Johannes Lechner

Sus1, a Functional Component of the SAGA Histone Acetylase Complex and the Nuclear Pore-Associated mRNA Export Machinery

Gene expression is a coordinated multistep process that begins with transcription and RNA processing in the nucleus followed by mRNA export to the cytoplasm for translation. Here we report the identification of a protein, Sus1, which functions in both transcription and mRNA export. Sus1 is a nuclear protein with a concentration at the nuclear pores. Biochemical analyses show that Sus1 interacts with SAGA, a large intranuclear histone acetylase complex involved in transcription initiation, and with the Sac3-Thp1 complex, which functions in mRNA export with specific nuclear pore proteins at the nuclear basket. DNA macroarray analysis revealed that Sus1 is required for transcription regulation. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that Sus1 is associated with the promoter of a SAGA-dependent gene during transcription activation. Finally, mRNA export is impaired in sus1 mutants. These data provide an unexpected connection between the SAGA histone acetylase complex and the mRNA export machinery.

Identification of a 60S Preribosomal Particle that Is Closely Linked to Nuclear Export

A nuclear GTPase, Nug1p, was identified in a genetic screen for components linked to 60S ribosomal subunit export. Nug1p cosedimented with nuclear 60S preribosomes and was required for subunit export to the cytoplasm. Tagged Nug1p coprecipitated with proteins of the 60S subunit, late precursors to the 25S and 5.8S rRNAs, and at least 21 nonribosomal proteins. These included a homologous nuclear GTPase, Nug2p, the Noc2p/Noc3p heterodimer, Rix1p, and Rlp7p, each of which was implicated in 60S subunit export. Other known ribosome synthesis factors and proteins of previously unknown function, including the 559 kDa protein Ylr106p, also copurified. Eight of these proteins were copurified with nuclear pore complexes, suggesting that this complex represents the transport intermediate for 60S subunit export.

The mRNA export machinery requires the novel Sac3p-Thp1p complex to dock at the nucleoplasmic entrance of the nuclear pores

Yra1p and Sub2p are components of the TREX complex, which couples transcription elongation with nuclear export of mRNAs. Here, we report a genetic interaction between Yra1p and a conserved protein Sac3p, which previously was found to interact with Sub2p. In vivo, Sac3p forms a stable complex with Thp1p, which was reported to function in transcription elongation. In addition, Sac3p binds to the mRNA exporter Mex67p–Mtr2p and requires the nucleoporin Nup1p to dock at the nuclear side of the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Significantly, mutations in Sac3p or Thp1p lead to strong mRNA export defects. Taken together, our data suggest that the novel Sac3p–Thp1p complex functions by docking the mRNP to specific nucleoporins at the nuclear entrance of the NPC.

The budding yeast proteins Spc24p and Spc25p interact with Ndc80p and Nuf2p at the kinetochore and are important for kinetochore clustering and checkpoint control

Here, we show that the budding yeast proteins Ndc80p, Nuf2p, Spc24p and Spc25p interact at the kinetochore. Consistently, Ndc80p, Nuf2p, Spc24p and Spc25p associate with centromere DNA in chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments, and SPC24 interacts genetically with MCM21 encoding a kinetochore component. Moreover, although conditional lethal spc24‐2 and spc25‐7 cells form a mitotic spindle, the kinetochores remain in the mother cell body and fail to segregate the chromosomes. Despite this defect in chromosome segregation, spc24‐2 and spc25‐7 cells do not arrest in metaphase in response to checkpoint control. Furthermore, spc24‐2 cells showed a mitotic checkpoint defect when microtubules were depolymerized with nocodazole, indicating that Spc24p has a function in checkpoint control. Since Ndc80p, Nuf2p and Spc24p are conserved proteins, it is likely that similar complexes are part of the kinetochore in other organisms.

Four new subunits of the Dam1-Duo1 complex reveal novel functions in sister kinetochore biorientation.

We show here that Ask1p, Dad2p, Spc19p and Spc34p are subunits of the budding yeast Duo1p–Dam1p–Dad1p complex, which associate with kinetochores and localize along metaphase and anaphase spindles. Analysis of spc34‐3 cells revealed three novel functions of the Duo1–Dam1p–Dad1p subunit Spc34p. First, SPC34 is required to establish biorientation of sister kinetochores. Secondly, SPC34 is essential to maintain biorientation. Thirdly, SPC34 is necessary to maintain an anaphase spindle independently of chromosome segregation. Moreover, we show that in spc34‐3 cells, sister centromeres preferentially associate with the pre‐existing, old spindle pole body (SPB). A similar preferential attachment of sister centromeres to the old SPB occurs in cells depleted of the cohesin Scc1p, a protein with a known role in facilitating biorientation. Thus, the two SPBs are not equally active in early S phase. We suggest that not only in spc34‐3 and Δscc1 cells but also in wild‐type cells, sister centromeres bind after replication preferentially to microtubules organized by the old SPB. Monopolar attached sister centromeres are resolved to bipolar attachment in wild‐type cells but persist in spc34‐3 cells.

