on signals that are contained in the hypervariable domain but can be supported by N-terminal myristoylation or C-terminal prenylation. Interestingly, oncogenic Ras G12V that is localized correctly to the plasma membrane leads to mitogen-activated protein kinase activation irrespective of the combination of targeting signals used for localization, whereas Ras G12V that is mislocalized to the cytosol or to other membranes activates mitogen-activated protein kinase only if the Ras protein is farnesylated.


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