MAL64 c is a global regulator of α-glucoside fermentation: identification of a new gene involved in melezitose fermentation

Summary Maltase constitutive mutants at the MAL6 locus have been mapped to the newly identified regulatory gene MAL64 ^c. We show here that MAL64 ^c has in addition pleiotropic effects on sugar fermentation: MAL64 ^c strains constitutively synthesize an -methylglucosidase and can complement a new gene, MTP1, for the fermentation of melezitose and -methylglucoside. MTP1, maps near MAL1, and either encodes a permease which transports melezitose, -methylglucoside, and maltose or regulates the activity of such a permease. This work shows that MAL64 ^c, a trans-acting regulatory gene, is a global regulatory gene affecting several different pathways of -glucoside metabolism.     

Genetic modification of the spontaneous rho − mutability in Saccharomyces cerevisiaee

Summary The phenotypic trait starry colony in Saccharomyces is associated with a high spontaneous rho ^– petite mutability. Genetic analysis of this trait has shown the high rho ^– mutability to be caused by several modifying genes present together in the strains studied. Every single modifying gene produces only a relatively small enhancement of the rho ^– mutability.     

Isolation of a Toxoplasma gondii cyclin by yeast two-hybrid interactive screen

GAL4-based yeast two-hybrid cDNA libraries from Toxoplasma gondii RH strain were constructed and screened for interactors of a putative T. gondii cdc2-related kinase, TgCRK2. A screen of 3.2 million transformants yielded a single yeast clone that harbored a protein fusion capable of specifically interacting with TgCRK2. Sequencing revealed the cDNA insert (TgCYC1) had homology to the cyclin class of proteins. The TgCYC1 cDNA fragment was used to probe a conventional T. gondii cDNA library and a 2.65 kb cDNA coding for a predicted protein of 582 amino acids was obtained. Based on comparison with a 5'-RACE product from tachyzoite mRNA, the 2.65 kb cDNA for TgCYC1 appeared to be complete. TgCYC1 had the highest similarity to Plasmodium falciparum CYC1 and displayed sequence characteristics that place it in the cyclin H class of eukaryotic cyclins. In synchronous tachyzoite populations the level of TgCYC1 mRNA was unchanged indicating it is not cell cycle regulated at the mRNA level. TgCYC1 rescues the G(1)/S cyclin cell cycle defect in S. cerevisiae strain DL1 demonstrating that this apicomplexan cyclin can function in an established heterologous model system.     

Mapping of sporulation-specific functions in the yeast syntaxin gene<Emphasis Type="Italic"> SSO1</Emphasis>

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has two closely related plasma membrane syntaxins, Sso1p and Sso2p, which together provide an essential function in vegetative cells. However, Sso1p is also specifically needed during sporulation; and this function cannot be provided by Sso2p. We used fusions between SSO1 and SSO2 to map the sporulation-specific function of SSO1. We found that the two N-terminal -helices Ha and Hb of Sso1p are important for sporulation, since it is reduced 8-fold for fusions where Ha and Hb are derived from Sso2p. In contrast, the C-terminal half of Sso1p does not seem to be specifically required for sporulation. Surprisingly, we further found that the 3 untranslated region (3UTR) of SSO1 is essential for sporulation. Western blots failed to reveal a preferential expression of Sso1p in sporulating cells, indicating that effects on gene expression are unlikely to explain why the SSO1 3UTR is needed for sporulation.Communicated by S. Hohmann     

Cloning and characterization of a novel gene which encodes a protein interacting with the mitosis-associated kinase-like protein NTKL

NTKL is an evolutionarily conserved kinase-like protein. The cell-cycle-dependent centrosomal localization of NTKL suggested that it was involved in centrosome-related cellular function. The mouse NTKL protein is highly homologous with human NTKL. A novel mouse protein was identified as an NTKL-binding protein (NTKL-BP1) by yeast two-hybrid screening, and the full-length cDNA was amplified based on the result of a sequence data analysis cloning strategy. The full-length cDNA sequence of the NTKL-BP1 gene consists of 2,537 bp, which encode 368 amino acids. A database search revealed that homologues of NTKL-BP1 exist in different organisms, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Drosophila melanogaster, Plasmodium falciparum, Geobacter metallireducens, Anopheles gambiae and human. It suggests that NTKL-BP1 is an evolutionarily conserved protein. The expression of NTKL-BP1 was observed in multiple normal mouse tissues. The interaction of the two proteins was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Moreover, immunofluorescent staining indicated that NTKL and NTKL-BP1 were all localized in the cytoplasm.     

