Kohji Miyahara

Saccharomyces cerevisiae YDR1, which encodes a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily, is required for multidrug resistance

A multidrug resistance gene, YDR1, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which encodes a 170-kDa protein of a member of the ABC superfamily, was identified. Disruption of YDR1 resulted in hypersensitivity to cycloheximide, cerulenin, compactin, staurosporine and fluphenazine, indicating that YDR1 is an important determinant of cross resistance to apparently-unrelated drugs. The Ydr1 protein bears the highest similarity to the S. cerevisiae Snq2 protein required for resistance to the mutagen 4-NQO. The drug-specificity analysis of YDR1 and SNQ2 by gene disruption, and its phenotypic suppression by the overexpressed genes, revealed overlapping, yet distinct, specificities. YDR1 was responsible for cycloheximide, cerulenin and compactin resistance, whereas, SNQ2 was responsible for 4-NQO resistance. The two genes had overlapping specificities toward staurosporine and fluphenazine. The transcription of YDR1 and SNQ2 was induced by various drugs, both relevant and irrelevant to the resistance caused by the gene, suggesting that drug specificity can be mainly attributed to the functional difference of the putative transporters. The transcription of these genes was also increased by heat shock. The yeast drug-resistance system provides a novel model for mammalian multidrug resistance.

Role of calcineurin and Mpk1 in regulating the onset of mitosis in budding yeast.

Signalling via calcium is probably involved in regulating eukaryotic cell proliferation, but details of its mechanism of action are unknown,. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the onset of mitosis is determined by activation of a complex of the p34cdc2 protein kinase and a cyclin protein that is specific to the G2 phase of the cell cycle. This activation requires dephosphorylation of p34cdc2 (ref. 3). Wee1, a tyrosine kinase that inhibits p34cdc2 by phosphorylating it, is needed to determine the length of G2 phase. Here we show that calcium-activated pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae control the onset of mitosis by regulating Swe1, a Wee1 homologue. Zds1 (also known as Oss1 and Hst1) (refs 4–7) is important in repressing the transcription of SWE1 in G2 phase. In the presence of high calcium levels, cells lacking Zds1 are delayed in entering mitosis. Calcineurin and Mpk1 (refs 12, 13) regulate Swe1 activation at the transcriptional and post-translational levels, respectively, and both are required for the calcium-induced delay in G2 phase. These cellular pathways also induce a G2-phase delay in response to hypotonic shock.

Identification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Isoleucyl-tRNA Synthetase as a Target of the G1-specific Inhibitor Reveromycin A

To dissect the action mechanism of reveromycin A (RM-A), a G1-specific inhibitor, aSaccharomyces cerevisiae dominant mutant specifically resistant to RM-A, was isolated from a strain in which the genes implicated in nonspecific multidrug resistance had been deleted. The mutant gene (YRR2–1) responsible for the resistance was identified as an allele of the ILS1 gene encoding tRNAIle synthetase (IleRS). The activity of IleRS, but not several other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases examined in wild type cell extract, was highly sensitive to RM-A (IC50 = 8 ng/ml). The IleRS activity of the YRR2–1 mutant was 4-fold more resistant to the inhibitor compared with that of wild type. The mutation IleRSN660D, near the KMSKS consensus sequence commonly found in the class I aminoacyl transferases, was found to be responsible for RM-A resistance. Moreover, overexpression of theILS1 gene from a high-copy plasmid conferred RM-A resistance. These results indicated that IleRS is a target of RM-Ain vivo. A defect of the GCN2 gene led to decreased RM-A resistance. IleRS inhibition by RM-A led to transcriptional activation of the ILS1 gene viathe Gcn2-Gcn4 general amino acid control pathway, and this autoregulation seemed to contribute to RM-A resistance.

Fission yeast MO25 protein is localized at SPB and septum and is essential for cell morphogenesis

Cell morphogenesis is of fundamental significance in all eukaryotes for development, differentiation, and cell proliferation. In fission yeast, Drosophila Furry‐like Mor2 plays an essential role in cell morphogenesis in concert with the NDR/Tricornered kinase Orb6. Mutations of these genes result in the loss of cell polarity. Here we show that the conserved proteins, MO25‐like Pmo25, GC kinase Nak1, Mor2, and Orb6, constitute a morphogenesis network that is important for polarity control and cell separation. Intriguingly, Pmo25 was localized at the mitotic spindle pole bodies (SPBs) and then underwent translocation to the dividing medial region upon cytokinesis. Pmo25 formed a complex with Nak1 and was required for both the localization and kinase activity of Nak1. Pmo25 and Nak1 in turn were essential for Orb6 kinase activity. Further, the Pmo25 localization at the SPBs and the Nak1‐Orb6 kinase activities during interphase were under the control of the Cdc7 and Sid1 kinases in the septation initiation network (SIN), suggesting a functional linkage between SIN and the network for cell morphogenesis/separation following cytokinesis.

yAP-1- and yAP-2-mediated, heat shock-induced transcriptional activation of the multidrug resistance ABC transporter genes inSaccharomyces cerevisiae

We have examined whether the stress-induced transcriptional activation ofYDR1/PDR5/STS1 is mediated by yAP-1 and yAP-2. Of the stresses examined, heat shock-induced, rapid and transient PDR5 expression became very low in ayap1 yap2 double-gene disruptant, indicating that the yAP proteins mediate the response. Similar results were obtained withSNQ2, a close homologue ofPDR5. A set of 5′-truncation derivatives of thePDR5 gene identified the region from −484 to −434 as being sufficient for the response. A sequence similar to the yAP-1 recognition element recently identified in the stress-responsive yeast genes was found in this region and in the 5′-flanking sequences ofSNQ2.

