Sex chromosome evolution in cotton stainers of the genus Dysdercus (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae).

The neo-X and neo-Y sex chromosomes of Dysdercus albofasciatus represent a unique model for the study of early stages of sex chromosome evolution since they retained the ability to pair and recombine, in contrast to sex chromosomes in most Heteroptera. Here we examined structure, molecular differentiation, and meiotic behaviour of the D. albofasciatus neo-sex chromosomes. Two related species with the ancestral X0 system, D. chaquensis and D. ruficollis, were used for a comparison. In D. albofasciatus, 2 nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) were identified on the neo-X chromosome using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with an rDNA probe, whereas a single NOR was found on an autosomal pair in the other 2 species. Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) differentiated a part of the original X in the neo-X chromosome but not the neo-Y chromosome. The same segment of the neo-X chromosome was identified by Zoo-FISH with a chromosome painting probe derived from the X chromosome of D. ruficollis, indicating that this part is conserved between the species. Immunostaining against the cohesin subunit SMC3 revealed that only terminal regions of the D. albofasciatus neo-Xneo-Y bivalent pair and form a synaptonemal complex, which is in keeping with the occurrence of terminal chiasmata, whereas the interstitial region forms a large loop indicating the absence of homology. These results support the hypothesis that the neo-X chromosome evolved by insertion of the original X chromosome into 1 NOR-bearing autosome in an ancestor carrying the X0 system. As a consequence, the homologue of this NOR-autosome became the neo-Y chromosome. A subsequent inversion followed by transposition of the NOR located on the neo-Y onto the neo-X chromosome resulted in the present neo-sex chromosome system in D. albofasciatus.

Cyclophilins of a novel subfamily interact with SNW/SKIP coregulator in Dictyostelium discoideum and Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

We screened the Dictyostelium discoideum two-hybrid cDNA library with the SNW/SKIP transcription coregulator SnwA and identified a novel cyclophilin CypE. Independently, the Schizosaccharomyces pombe cDNA library was screened with the SnwA ortholog Snw1 and the ortholog of CypE (named Cyp2) was found. Both cyclophilins bind the respective SNW protein in their autologous systems. The interaction was localized to the N-terminal part of SnwA as well as of Snw1. CypE was confirmed in vitro to be a cyclosporin A-sensitive peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase. Remarkably, both SNW proteins bind the cyclophilins in a cyclosporin A independent manner, possibly serving as adaptors for these novel isomerases. These results are the first characterization of the members of a novel cyclophilin subfamily, which includes the human CGI-124/PPIL1 protein.

The fission yeast ortholog of the coregulator SKIP interacts with the small subunit of U2AF.

The mode of action of transcriptional coregulators may involve the recruitment of spliceosome components. Using the two-hybrid screen, we examined the interaction partners of spSNW1, the S. pombe ortholog of the human coregulator SNW1/SKIP/NCoA-62, and found it to interact with the small subunit of the splicing factor U2AF (spU2AF23). The interaction involves the C-terminal parts of spU2AF23 and spSNW1. Tagged variants of both proteins were expressed in S. pombe and the interaction was proved by coprecipitation in nuclear extracts. This interaction would explain the finding of SKIP in nuclear speckles (Mintz, P. J., et al., EMBO J. 18, 4308-4320, 1999) and in reconstituted spliceosomes (Neubauer, G., et al., Nat. Genet. 20, 46-50, 1998). We deleted the spSNW1 gene in the diploid strain and demonstrated that spSNW1 is an essential gene in S. pombe.