Identification of a positive regulator of the cell cycle ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Cdc34 (Ubc3).

The Cdc34 (Ubc3) ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae plays an essential role in the progression of cells from the G1 to S phase of the cell division cycle. Using a high-copy suppression strategy, we have identified a yeast gene (UBS1) whose elevated expression suppresses the conditional cell cycle defects associated with cdc34 mutations. The UBS1 gene encodes a 32.2-kDa protein of previously unknown function and is identical in sequence to a genomic open reading frame on chromosome II (GenBank accession number Z36034). Several lines of evidence described here indicate that Ubs1 functions as a general positive regulator of Cdc34 activity. First, overexpression of UBS1 suppresses not only the cell proliferation and morphological defects associated with cdc34 mutants but also the inability of cdc34 mutant cells to degrade the general amino acid biosynthesis transcriptional regulator, Gcn4. Second, deletion of the UBS1 gene profoundly accentuates the cell cycle defect when placed in combination with a cdc34 temperature-sensitive allele. Finally, a comparison of the Ubs1 and Cdc34 polypeptide sequences reveals two noncontiguous regions of similarity, which, when projected onto the three-dimensional structure of a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, define a single region situated on its surface. While cdc34 mutations corresponding to substitutions outside this region are suppressed by UBS1 overexpression, Ubs1 fails to suppress amino acid substitutions made within this region. Taken together with other findings, the allele specificity exhibited by UBS1 expression suggests that Ubs1 regulates Cdc34 by interaction or modification.

Mutations sensitizing yeast cells to the start inhibitor nalidixic acid.

The regulatory step Start in the cell cycle of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is inhibited by nalidixic acid (Nal). To study this inhibition, mutations were identified that alter the sensitivity of yeast cells to Nal. Nal-sensitive mutations were sought because the inhibitory effects of Nal on wild-type cells are only transient, and wild-type cells naturally become refractory to Nal. Three complementation groups of Nal-sensitive mutations were found. Mutations in the first complementation group were shown to reside in the ARO7 gene, encoding chorismate mutase; tyrosine and phenylalanine synthesis was inhibited by Nal in these aro7 mutants, whereas wild-type chorismate mutase was unaffected, These aro7 alleles demonstrate 'recruitment', by mutation, of an innately indifferent protein to an inhibitor-sensitive form. The Nal-sensitive aro7 mutant cells were used to show that the resumption of Nal-inhibited nuclear activity and cell proliferation takes place while cytoplasmic Nal persists at concentrations inhibitory for the mutant chorismate mutase. Mutations in the second complementation group, nss2 (Nal-supersensitive), increased intracellular Nal concentrations, and may simply alter the permeability of cells to Nal. The third complementation group was found to be the ERG6 gene, previously suggested to encode the ergosterol biosynthetic enzyme sterol methyltransferase. Mutation or deletion of the ERG6 gene had little effect on the inhibition of Start by Nal, but prevented recovery from this inhibition. Mutation of ERG3, encoding another ergosterol biosynthetic enzyme, also caused Nal sensitivity, suggesting that plasma membrane sterol composition, and plasma membrane function, mediates recovery from Nal-mediated inhibition of Start.

Increased ubiquitin expression suppresses the cell cycle defect associated with the yeast ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, CDC34 (UBC3). Evidence for a noncovalent interaction between CDC34 and ubiquitin.

The yeast ubiquitin (Ub) conjugating enzyme CDC34 plays a crucial role in the progression of the cell cycle from the G1 to S phase. In an effort to identify proteins that interact with CDC34 we undertook a genetic screen to isolate genes whose increased expression suppressed the cell cycle defect associated with the cdc34-2 temperature-sensitive allele. From this screen, the poly-Ub gene UBI4 was identified as a moderately strong suppressor. The fact that the overexpression of a gene encoding a single Ub protein could also suppress the cdc34-2 allele indicated that suppression was related to the increased abundance of Ub. Ub overexpression was found to suppress two other structurally unrelated cdc34 mutations, in addition to the cdc34-2 allele. In all three cases, suppression depended on the expression of Ub with an intact carboxyl terminus. Only the cdc34-2 allele, however, could be suppressed by Ub with an amino acid substitution at lysine 48 which is known to be involved in multi-Ub chain assembly. Genetic results showing allele specific suppression of cdc34 mutations by various Ub derivatives suggested a specific noncovalent interaction between Ub and CDC34. Consistent with this prediction, we have shown by chemical cross-linking the existence of a specific noncovalent Ub binding site on CDC34. Together, these genetic and biochemical experiments indicate that Ub suppression of these cdc34 mutations results from the combined contributions of Ub-CDC34 thiol ester formation and a noncovalent interaction between Ub and CDC34 and therefore suggest that the correct positioning of Ub on a surface of the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme is a requirement of enzyme function.

