Masaaki Iwamoto

Identification and Characterization of Nuclear Pore Complex Components in Arabidopsis thaliana

Interactive proteomics technology was used to identify Arabidopsis nucleoporins, which are components of the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Nucleoporin domain organization is similar in plants, vertebrates, and yeast. This finding suggests that most NPC structures are conserved throughout eukaryotes. The nuclear pore complex (NPC) facilitates nucleocytoplasmic transport, a crucial process for various cellular activities. The NPC comprises ~30 nucleoporins and is well characterized in vertebrates and yeast. However, only eight plant nucleoporins have been identified, and little information is available about the complete molecular structure of plant NPCs. In this study, an interactive proteomic approach was used to identify Arabidopsis thaliana nucleoporins. A series of five cycles of interactive proteomic analysis was performed using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged nucleoporins. The identified nucleoporins were then cloned and subcellular localization analyses were performed. We found that the plant NPC contains at least 30 nucleoporins, 22 of which had not been previously annotated. Surprisingly, plant nucleoporins shared a similar domain organization to their vertebrate (human) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) counterparts. Moreover, the plant nucleoporins exhibited higher sequence homology to vertebrate nucleoporins than to yeast nucleoporins. Plant NPCs lacked seven components (NUCLEOPORIN358 [Nup358], Nup188, Nup153, Nup45, Nup37, NUCLEAR DIVISION CYCLE1, and PORE MEMBRANE PROTEIN OF 121 kD) that were present in vertebrate NPCs. However, plants possessed a nucleoporin, Nup136/Nup1, that contained Phe-Gly repeats, and sequence analysis failed to identify a vertebrate homolog for this protein. Interestingly, Nup136-GFP showed greater mobility on the nuclear envelope than did other nucleoporins, and a Nup136/Nup1 deficiency caused various defects in plant development. These findings provide valuable new information about plant NPC structure and function.

Two distinct repeat sequences of Nup98 nucleoporins characterize dual nuclei in the binucleated ciliate tetrahymena.

Ciliated protozoa have two functionally distinct nuclei, a micronucleus (MIC) and a macronucleus (MAC) [1]. These two nuclei are distinct in size, transcriptional activity, and division cycle control, proceeding with cycles of DNA replication and nuclear division at different times within the same cell [2, 3]. The structural basis generating functionally distinct nuclei remains unknown. Here, we show that, in Tetrahymena thermophila, the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) of MIC and MAC are composed of different sets of nucleoporins. Among the 13 nucleoporins identified, Nup98 homologs were of interest because two out of the four homologs were localized exclusively in the MAC and the other two were localized exclusively in the MIC. The two MAC-localizing Nup98s contain repeats of GLFG [4]. In contrast, the two MIC-localizing Nup98s lack the GLFG repeats and instead contain a novel repeat signature of NIFN. Ectopic expression of a chimeric MIC-localizing Nup98 homolog bearing GLFG repeats obstructed the nuclear accumulation of MIC-specific nuclear proteins, and expression of a chimeric MAC-localizing Nup98 homolog bearing NIFN repeats obstructed the nuclear accumulation of MAC-specific nuclear proteins. These results suggest that Nup98s act as a barrier to misdirected localization of nucleus-specific proteins. Our findings provide the first evidence that the NPC contributes to nucleus-selective transport in ciliates.

Nucleoporin Nup98: a gatekeeper in the eukaryotic kingdoms

The nucleoporin Nup98 is an essential component of the nuclear pore complex. This peripheral nucleoporin with its Gly‐Leu‐Phe‐Gly (GLFG) repeat domain contributes to nuclear‐cytoplasmic trafficking, including mRNA export. In addition, accumulating studies indicate that Nup98 plays roles in several important biological events such as gene expression, mitotic checkpoint, and pathogenesis. Nup98 is well conserved among organisms belonging to the fungi and animal kingdoms. These kingdoms belong to the eukaryotic supergroup Opisthokonta. However, there is considerable diversity in the Nup98 orthologs expressed in organisms belonging to other eukaryotic supergroups. Intriguingly, in ciliates, a unicellular organism having two functionally distinct nuclei, GLFG‐Nup98 is present in one of the nuclei and a distinct Nup98 ortholog is present in the other nucleus, and these different Nup98s participate in a nucleus‐selective transport mechanism. In this review, we focus on Nup98 function and discuss how this nucleoporin has evolved in eukaryotic kingdoms.

