scholarly journals The mechanism of nuclear transport of natural or artificial transport substrates in digitonin-permeabilized cells

1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 1849-1861 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Cserpan ◽  
A. Udvardy

Characterization of nuclear protein transport in digitonin-permeabilized cells revealed that the number of the nuclear localization signal sequences (NLS) within the transport substrate basically influences the mechanism of the transport reaction. Phycoerythrine-NLS transport substrate carrying a maximum of 4–5 conjugated NLSs/subunit, or Bsp methyltransferase-NLS fusion protein were efficiently transported into the nuclei of digitonin-permeabilized cultured cells without any exogenously added cytosolic protein. All the characteristic properties of in vivo nuclear transport are faithfully reproduced with these transport substrates: (i) the transport requires a functional NLS in the transported protein, a transport-incompetent mutant NLS being ineffective; (ii) the transport is energy dependent; (iii) the wild type nuclear localization peptide efficiently competes for transport, while the transport-incompetent mutant peptide does not; and (iv) wheat germ agglutinin inhibits this transport reaction. Nuclear transport observed with these substrates was not due to any damage of the nuclear membrane or inefficient extraction of the cytosolic proteins during the permeabilization of the cells. The nuclear transport was proportional to the number of conjugated NLSs. Nuclear transport of phycoerythrine carrying 7–8 conjugated NLSs/subunit required the addition of exogenous cytosolic proteins. This transport also fulfilled all the characteristic properties of an authentic nuclear transport. Nuclear transport with different combinations of transport substrates further supported the assumption that distinct transport mechanisms operate for different substrates. From a mixture of PE-NLS7-8 and Bsp methyltransferase-NLS, the highly conjugated substrate was completely retained in the cytoplasm in the absence of exogenous cytosol, while Bsp methyltransferase-NLS was efficiently transported. Exogenous cytosol promoted the nuclear transport of the highly conjugated substrate.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Fujimoto ◽  
T Ikuta ◽  
A Koike ◽  
M Koike

AbstractKu70 participates in various intra-and extra-nucleic processes. For multifunctional control, machinery that precisely regulates the intracellular localization of Ku70 is essential. Recently, it was reported that acetylation of Ku70 regulates its function. Here, we demonstrate that specific lysine residues in Ku70 that are targets of acetylation are critical for regulating nuclear transport in vivo. Ku70-GFP fusion proteins transiently expressed in cultured cells localized in the nucleus, whereas mimicking acetylation of K553 or K556 in the Ku70 nuclear localization signal (NLS) by substituting these lysine residues with glutamine markedly decreased the nuclear localization of Ku70. Moreover, the Ku70-importin interaction was suppressed in the K553Q and K556Q mutants. Theoretical estimations indicated that the binding energy between the Ku70 NLS and importin-α decreases with acetylation of lysine residues in the Ku70 NLS, similar to the case when these lysine residues are substituted with glutamine. These results suggest that acetylation of specific lysine residues in the Ku70 NLS is a key switch that controls the localization of Ku70 by modulating interactions between Ku70 and nuclear transport factors.


1988 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 1465-1476 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Ruohola ◽  
A K Kabcenell ◽  
S Ferro-Novick

Using either permeabilized cells or microsomes we have reconstituted the early events of the yeast secretory pathway in vitro. In the first stage of the reaction approximately 50-70% of the prepro-alpha-factor, synthesized in a yeast translation lysate, is translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of permeabilized yeast cells or directly into yeast microsomes. In the second stage of the reaction 48-66% of the ER form of alpha-factor (26,000 D) is then converted to the high molecular weight Golgi form in the presence of ATP, soluble factors and an acceptor membrane fraction; GTP gamma S inhibits this transport reaction. Donor, acceptor, and soluble fractions can be separated in this assay. This has enabled us to determine the defective fraction in sec23, a secretory mutant that blocks ER to Golgi transport in vivo. When fractions were prepared from mutant cells grown at the permissive or restrictive temperature and then assayed in vitro, the acceptor Golgi fraction was found to be defective.


1996 ◽  
Vol 133 (6) ◽  
pp. 1163-1176 ◽  
Author(s):  
D M Koepp ◽  
D H Wong ◽  
A H Corbett ◽  
P A Silver

Characterization of the interactions between soluble factors required for nuclear transport is key to understanding the process of nuclear trafficking. Using a synthetic lethal screen with the rna1-1 strain, we have identified a genetic interaction between Rna1p, a GTPase activating protein required for nuclear transport, and yeast importin-beta, a component of the nuclear localization signal receptor. By the use of fusion proteins, we demonstrate that Rna1p physically interacts with importin-beta. Mutants in importin-beta exhibit in vivo nuclear protein import defects, and importin-beta localizes to the nuclear envelope along with other proteins associated with the nuclear pore complex. In addition, we present evidence that importin-alpha, but not importin-beta, mislocalizes to the nucleus in cells where the GTPase Ran is likely to be in the GDP-bound state. We suggest a model of nuclear transport in which Ran-mediated hydrolysis of GTP is necessary for the import of importin-alpha and the nuclear localization signal-bearing substrate into the nucleus, while exchange of GDP for GTP on Ran is required for the export of both mRNA and importin-alpha from the nucleus.