Functional and physical characterization of the cell cycle ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme CDC34 (UBC3). Identification of a functional determinant within the tail that facilitates CDC34 self-association.

Like several other ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, the yeast cell cycle enzyme CDC34 (UBC3) has a carboxyl-terminal extension or tail. These tails appear to carry out unique functions that can vary from one ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme to the next. Using biophysical techniques we have determined that the tail of CDC34 constitutes a highly structured and extended domain. Although the tail of CDC34 is the largest tail identified to date (125 residues), we have found that only 39 residues lying adjacent to the catalytic domain are necessary and sufficient for full cell cycle function and that this region fulfills a novel function that may be common to the tails of other ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes. Cross-linking studies demonstrate that this region facilitates a physical interaction between CDC34 monomers in vitro. Furthermore, phenotypic analysis of various CDC34 derivatives expressed in different cdc34 mutant strains indicates that this region facilitates the same interaction in vivo. Based on these findings, it appears that the cell cycle function of CDC34 is dependent upon the ability of CDC34 monomers to interact with one another and that this interaction is mediated by a small region of the CDC34 tail. The similarity of this region with sequences contained within the tails of the UBC1 and UBC6 enzymes suggests that these tails may function in a similar manner.

Peritoneal exudate lymphocyte and mixed lymphocyte culture hybridomas are cytolytic in the absence of cytotoxic cell proteinases and perforin.

We have utilized the sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine whether cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) hybridomas generated from peritoneal exudate lymphocytes (PEL) and mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) express transcripts for perforin and the cytotoxic cell proteinases CCP1 to CCP5. We could readily detect less than one transcript per cell using this methodology. Cytolytic activity could be induced to varying levels in four of the five hybridoma clones tested. With the exception of low level CCP2 expression in the MLC hybridoma MD45 following antigen stimulation, all of the hybridomas could be stimulated to function as potent cytolytic cells in the complete absence of perforin or CCP transcripts. PCR analysis utilizing actin primers indicated that all samples contained material which could be reverse transcribed and PCR-amplified. These results support the argument that populations of lymphocytes do exist that are capable of target cell lysis by an alternative mechanism not involving perforin and CCP.

A comparison of the flanking regions of the mouse cytotoxic cell proteinase genes.

T lymphocyte activation correlates with the transcriptional induction of a variety of genes that encode proteins that are believed to play a role in specific effector functions of the mature cells. Transcripts corresponding to members of the cytotoxic cell proteinase (CCP) family of genes accumulate with different kinetics depending upon the nature of the T cell stimulus. The profile of expression for each family member is unique. Sequences corresponding to the 5' and 3' flanking regions of each of the CCP genes were isolated and sequenced. A comparison of these sequences reveal regions of conservation that are consistent with the differential expression observed and indicate potential regulatory elements.

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of cytotoxic cell proteinase gene transcripts in T cells. Pattern of expression is dependent on the nature of the stimulus.

A quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was developed that allowed us to monitor transcript levels corresponding to individual members of the cytotoxic cell proteinase (CCP) gene family during T cell activation. Selective expression was observed and shown to depend upon the mode of T cell antigen receptor stimulation. Mitogen or allogeneic stimulation of cells resulted in the appearance of transcripts corresponding to all the genes measured, whereas alpha CD3 antibody produced a response restricted to just two family members. This differential gene activation represents a heterogeneity in cytotoxic T lymphocytes that has not been recognized previously. It may indicate that the T cell branch of the immune system can distinguish between different forms of stimulation and respond by synthesizing a specific set of effector and ancillary molecules that is most appropriate for lysis of cells bearing that type of antigen. Only CCP1 transcripts correlated with cytotoxicity for all modes of stimulation. The patterns for the others are suggestive of distinct and ancillary, rather than direct effector, roles in the lytic mechanism.

A site-directed approach for constructing temperature-sensitive ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes reveals a cell cycle function and growth function for RAD6.