Phenotypic suppression and nuclear accommodation of the mit − oxi1-V25 mutation in isolated yeast mitochondria

Summary Phenotypic suppression by the antibiotic, paromomycin, of the mitochondrial oxi1 ^–-V25 mutation, a mutation which arrests by premature ochre codon the synthesis of the cox 11 subunit, was studied in isolated yeast mitochondria competent in translation. This antibiotic is known to suppress the mutation in vivo (Dujardin et al. 1984) and allowed in vitro, at concentrations of 20–1100 Mg per ml. the synthesis of the cox II subunit. This strongly suggests that phenotypic suppression of mit ^– mutations is due to the direct action of paromomycin on mitochondrial ribosomes. The effect of paromomycin bears a resemblance to the function of the omnipotent nuclear suppressor mutation R705. The nuclear suppression was expressed in isolated mitochondria; suppressor mutation influenced the structure of the mitoribosome. Therefore, it appears that mitoribosomes are indeed the common target in the phenotypical and genetic nuclear suppression of the oxi1-V25 mutation.     

Interaction between the replicase proteins of Tomato bushy stunt virus in vitro and in vivo

Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), a tombusvirus with a non-segmented, plus-stranded RNA genome, codes for p33 and p92 replicase proteins. The sequence of p33 overlaps with the N-terminal domain of p92, which also contains the signature motifs of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) in its non-overlapping C-terminal portion. In this research, we demonstrate in vitro interactions between p33:p33 and p33:p92 using surface plasmon resonance analysis with purified recombinant p33 and p92. The sequence in p33 involved in the above protein-protein interactions was mapped to the C-terminal region, which also contains an RNA-binding site. Using the yeast two-hybrid assay, we confirmed that two short regions within p33 could promote p33:p33 and p33:p92 interactions in vivo. Mutations in either p33 or p92 within the short regions involved in p33:p33 and p33:p92 interactions decreased the replication of a TBSV defective interfering RNA in yeast, a model host, supporting the significance of these protein interactions in tombusvirus replication.     

The role of the p33:p33/p92 interaction domain in RNA replication and intracellular localization of p33 and p92 proteins of Cucumber necrosis tombusvirus

Replication of plus-stranded RNA viruses is performed by the viral replicase complex, which, together with the viral RNA, must be targeted to intracellular membranes, where replication takes place in membraneous vesicles/spherules. Tombusviruses code for two overlapping replication proteins, the p33 auxiliary protein and the p92 polymerase. Using replication-competent fluorescent protein-tagged p33 of Cucumber necrosis virus (CNV), we determined that two domains affected p33 targeting to peroxisomal membranes in yeast: an N-proximal hydrophobic trans-membrane sequence and the C-proximal p33:p33/p92 interaction domain. On the contrary, only the deletion of the p33:p33/p92 interaction domain, but not the trans-membrane sequence, altered the intracellular targeting of p92 protein in the presence of wt p33 and DI-72(+) RNA. Moreover, unlike p33, p92 lacking the trans-membrane sequence was still functional in supporting the replication of a replicon RNA in yeast, whereas the p33:p33/p92 interaction domain in both p33 and p92 was essential for replication. In addition, p33 was also shown to facilitate the recruitment of the viral RNA to peroxisomal membranes and that p33 is colocalized with (+) and (-)-stranded viral RNAs. Also, FRET and pull-down analyses confirmed that p33 interacts with other p33 molecules in yeast cells. Based on these data, we propose that p33 facilitates the formation of multimolecular complexes, including p33, p92, viral RNA, and unidentified host factors, which are then targeted to the peroxisomal membranes, the sites of CNV replication.     

A regulatory mutation in yeast which affects catalase T formation and metabolism of carbohydrate reserves

Summary Mutations at the GLC1 locus in Saccharomyces cerevisiae result in a major deficiency in synthesis of catalase T, but do not affect catalase A. Three independent glc1 mutations were shown to have the same pleiotropic phenotype: catalase T deficiency, defective glycogen synthesis and defective trehalose accumulation. These three deficiencies appear to be determined by a single, nuclear gene. The possibility that glc1 mutations alter a protein kinase is considered.