Characterization of nuclear pore complex components in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is an enormous proteinaceous complex composed of multiple copies of about 30 different proteins called nucleoporins. In this study, we analyzed the composition of the NPC in the model organism Schizosaccharomyces pombe using strains in which individual nucleoporins were tagged with GFP. We identified 31 proteins as nucleoporins by their localization to the nuclear periphery. Gene disruption analysis in previous studies coupled with gene disruption analysis in the present study indicates that 15 of these nucleoporins are essential for vegetative cell growth and the other 16 nucleoporins are non-essential. Among the 16 non-essential nucleoporins, 11 are required for normal progression through meiosis and their disruption caused abnormal spore formation or poor spore viability. Based on fluorescence measurements of GFP-fused nucleoporins, we estimated the composition of the NPC in S. pombe and found that the organization of the S. pombe NPC is largely similar to that of other organisms; a single NPC was estimated as being 45.8–47.8 MDa in size. We also used fluorescence measurements of single NPCs and quantitative western blotting to analyze the composition of the Nup107-Nup160 subcomplex, which plays an indispensable role in NPC organization and function. Our analysis revealed low amounts of Nup107 and Nup131 and high amounts of Nup132 in the Nup107-Nup160 subcomplex, suggesting that the composition of this complex in S. pombe may differ from that in S. cerevisiae and humans. Comparative analysis of NPCs in various organisms will lead to a comprehensive understanding of the functional architecture of the NPC.

Biased assembly of the nuclear pore complex is required for somatic and germline nuclear differentiation in Tetrahymena

Ciliates have two functionally distinct nuclei, a somatic macronucleus (MAC) and a germline micronucleus (MIC) that develop from daughter nuclei of the last postzygotic division (PZD) during the sexual process of conjugation. Understanding this nuclear dimorphism is a central issue in ciliate biology. We show, by live‐cell imaging of Tetrahymena, that biased assembly of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) occurs immediately after the last PZD, which generates anterior‐posterior polarized nuclei: MAC‐specific NPCs assemble in anterior presumptive MACs but not in posterior presumptive MICs. MAC‐specific NPC assembly in the anterior nuclei occurs much earlier than transport of Twi1p, which is required for MAC genome rearrangement. Correlative light‐electron microscopy shows that addition of new nuclear envelope (NE) precursors occurs through the formation of domains of redundant NE, where the outer double membrane contains the newly assembled NPCs. Nocodazole inhibition of the second PZD results in assembly of MAC‐specific NPCs in the division‐failed zygotic nuclei, leading to failure of MIC differentiation. Our findings demonstrate that NPC type switching has a crucial role in the establishment of nuclear differentiation in ciliates.

Puromycin resistance gene as an effective selection marker for ciliate Tetrahymena.

A puromycin-N-acetyltransferase gene (pac) is widely used as a selection marker for eukaryotic gene manipulation. However, it has never been utilized for molecular studies in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, in spite of the limited number of selection markers available for this organism. To utilize pac as a maker gene for T. thermophila, the nucleotide sequence of the pac gene was altered to accord with the most preferred codon-usage in T. thermophila. This codon-optimized pac gene expressed in T. thermophila conferred a resistance to transformed cells against 2,000 μg/ml of puromycin dihydrochloride, whereas the growth of wild-type cells was completely inhibited by 200 μg/ml. Furthermore, an expression cassette constructed with the codon-optimized pac and an MTT1 promoter was effectively utilized for experiments to tag endogenous proteins of interest by fusing the cassette into the target gene locus. These results indicate that pac can be used as a selection marker in molecular studies of T. thermophila.

