Michael D. Mendenhall

The B-type cyclin kinase inhibitor p40SIC1 controls the G1 to S transition in S. cerevisiae

When yeast cells reach a critical size, they initiate bud formation, spindle pole body duplication, and DNA replication almost simultaneously. All three events depend on activation of Cdc28 protein kinase by the G1 cyclins Cln1, -2, and -3. We show that DNA replication also requires activation of Cdc28 by B-type (Clb) cyclins. A sextuple clb1-6 mutant arrests as multibudded G1 cells that resemble cells lacking the Cdc34 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. cdc34 mutants cannot enter S phase because they fail to destroy p40SIC1, which is a potent inhibitor of Clb but not Cln forms of the Cdc28 kinase. In wild-type cells, p40SIC1 protein appears at the end of mitosis and disappears shortly before S phase. Proteolysis of a cyclin-specific inhibitor of Cdc28 is therefore an essential aspect of the G1 to S phase transition.

Multisite phosphorylation of a CDK inhibitor sets a threshold for the onset of DNA replication

SCF ubiquitin ligases target phosphorylated substrates for ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis by means of adapter subunits called F-box proteins. The F-box protein Cdc4 captures phosphorylated forms of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor Sic1 for ubiquitination in late G1 phase, an event necessary for the onset of DNA replication. The WD40 repeat domain of Cdc4 binds with high affinity to a consensus phosphopeptide motif (the Cdc4 phospho-degron, CPD), yet Sic1 itself has many sub-optimal CPD motifs that act in concert to mediate Cdc4 binding. The weak CPD sites in Sic1 establish a phosphorylation threshold that delays degradation in vivo, and thereby establishes a minimal G1 phase period needed to ensure proper DNA replication. Multisite phosphorylation may be a more general mechanism to set thresholds in regulated protein–protein interactions.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae CKS1 gene, a homolog of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe suc1+ gene, encodes a subunit of the Cdc28 protein kinase complex.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene CDC28 encodes a protein kinase required for cell cycle initiation. In an attempt to identify genes encoding proteins that interact with the Cdc28 protein kinase, high-copy plasmid suppressors of a temperature-sensitive cdc28 mutation were isolated. One such suppressor, CKS1, was found to encode an 18-kilodalton protein that shared a high degree of homology with the suc1+ protein (p13) of Schizosaccharomyces pombe (67% amino acid sequence identity). Disruption of the chromosomal CKS1 gene conferred a G1 arrest phenotype similar to that of cdc28 mutants. The presence of the 18-kilodalton Cks1 protein in yeast lysates was demonstrated by using Cks-1 specific antiserum. Furthermore, the Cks1 protein was shown to be physically associated with active forms of the Cdc28 protein kinase. These data suggest that Cks1 is an essential component of the Cdc28 protein kinase complex.

An inhibitor of yeast cyclin-dependent protein kinase plays an important role in ensuring the genomic integrity of daughter cells.

The gene encoding a 40-kDa protein, previously studied as a substrate and inhibitor of the yeast cyclin-dependent protein kinase, Cdc28, has been cloned. The DNA sequence reveals that p40 is a highly charged protein of 32,187 Da with no significant homology to other proteins. Overexpression of the gene encoding p40, SIC1, produces cells with an elongated but morphology similar to that of cells with depleted levels of the CLB gene products, suggesting that p40 acts as an inhibitor of Cdc28-Clb complexes in vivo. A SIC1 deletion is viable and has highly increased frequencies of broken and lost chromosomes. The deletion strain segregates out many dead cells that are primarily arrested at the G2 checkpoint in an asymmetric fashion. Only daughters and young mothers display the lethal defect, while experienced mothers appear to grow normally. These results suggest that negative regulation of Cdc28 protein kinase activity by p40 is important for faithful segregation of chromosomes to daughter cells.

Dual regulation of the yeast CDC28-p40 protein kinase complex: Cell cycle, pheromone, and nutrient limitation effects

A 40 kd polypeptide that coprecipitates with the CDC28 gene product in immune complexes is specifically phosphorylated by the CDC28 protein kinase. Using this reaction, we detect activity only in extracts from dividing G1 phase cells. Exit from G1 by entry into S phase or the preconjugatory state induced by mating pheromone correlates with loss of p40 phosphorylation activity. Inactive extracts from cdc28 mutants complement extracts from cells arrested in S or M phase, suggesting that non-G1 cells are deficient in an exchangeable activating factor. Stationary and pheromone-treated cultures are rich in this exchangeable factor, but possess an inactive kinase that is not activated by complementation. cAMP-deficient mutants resemble stationary cells.