We have determined the gene sequence of a temperature-sensitive allele of the cell cycle-related ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme CDC34 (UBC 3) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The basis of temperature sensitivity is a missense mutation resulting in a proline to serine substitution at a residue that is conserved in all ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes identified thus far. This observation raised the possibility that other temperature-sensitive ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes could be generated in the same way. We therefore created the corresponding substitution in the DNA repair-related ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, RAD6 (UBC2), and examined the effect of temperature on the cell proliferation and DNA repair-related functions of this altered polypeptide. Yeast strains carrying this mutation proved to be temperature-sensitive with respect to cell proliferation but not with respect to the DNA damage-processing phenotypes exhibited by other rad6 mutants. Upon further investigation of the proliferation defect exhibited by this mutant, we discovered that other rad6 gene mutants deleted for the gene undergo cell cycle arrest at the nonpermissive temperature, whereas the engineered temperature-sensitive allele showed no evidence of a cell cycle defect. From these findings, we conclude that the proliferation function of RAD6 can be subdivided into a growth component and a cell division cycle component and that the growth component is unrelated to the DNA repair functions of RAD6. A reasonable interpretation of these results is that different proteins are targeted for ubiquitination in each case. The conserved proline residue of RAD6 and CDC34 is part of a turn motif common to all ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes. It is therefore likely that site-directed substitution of prolines located in turns can be generally applied for the creation of other temperature-sensitive ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes and possibly other proteins as well.

Structure and evolution of the cytotoxic cell proteinase genes CCP3, CCP4 and CCP5.

A family of serine proteinases is believed to be important in cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Presented here are the genomic sequences for three murine members of this cytotoxic cell proteinase (CCP) family: the CCP3, CCP4 and CCP5 genes. All three of these genes have introns inserted at the same codon sites and the same exon distribution of the active site residues. These characteristics are also shared with the CCP1 and CCP2 genes, the charter members of the CCP gene family. Phylogenetic analysis using intron and exon sequences suggests that all five genes arose by various duplication events. This analysis also indicates that the recently described HuCCPX and CCP2 genes originated from recombination events between genes of different lineages. A phylogenetic and Southern analysis of the recombinant HuCCPX gene suggests that the human genome contains an additional CCP gene that has yet to be described. Finally, evidence is presented suggesting that the cDNA clone originally describing the CCP5 gene was derived from an alternately spliced transcript.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae MYO2 gene encodes an essential myosin for vectorial transport of vesicles.

After the initiation of bud formation, cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae direct new growth to the developing bud. We show here that this vectorial growth is facilitated by activity of the MYO2 gene. The wild-type MYO2 gene encodes an essential form of myosin composed of an NH2-terminal domain typical of the globular, actin-binding domain of other myosins. This NH2-terminal domain is linked by what appears to be a short alpha-helical domain to a novel COOH-terminal region. At the restrictive temperature the myo2-66 mutation does not impair DNA, RNA, or protein biosynthetic activity, but produces unbudded, enlarged cells. This phenotype suggests a defect in localization of cell growth. Measurements of cell size demonstrated that the continued development of initiated buds, as well as bud initiation itself, is inhibited. Bulk secretion continues in mutant cells, although secretory vesicles accumulate. The MYO2 myosin thus may function as the molecular motor to transport secretory vesicles along actin cables to the site of bud development.

Size selection identifies new genes that regulate Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell proliferation.

A centrifugation procedure to enrich for enlarged cells has been used to isolate temperature-sensitive cdc mutants of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Among these mutants are strains containing mutations that arrest proliferation at the regulatory step start. These new start mutations define two previously unidentified genes, CDC67 and CDC68, and reveal that a previously identified gene, DNA33 (here termed CDC65), can harbour start mutations. Each new start mutation permits significant biosynthetic activity after transfer of mutant cells to the non-permissive temperature. The cdc68-1 start mutation causes arrest of cell proliferation without inhibition of mating ability, while the cdc65-1 and cdc67-1 mutations inhibit zygote formation and successful conjugation. The identification of new start genes by a novel selection procedure suggests that the catalog of genes that influence start is large.

The effect of spermine on spontaneous and UV-induced mutations in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

The effect of different concentrations of spermine on spontaneous and UV-induced mutation in the adenine forward mutation system of Schizosaccharomyces pombe was investigated. The effect of spermine on spontaneous mutation was studied in 5 mutator strains (mut 1-4, mut 1-23, mut 2-9, mut 2-20 and mut 3-21) and on UV-induced mutation in a pigmented adenine-requiring strain and its radiation-sensitive derivative (rad 13). The effect of spermine exposure on mutation induction before and after UV irradiation was also investigated. Spermine increased spontaneous forward mutation in the mut 1-4 strain by 47%, and enhanced UV-induced forward mutation 2-fold in the rad 13 and normal pigmented strains. No antimutagenic effect of spermine was seen in any of the strains tested. This is in marked contrast to the antimutagenic effect of spermine observed with bacteria.