The cancer antigen CA125 represents a novel counter receptor for galectin-1

CA125 is an ovarian cancer antigen whose recently elucidated primary structure suggests that CA125 is a giant mucin-like glycoprotein present on the cell surface of tumor cells. Here, we establish a functional link between CA125 and β-galactoside-binding, cell-surface lectins, which are components of the extracellular matrix implicated in the regulation of cell adhesion, apoptosis, cell proliferation and tumor progression. On the basis of mass spectrometry and immunological analyses, we find that CA125 is a counter receptor for galectin-1, as both soluble and membrane-associated fragments of CA125 derived from HeLa cell lysates are shown to bind specifically to human galectin-1 with high efficiency. This interaction is demonstrated (1) to depend on β-galactose-terminated, O-linked oligosaccharide chains of CA125, (2) to be preferential for galectin-1 versus galectin-3 and (3) to be regulated by the cellular background in which CA125 is expressed. Despite lacking a conventional signal peptide, a CA125 C-terminal fragment of 1148 amino acids, representing less than 10% of the full-length protein, retains the ability to integrate into secretory membranes such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi, and is targeted to the plasma membrane by conventional secretory transport. As demonstrated by a novel assay that reconstitutes non-conventional secretion of galectin-1 based on fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), we find that tumor-derived HeLa cells expressing endogenous CA125 present more than ten times as much galectin-1 on their surface compared with non-tumor-derived, CA125-deficient CHO cells. Intriguingly, both the galectin-1 expression level and the cell-surface binding capacity for galectin-1 are shown to be similar in CHO and HeLa cells, suggesting that CA125 might be a factor involved in the regulation of galectin-1 export to the cell surface.

Mimicking Ndc80 phosphorylation triggers spindle assembly checkpoint signalling.

The protein kinase Mps1 is, among others, essential for the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). We found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mps1 interacts physically with the N‐terminal domain of Ndc80 (Ndc801−257), a constituent of the Ndc80 kinetochore complex. Furthermore, Mps1 effectively phosphorylates Ndc801−257 in vitro and facilitates Ndc80 phosphorylation in vivo. Mutating 14 of the phosphorylation sites to alanine results in compromised checkpoint signalling upon nocodazole treatment of mutants. Mutating the identical sites to aspartate (to simulate constitutive phosphorylation) causes a metaphase arrest with wild‐type‐like bipolar kinetochore–microtubule attachment. This arrest is due to a constitutively active SAC and consequently the inviable aspartate mutant can be rescued by disrupting SAC signalling. Therefore, we conclude that a putative Mps1‐dependent phosphorylation of Ndc80 is important for SAC activation at kinetochores.

A Noc complex specifically involved in the formation and nuclear export of ribosomal 40 S subunits.

Formation and nuclear export of 60 S pre-ribosomes requires many factors including the heterodimeric Noc1-Noc2 and Noc2-Noc3 complexes. Here, we report another Noc complex with a specific role in 40 S subunit biogenesis. This complex consists of Noc4p, which exhibits the conserved Noc domain and is homologous to Noc1p, and Nop14p, a nucleolar protein with a role in 40 S subunit formation. Moreover, noc4 thermosensitive mutants are defective in 40 S biogenesis, and rRNA processing is inhibited at early cleavage sites A0, A1, and A2. Using a fluorescence-based visual assay for 40 S subunit export, we observe a strong nucleolar accumulation of the Rps2p-green fluorescent protein reporter in noc4 ts mutants, but 60 S subunit export was normal. Thus, Noc4p and Nop14p form a novel Noc complex with a specific role in nucleolar 40 S subunit formation and subsequent export to the cytoplasm.

Recruitment to Golgi membranes of ADP‐ribosylation factor 1 is mediated by the cytoplasmic domain of p23

Binding to Golgi membranes of ADP ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) is the first event in the initiation of COPI coat assembly. Based on binding studies, a proteinaceous receptor has been proposed to be critical for this process. We now report that p23, a member of the p24 family of Golgi‐resident transmembrane proteins, is involved in ARF1 binding to membranes. Using a cross‐link approach based on a photolabile peptide corresponding to the cytoplasmic domain of p23, the GDP form of ARF1 (ARF1‐GDP) is shown to interact with p23 whereas ARF1‐GTP has no detectable affinity to p23. The p23 binding is shown to localize specifically to a 22 amino acid C‐terminal fragment of ARF1. While a monomeric form of a non‐photolabile p23 peptide does not significantly inhibit formation of the cross‐link product, the corresponding dimeric form does compete efficiently for this interaction. Consistently, the dimeric p23 peptide strongly inhibits ARF1 binding to native Golgi membranes suggesting that an oligomeric form of p23 acts as a receptor for ARF1 before nucleotide exchange takes place.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinetochore contains a cyclin-CDK complexing homologue, as identified by in vitro reconstitution

We have developed methods to reconstitute the centromere DNA (CEN)‐bound Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinetochore complex, CBF3, from isolated CBF3 components in vitro. This revealed that cooperation of at least three CBF3 components is imperatively required to form an activity that specifically binds to the centromere DNA in vitro. Two of the CBF3 proteins, Cbf3a and Cbf3b, that were used in the reconstitution were obtained from heterologous systems. In contrast, Cbf3c, the third CBF3 component known, had to be purified from S. cerevisiae to obtain a Cbf3c preparation that was competent to reconstitute the CBF3‐CEN complex in combination with Cbf3a and Cbf3b. This led to the identification of a 29 kDa protein that co‐purified with Cbf3c. The 29 kDa protein was shown to be a fourth component of CBF3 and therefore was named Cbf3d. Analysing the Cbf3d gene revealed that Cbf3d exhibits strong homology to p19SKP1, a human protein that is part of active cyclin A‐CDK2 complexes. Therefore, Cbf3d is the only CBF3 protein that has a known homologue in higher eukaryotes and may provide the anchor that directs cell cycle‐regulated proteins to the kinetochore.