Cytolethal Distending Toxin Demonstrates Genotoxic Activity in a Yeast Model

ABSTRACT Cytolethal distending toxins (CDTs) are multisubunit proteins produced by a variety of bacterial pathogens that cause enlargement, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis in mammalian cells. While their function remains uncertain, recent studies suggest that they can act as intracellular DNases in mammalian cells. Here we establish a novel yeast model for understanding CDT-associated disease. Expression of the CdtB subunit in yeast causes a G2/M arrest, as seen in mammalian cells. CdtB toxicity is not circumvented in yeast genetically altered to lack DNA damage checkpoint control or that constitutively promote cell cycle progression via mutant Cdk1, because CdtB causes a permanent type of damage that results in loss of viability. Finally, we establish that CDTs are likely to be potent genotoxins, as indicated by in vivo degradation of chromosomal DNA associated with expression of CdtB—suggesting that the varied distribution of CDT in bacteria implicates many human pathogens as possessors of genotoxic activity.

Yeast G1 cyclins are unstable in G1 phase

In most eukaryotes, commitment to cell division occurs in late G1 phase at an event called Start in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and called the restriction point in mammalian cells. Start is triggered by the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdc28 and threerate-limiting activators, the G1 cyclins Cln1, Cln2 and Cln3 (ref. 3). Cyclin accumulation in G1 is driven in part by the cell-cycle-regulated transcription of CLN1 and CLN2, which peaks at Start. CLN transcription is modulated by physiological signals that regulate G1 progression,, but it is unclear whether Cln protein stability is cell-cycle-regulated. It has been suggested that once cells pass Start, Cln proteolysis is triggered by the mitotic cyclins Clb1, 2, 3 and 4 (ref. 6). But here we show that G1 cyclins are unstable in G1 phase, and that Clb–Cdc28 activity is not needed for G1 cyclin turnover. Cln instability thus provides a means to couple Cln–Cdc28 activity to transcriptional regulation and protein synthetic rate in pre-Start G1 cells.

Determining the role of IL-4 induced neuroinflammation in microglial activity and amyloid-β using BV2 microglial cells and APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

BackgroundMicroglia are considered the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). In response to harmful stimuli, an inflammatory reaction ensues in which microglia are activated in a sequenced spectrum of pro- and antiinflammatory phenotypes that are akin to the well-characterized polarization states of peripheral macrophages. A “classically” activated M1 phenotype is known to eradicate toxicity. The transition to an “alternatively” activated M2 phenotype encompasses neuroprotection and repair. In recent years, inflammation has been considered an accompanying pathology in response to the accumulation of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to drive an M2a-biased immune phenotype with IL-4 in vitro and in vivo and to determine the subsequent effects on microglial activation and Aβ pathology.MethodsIn vitro, exogenous IL-4 was applied to BV2 microglial cell cultures to evaluate the temporal progression of microglial responses. In vivo, intracranial injections of an adeno-associate-virus (AAV) viral vector were performed to assess long-term expression of IL-4 in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of Aβ-depositing, APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to assess the fold change in expression of biomarkers representing each of the microglial phenotypes in both the animal tissue and the BV2 cells. ELISAs quantified IL-4 expression and Aβ levels. Histological staining permitted quantification of microglial and astrocytic activity.ResultsBoth in vitro and in vivo models showed an enhanced M2a phenotype, and the in vivo model revealed a trend toward a decreased trend in Aβ deposition.ConclusionsIn summary, this study offers insight into the therapeutic potential of microglial immune response in AD.

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The yeasts Saccharornices cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe have been favored organisms for the study of the basic biology, genetics, and biochemistry of the mitotic cycle. Much of what we understand about eukaryotic cell division derives from studies in these organisms. Cyclin-dependent protein kinase (CDK) inhibitors (CKI), the focus of this volume, were first described in yeast, and yeast is still the best system for dissecting out the complex in vivo relationships between the CKI and other cell cycle components. This article summarizes the current state of the literature on four CKI — Pho85, Sicl, Farl, and Rum1 (Table 1) — with a particular emphasis on placing their activities in the perspective of larger cellular processes.

The Cdc28 inhibitor p40SIC1

Sic1 inhibits the activity of Cdc28.Clb5 complexes in late G1, creating a delay between cell cycle commitment and S phase initiation. The ultimate purpose of this delay is unknown but loss of Sic1 activity negatively affects genomic stability and cellular viability. Sic1 levels are controlled by periodic changes in transcription rates and protein stability. The latter control is mediated through the Cdc34 ubiquitin transferase and, possibly, Cdc28.Cln activity. Possible roles of Sic1 in the G1/S and the M/G1 transitions are discussed.