Mps2 links Csm4 and Mps3 to form a telomere-associated LINC complex in budding yeast

The linker of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) protein complex is composed of a pair of transmembrane proteins: the KASH-domain protein localized to the outer nuclear membrane and the SUN-domain protein to the inner nuclear membrane. In budding yeast, the sole SUN-domain protein, Mps3, is thought to pair with either Csm4 or Mps2, two KASH-like proteins, to form two separate LINC complexes. Here we show that Mps2 mediates the interaction between Csm4 and Mps3 to form a heterotrimeric telomere-associated LINC (t-LINC) in budding yeast meiosis. Mps2 binds to Csm4 and Mps3, and all three are localized to the telomere. Telomeric localization of Csm4 depends on both Mps2 and Mps3; in contrast, Mps2’s localization depends on Mps3 but not Csm4. Mps2-mediated t-LINC regulates telomere movement and meiotic recombination. By ectopically expressing CSM4 in vegetative yeast cells, we reconstitute the heterotrimeric t-LINC and demonstrate its ability to tether telomeres. Our findings therefore reveal the heterotrimeric composition of t-LINC in budding yeast and have implications for understanding LINC variant formation.

Genomic inversion drives small colony variant formation and increased virulence inP. aeruginosa

Phenotypic change is a hallmark of bacterial adaptation during chronic infection. In the case of chronicPseudomonas aeruginosalung infection in patients with cystic fibrosis, well-characterised phenotypic variants include mucoid and small colony variants (SCVs). It has previously been shown that SCVs can be reproducibly isolated from the murine lung following the establishment of chronic infection with mucoidP. aeruginosastrain NH57388A. Here we show, using a combination of singlemolecule real-time (PacBio) and Illumina sequencing that the genetic switch for conversion to the SCV phenotype is a large genomic inversion through recombination between homologous regions of two rRNA operons. This phenotypic conversion is associated with large-scale transcriptional changes distributed throughout the genome. This global rewiring of the cellular transcriptomic output results in changes to normally differentially regulated genes that modulate resistance to oxidative stress, central metabolism and virulence. These changes are of clinical relevance since the appearance of SCVs during chronic infection is associated with declining lung function.

Logistische Modellierung von Montagesystemen*/Logistic-based modeling of assembly systems

Die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung der Montage steigt durch die fortschreitende Kundenorientierung stetig an. Individuelle Kundenwünsche führen zu einem Anstieg der Produktvarianten. Die Variantenbildung findet meist im letzten Produktionsschritt statt – in Form der Montage. Um den Montagevorgang bestmöglich auszuführen, stehen verschiedenste Organisationsformen zur Auswahl. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt logistikrelevante Differenzierungskriterien zur Charakterisierung von Montagesystemtypen.   The economic importance of assembly is steadily increasing due to the ongoing customer orientation. Individual customer requests lead to an increase in product variants. The variant formation usually takes place in the last production step – in the form of assembly. In order to carry out the assembly process in the best possible way, a variety of organizational forms is available. This article describes in terms of logistics relevant criteria for the characterization of assembly systems.