1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (4) ◽  
pp. 1325-1332 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Duverger ◽  
C. Pellerin-Mendes ◽  
R. Mayer ◽  
A.C. Roche ◽  
M. Monsigny

The nuclear import of many proteins depends on a short peptide sequence called the nuclear localization signal. However, glycosylated proteins, which lack such a nuclear localization signal, upon their injection into the cytosol by electroporation, enter the nucleus in a sugar-dependent manner. This paper brings new insights on the mechanism of this process, based on a study of neoglycoprotein nuclear uptake by digitonin-permeabilized cells. The nuclear import of neoglycoproteins is energy dependent: it does not occur when cells are maintained at 4 degrees C or when cells are ATP-depleted by treatment with apyrase. The nuclear import of neoglycoproteins occurs through the nuclear pore: it is inhibited by preincubation of cells with wheat germ agglutinin, a lectin which binds the nuclear pore glycoproteins and blocks the translocation step of nuclear localization signal bearing proteins through the nuclear pore. Furthermore, the nuclear import of neoglycoproteins does not use the pathway of nuclear localization signal bearing proteins: nuclear import of nuclear localization signal bearing proteins depends on cytosolic factors and is inhibited by treatment of cells with N-ethylmaleimide, while the nuclear import of neoglycoproteins neither requires added cytosolic factors nor is sensitive to alkylation by N-ethylmaleimide. In addition, upon incubation in the presence of a large excess of nuclear localization signal bearing protein, the nuclear import of neoglycoproteins is not inhibited.


1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (7) ◽  
pp. 1807-1816 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Kambach ◽  
I.W. Mattaj

Experiments investigating the nuclear import of the U2 snRNP-specific B'' protein (U2B'') are presented. U2B'' nuclear transport is shown to be able to occur independently of binding to U2 snRNA. The central segment of the protein (amino acids 90–146) encodes an unusual nuclear localization signal (NLS) that is related to that of the U1 snRNP-specific A protein. However, nuclear import of U2B'' does not depend on this NLS. Sequences in the N-terminal RNP motif of the protein are sufficient to direct nuclear transport, and evidence is presented that the interaction of U2B'' with the U2A' protein mediates this effect. This suggests that U2B'' can ‘piggy-back’ to the nucleus in association with U2A’, and thus be imported to the nucleus by two different mechanisms. U2A' nuclear transport, on the other hand, can occur independently of both U2B'' binding and of U2 snRNA.


10.1038/11726 ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 784-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars J. Brandén ◽  
Abdalla J. Mohamed ◽  
C. I. Edvard Smith

2011 ◽  
Vol 286 (27) ◽  
pp. 23831-23841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soma Ghosh ◽  
Alex P. Vassilev ◽  
Junmei Zhang ◽  
Yingming Zhao ◽  
Melvin L. DePamphilis

Initiation of eukaryotic genome duplication begins when a six-subunit origin recognition complex (ORC) binds to DNA. However, the mechanism by which this occurs in vivo and the roles played by individual subunits appear to differ significantly among organisms. Previous studies identified a soluble human ORC(2–5) complex in the nucleus, an ORC(1–5) complex bound to chromatin, and an Orc6 protein that binds weakly, if at all, to other ORC subunits. Here we show that stable ORC(1–6) complexes also can be purified from human cell extracts and that Orc6 and Orc1 each contain a single nuclear localization signal that is essential for nuclear localization but not for ORC assembly. The Orc6 nuclear localization signal, which is essential for Orc6 function, is facilitated by phosphorylation at its cyclin-dependent kinase consensus site and by association with Kpna6/1, nuclear transport proteins that did not co-purify with other ORC subunits. These and other results support a model in which Orc6, Orc1, and ORC(2–5) are transported independently to the nucleus where they can either assemble into ORC(1–6) or function individually.


2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 2196-2206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary B. Kroetz ◽  
Dan Su ◽  
Mark Hochstrasser

The SUMO protein is covalently attached to many different substrates throughout the cell. This modification is rapidly reversed by SUMO proteases. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SUMO protease Ulp2 is a nuclear protein required for chromosome stability and cell cycle restart after checkpoint arrest. Ulp2 is related to the human SENP6 protease, also a nuclear protein. All members of the Ulp2/SENP6 family of SUMO proteases have large but poorly conserved N-terminal domains (NTDs) adjacent to the catalytic domain. Ulp2 also has a long C-terminal domain (CTD). We show that CTD deletion has modest effects on yeast growth, but poly-SUMO conjugates accumulate. In contrast, the NTD is essential for Ulp2 function and is required for nuclear targeting. Two short, widely separated sequences within the NTD confer nuclear localization. Efficient Ulp2 import into the nucleus requires the β-importin Kap95, which functions on classical nuclear-localization signal (NLS)-bearing substrates. Remarkably, replacement of the entire >400-residue NTD by a heterologous NLS results in near-normal Ulp2 function. These data demonstrate that nuclear localization of Ulp2 is crucial in vivo, yet only small segments of the NTD provide the key functional elements, explaining the minimal sequence conservation of the NTDs in the Ulp2/SENP6 family of enzymes.


1991 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Oka ◽  
S Nishikawa ◽  
A Nakano

In the yeast secretory pathway, two genes SEC12 and SAR1, which encode a 70-kD integral membrane protein and a 21-kD GTP-binding protein, respectively, cooperate in protein transport from the ER to the Golgi apparatus. In vivo, the elevation of the SAR1 dosage suppresses temperature sensitivity of the sec12 mutant. In this paper, we show cell-free reconstitution of the ER-to-Golgi transport that depends on both of these gene products. First, the membranes from the sec12 mutant cells reproduce temperature sensitivity in the in vitro ER-to-Golgi transport reaction. Furthermore, the addition of the Sar1 protein completely suppresses this temperature-sensitive defect of the sec12 membranes. The analysis of Sar1p partially purified by E. coli expression suggests that GTP hydrolysis is essential for Sar1p to execute its function.


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