Compositionally distinct nuclear pore complexes of functionally distinct dimorphic nuclei in the ciliate Tetrahymena

ABSTRACT The nuclear pore complex (NPC), a gateway for nucleocytoplasmic trafficking, is composed of ∼30 different proteins called nucleoporins. It remains unknown whether the NPCs within a species are homogeneous or vary depending on the cell type or physiological condition. Here, we present evidence for compositionally distinct NPCs that form within a single cell in a binucleated ciliate. In Tetrahymena thermophila, each cell contains both a transcriptionally active macronucleus (MAC) and a germline micronucleus (MIC). By combining in silico analysis, mass spectrometry analysis for immuno-isolated proteins and subcellular localization analysis of GFP-fused proteins, we identified numerous novel components of MAC and MIC NPCs. Core members of the Nup107–Nup160 scaffold complex were enriched in MIC NPCs. Strikingly, two paralogs of Nup214 and of Nup153 localized exclusively to either the MAC or MIC NPCs. Furthermore, the transmembrane components Pom121 and Pom82 localize exclusively to MAC and MIC NPCs, respectively. Our results argue that functional nuclear dimorphism in ciliates is likely to depend on the compositional and structural specificity of NPCs. Summary: There are compositional and structural differences in the nuclear pore complexes present in the functionally differentiated macronucleus and micronucleus within the single cytoplasm of ciliated protozoa.

Live correlative light-electron microscopy to observe molecular dynamics in high resolution.

Fluorescence microscopy (FM) is a powerful tool for observing specific molecular components in living cells, but its spatial resolution is relatively low. In contrast, electron microscopy (EM) provides high-resolution information about cellular structures, but it cannot provide temporal information in living cells. To achieve molecular selectivity in imaging at high resolution, a method combining EM imaging with live-cell fluorescence imaging, known as live correlative light-EM (CLEM), has been developed. In this method, living cells are first observed by FM, fixed in situ during the live observation and then subjected to EM observation. Various fluorescence techniques and tools can be applied for FM, resulting in the generation of various modified methods that are useful for understanding cellular structure in high resolution. Here, we review the methods of CLEM and live-cell imaging associated with CLEM (live CLEM). Such methods can greatly advance the understanding of the function of cellular structures on a molecular level, and thus are useful for medical fields as well as for basic biology.

The nuclear pore complex acts as a master switch for nuclear and cell differentiation

Cell differentiation is associated with the functional differentiation of the nucleus, in which alteration of the expression profiles of transcription factors occurs to destine cell fate. Nuclear transport machineries, such as importin-α, have also been reported as critical factors that induce cell differentiation. Using various fluorescence live cell imaging methods, including time-lapse imaging, FRAP analysis and live-cell imaging associated correlative light and electron microscopy (Live CLEM) of Tetrahymena, a unicellular ciliated protozoan, we have recently discovered that type switching of the NPC is the earliest detectable event of nuclear differentiation. Our studies suggest that this type switching of the NPC directs the fate of the nucleus to differentiate into either a macronucleus or a micronucleus. Our findings in this organism may provide new insights into the role of the NPC in controlling nuclear functions in general in eukaryotes, including controlling cell fate leading to cell differentiation in multicellular metazoa.

Monoclonal Antibodies Recognize Gly-Leu-Phe-Gly Repeat of Nucleoporin Nup98 of Tetrahymena, Yeasts, and Humans

Nucleoporin Nup98, an essential component of the nuclear pore complex, has multifunctional roles in nuclear functions including transcriptional regulation and nucleocytoplasmic transport. These functions mostly depend on a Gly-Leu-Phe-Gly (GLFG) sequence appearing repetitively in the N-terminal region of Nup98. As the GLFG sequence is well conserved among Nup98s from a wide variety of species including humans, yeasts, and ciliates such as Tetrahymena thermophila, a specific antibody that recognizes the GLFG sequence is expected to detect various Nup98s from a wide-range of species. To generate monoclonal antibodies specific to the GLFG repeat of Nup98, we used two synthetic polypeptides derived from the macronuclear Nup98 of T. thermophila as an antigen. We obtained two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), 13C2 and 21A10, that recognize Nup98s in indirect immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis of T. thermophila. Peptide array analysis of these monoclonal antibodies located the position of their epitopes at or near GLFG residues: the epitope recognized by the 13C2 MAb is FGxxN (x being any amino acid), and the epitope recognized by the 21A10 MAb is GLF. As expected by their epitopes, these monoclonal antibodies also recognize Nup98 homologs expressed by human cells and the yeasts Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, indicating that 13C2 and 21A10 MAbs recognize Nup98 epitopes common to phylogenetically distinct organisms. Thus, these MAbs are useful in studying a wide variety of biological phenomena that involve Nup98, ranging from ciliate nuclear dimorphism to NUP98-related human leukemia.