ERB1, the yeast homolog of mammalian Bop1, is an essential gene required for maturation of the 25S and 5.8S ribosomal RNAs.

We have recently shown that the mammalian nucleolar protein Bop1 is involved in synthesis of the 28S and 5.8S ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and large ribosome subunits in mouse cells. Here we have investigated the functions of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae homolog of Bop1, Erb1p, encoded by the previously uncharacterized open reading frame YMR049C. Gene disruption showed that ERB1 is essential for viability. Depletion of Erb1p resulted in a loss of 25S and 5.8S rRNAs synthesis, while causing only a moderate reduction and not a complete block in 18S rRNA formation. Processing analysis showed that Erb1p is required for synthesis of 7S pre-rRNA and mature 25S rRNA from 27SB pre-rRNA. In Erb1p-depleted cells these products of 27SB processing are largely absent and 27SB pre-rRNA is under-accumulated, apparently due to degradation. In addition, depletion of Erb1p caused delayed processing of the 35S pre-rRNA. These findings demonstrate that Erb1p, like its mammalian counterpart Bop1, is required for formation of rRNA components of the large ribosome particles. The similarities in processing defects caused by functional disruption of Erb1p and Bop1 suggest that late steps in maturation of the large ribosome subunit rRNAs employ mechanisms that are evolutionarily conserved throughout eukaryotes.

Chronic renal failure in a mouse model of human adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency.

In humans, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT, EC 2.4.2.7) deficiency can manifest as nephrolithiasis, interstitial nephritis, and chronic renal failure. APRT catalyzes synthesis of AMP from adenine and 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate. In the absence of APRT, 2,8-dihydroxyadenine (DHA) is produced from adenine by xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) and can precipitate in the renal interstitium, resulting in kidney disease. Treatment with allopurinol controls formation of DHA stones by inhibiting XDH activity. Kidney disease in APRT-deficient mice resembles that seen in humans. By age 12 wk, APRT-deficient male mice are, on average, mildly anemic and smaller than normal males. They have extensive renal interstitial damage (assessed by image analysis) and elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and their creatinine clearance rates, which measure excretion of infused creatinine as an estimate of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), are about half that of wild-type males. APRT-deficient males treated with allopurinol in the drinking water had normal BUN and less extensive visible renal damage, but creatinine clearance remained low. Throughout their lifespans, homozygous null female mice manifested significantly less renal damage than homozygous null males of the same age. APRT-deficient females showed no significant impairment of GFR at age 12 wk. Consequences of APRT deficiency in male mice are more pronounced than in females, possibly due to differences in rates of adenine or DHA synthesis or to sex-determined responses of the kidneys.

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase-deficient mice develop 2,8-dihydroxyadenine nephrolithiasis.

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) deficiency in humans is an autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by the urinary excretion of adenine and the highly insoluble compound 2,8-dihydroxyadenine (DHA) that can produce kidney stones or renal failure. Targeted homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells was used to produce mice that lack APRT. Mice homozygous for a null Aprt allele excrete adenine and DHA crystals in the urine. Renal histopathology showed extensive tubular dilation, inflammation, necrosis, and fibrosis that varied in severity between different mouse backgrounds. Thus, biochemical and histological changes in these mice mimic the human disease and provide a suitable model of human hereditary nephrolithiasis.