The involvement of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae multidrug resistance transporters Pdr5p and Snq2p in cation resistance.

The ATP‐binding cassette superfamily proteins Pdr5p and Snq2p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are implicated in multidrug resistance. Here, we show that these transporters are also involved in cation resistance. Null mutants of PDR5 and SNQ2 genes exhibit increased sensitivity to NaCl, LiCl and MnCl2. The mutant cells grown in the presence of high concentrations of these metal salts contain higher levels of the metals than wild‐type cells. The expression of PDR5 and SNQ2 is induced by the metal salts. These results provide evidence that the yeast drug transporters contribute to cation resistance by regulating cellular cation homeostasis under ionic stress conditions.

Abundance of the RSC nucleosome-remodeling complex is important for the cells to tolerate DNA damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The essential Nps1p/Sth1p is a catalytic subunit of the nucleosome‐remodeling complex, RSC, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that can alter nucleosome structure by using the energy of ATP hydrolysis. Besides the ATPase domain, Nps1p harbors the bromodomain, of which the function(s) have not yet been defined. We have isolated a temperature‐sensitive mutant allele of NPS1, nps1‐13, which has amino acid substitutions within the bromodomain. This mutation perturbed the interaction between the RSC components and enhanced the sensitivity of the cells to several DNA‐damaging treatments at the permissive temperature. Reduced expression of NPS1 also caused DNA damage sensitivity. These results suggest the importance of the Nps1p bromodomain in RSC integrity and a model in which high amounts of RSC would be required for the cells to overcome DNA damage.

Mutational analysis of Yap1 protein, an AP‐1‐like transcriptional activator of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To define the essential amino acid residues of Yap1 in stress response, we generated yap1 mutations by in vitro mutagenesis, which cause defects in mediating resistance to the stress of H2O2, but not of CdCl2. Sequence analysis of the mutant yap1 genes revealed three point mutations and two truncation mutations near the carboxy‐terminus. The truncation mutations resulted in hyperresistance to cadmium. Northern blot analysis of stress‐induced levels of TRX2 and GSH1 mRNAs indicated that the ability of the mutant Yap1 protein to induce transcriptional activation of target genes correlates well with its ability to confer stress resistance. The carboxy‐terminal domain of Yap1 appears to act negatively in cadmium resistance.

Overexpression and secretion of cellulolytic enzymes by δ-sequence-mediated multicopy integration of heterologous DNA sequences into the chromosomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformants which secrete high levels of cellulolytic enzymes, with chromosome-integrated multicopies of heterologous DNA sequences encoding the cellulolytic enzymes were constructed. An expression construct of β-glucosidase and carboxymethyl cellulase directed by the GAP promoter was integrated into the chromosomes of the haploid S. cerevisiae using the δ sequence-mediated integration system. Southern blot analysis of the chromosomes prepared from various integrants and separated by pulse-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the integration occurred mainly in a particular chromosome and the copy number of the integration was variable. The amount of enzymes secreted by the transformants correlated with the copy number of integration. For each enzyme, the highest activity was about 1.4-fold that produced by the transformant harboring the same expression cassette on a YEp-type plasmid. The δ-integrated exogenous DNA was mitotically stable in rich medium. A haploid double transformant which coexpresses and secretes β-glucosidase and carboxymethyl cellulase was further constructed by genetic crossing of the haploid transformant that produces a high level of the enzyme, followed by meiotic segregation of the resulting diploid strain. The haploid double transformant, but neither of the single transformant, could grow on a plate containing carboxymethyl cellulose as a sole carbon source. It is suggested that the δ-sequence-mediated integration system is a very useful means for the genetic engineering of yeast, especially when overproduction and secretion of multiple heterologous enzymes are desired.

A Method for Pmo25-Associated Kinase Assay in Fission Yeast: The Activity Is Dependent on Two GC Kinases Nak1 and Sid1

In fission yeast, the conserved proteins, MO25/Pmo25, GC kinase/Nak1, Furry/Mor2, NDR kinase/Orb6, and Mob2, constitute the morphogenesis Orb6 network (MOR). Previously we showed that Pmo25 functions as an upstream component of MOR and that it plays a connecting role between the septation initiation network (SIN) and MOR. Here we establish a Pmo25-associated kinase assay and show that the activity is dependent on Nak1/MOR and Sid1/SIN.