Targeted Gene Disruption of Kinesin-3 Family Motors Unveils a Negative Regulatory Mechanism for Mouse Erythroblast Enucleation

Abstract 371 Terminal differentiation of mammalian erythroid precursors involves enucleation, a process required for the production of reticulocytes. The signaling pathways and the molecular components mediating the final enucleation step are not well understood, although the resemblance of enucleation to asymmetric cell division has been suggested. The enucleation of erythroblasts can be replicated in vitro; however, the enucleation efficiency is not optimal under in vitro culture conditions. A functional role of both microfilaments and microtubules has been suggested in the regulation of erythroblast enucleation. We hypothesized that molecular motors known to regulate asymmetric cell division might also play a functional role in erythroblast enucleation. GAKIN (also called KIF13B) is a kinesin-3 motor implicated in the regulation of cell polarity pathways. Its Drosophila homologue Khc-73 regulates polarity formation during the asymmetric cell division of neuroblasts. We generated a mutant mouse line of GAKIN and examined the efficiency of erythroblast enucleation using the fetal liver in vitro erythroid precursor culture system originally developed by the Lodish group. The GAKIN mutant mouse line was produced from the embryonic stem (ES) cells containing a genomic insertion of the beta-galactosidase-neomycin gene. The beta-geo insertion was mapped within intron 38 of the GAKIN gene, thus removing the CAP-Gly domain located at the C-terminus of GAKIN. This allowed us to visualize specific tissue expression of GAKIN, in addition to the subcellular localization of a GAKIN-lacZ fusion protein by lacZ activity staining. The lacZ activity revealed that the GAKIN-lacZ fusion protein is expressed in bone marrow macrophages and erythroblasts, while also highly concentrated at contact sites between macrophages and erythroblasts. GAKIN mutant mice are viable and fertile, and complete blood analysis did not reveal any discernible phenotype. To test for the enucleation efficiency, erythroid precursors were isolated from fetal liver stage at day 14.5 embryos and enucleation was quantified by flow cytometry after 2 days of in vitro culture. The GAKIN-lacZ fusion protein appeared as a single dot representing the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) in the erythroid precursors isolated from fetal liver (Fig. 1). However, GAKIN mutant erythroblasts enucleated at the same efficiency as wild type erythroblasts under steady state conditions in vitro. Since the mammalian genome contains a close homologue of GAKIN/KIF13B, termed KIF13A, a possibility exists that KIF13A functionally compensates for GAKIN mutation in critical pathways. To address this issue, we generated KIF13A null mice using a similar gene disruption strategy. Again, the KIF13A mutant erythroblasts did not show any measurable change in enucleation efficiency under similar conditions. However, fetal liver erythroblasts isolated from GAKIN and KIF13A double mutant mice exhibited a significant enhancement of enucleation efficiency. This finding suggests that together, GAKIN and KIF13A negatively regulate the erythroblast enucleation by modulating the microtubule-based cytoskeleton. We propose that efficient erythroid enucleation in vivo involves signaling mechanisms inhibiting both GAKIN and KIF13A motors. Since erythrocytes from adult double mutant mice appear to be hematologically normal, our findings raise the possibility of enhancing the in vitro production of functional erythrocytes by inhibiting GAKIN and KIF13A activity in CD34 positive stem cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Expression of the atf1+ gene is upregulated in fission yeast under nitrosative and nutritional stresses

This work was designed to assess regulation of the atf1+ gene in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe under nitrosative and nutritional stresses, using the atf1+–lacZ fusion gene and RT–PCR. Nitric oxide (NO)-generating sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 10 µmol/L) and nitrogen depletion significantly enhanced synthesis of β-galactosidase from the atf1+–lacZ fusion gene in S. pombe Pap1-positive KP1 cells, but not in S. pombe Pap1-negative TP108-3C cells. SNP (10 µmol/L) and nitrogen depletion also caused a significant increase in atf1+ mRNA levels in Pap1-positive cells, but not in Pap1-negative cells. Depletion of glucose marginally increased synthesis of β-galactosidase from the fusion gene in S. pombe Pap1-positive cells. Taken together, the S. pombe atf1+ gene is upregulated by nitrosative and nutritional stresses on a transcriptional level, possibly via the mediation of Pap1.

Staphylococcus aureus Cell Wall Stress Stimulon Gene-lacZ Fusion Strains: Potential for Use in Screening for Cell Wall-Active Antimicrobials

ABSTRACT lacZ fusion strains were constructed using the promoters of five cell wall stress stimulon genes: pbp2, tcaA, vraSR, sgtB, and lytR. All fusion strains were induced only in the presence of cell wall-active antibiotics, suggesting the potential of these strains for use in high-throughput screening for new cell wall-active agents.

The expression ofnifBgene fromHerbaspirillum seropedicaeis dependent upon the NifA and RpoN proteins

The putative nifB promoter region of Herbaspirillum seropedicae contained two sequences homologous to NifA-binding site and a –24/–12 type promoter. A nifB::lacZ fusion was assayed in the backgrounds of both Escherichia coli and H. seropedicae. In E. coli, the expression of nifB::lacZ occurred only in the presence of functional rpoN and Klebsiella pneumoniae nifA genes. In addition, the integration host factor (IHF) stimulated the expression of the nifB::lacZ fusion in this background. In H. seropedicae, nifB expression occurred only in the absence of ammonium and under low levels of oxygen, and it was shown to be strictly dependent on NifA. DNA band shift experiments showed that purified K. pneumoniae RpoN and E. coli IHF proteins were capable of binding to the nifB promoter region, and in vivo dimethylsulfate footprinting showed that NifA binds to both NifA-binding sites. These results strongly suggest that the expression of the nifB promoter of H. seropedicae is dependent on the NifA and RpoN proteins and that the IHF protein stimulates NifA activation of nifB promoter.Key words: Herbaspirillum seropedicae, nif, nitrogen fixation, NifA, RpoN.

The Bradyrhizobium japonicum napEDABC genes are controlled by the FixLJ-FixK2-NnrR regulatory cascade

Nitrate respiration by the N2-fixing symbiotic bacteria Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110 is mediated by a Nap (periplasmic nitrate reductase) encoded by the napEDABC genes. Expression of a transcriptional fusion of the nap promoter region to the reporter gene lacZ, PnapE-lacZ, was very low in aerobically grown cells of USDA110, but expression was induced approx. 3-fold when the cells were cultured under microaerobic conditions, and 12-fold when nitrate was added to the microaerobic incubation medium. The PnapE-lacZ fusion was not expressed in the fixL 7403, fixJ 7360 and fixK2 9043 mutant strains. Microaerobic induction of the PnapE-lacZ fusion was retained in the nnrR 8678 mutant, but no increase in β-galactosidase activity was observed upon nitrate addition. Western-blot and Methyl Viologen-dependent nitrate reductase activity assays showed that synthesis and activity of the catalytic NapA subunit in USDA110 was similar to that in the napC 0906 and nirK GRK308 mutant strains incubated microaerobically with nitrate. These results suggest that nitrate and nitrite, which are not reduced by the napC 0906 and nirK GRK308 mutant cells respectively, induced the synthesis and activity of NapA; conversely, formation of endogenous NO was not required for induction of Nap expression.