The ß-1,3-glucanosyltransferase Gas1 regulates Sir2-mediated rDNA stability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the stability of highly repetitive rDNA array is maintained through transcriptional silencing. Recently, a ß-1,3-glucanosyltransferase Gas1 has been shown to play a significant role in the regulation of transcriptional silencing in S. cerevisiae. Here, we show that the gas1Δ mutation increases rDNA silencing in a Sir2-dependent manner. Remarkably, the gas1Δ mutation induces nuclear localization of Msn2/4 and stimulates the expression of PNC1, a gene encoding a nicotinamidase that functions as a Sir2 activator. The lack of enzymatic activity of Gas1 or treatment with a cell wall-damaging agent, Congo red, exhibits effects similar to those of the gas1Δ mutation. Furthermore, the loss of Gas1 or Congo red treatment lowers the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity in a cell wall integrity MAP kinase Slt2-dependent manner. Collectively, our results suggest that the dysfunction of Gas1 plays a positive role in the maintenance of rDNA integrity by decreasing PKA activity and inducing the accumulation of Msn2/4 in the nucleus. It seems that nuclear-localized Msn2/4 stimulate the expression of Pnc1, thereby enhancing the association of Sir2 with rDNA and promoting rDNA stability.

Genome-wide bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis of SUMO interactome in yeast.

The definition of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in the natural cellular context is essential for properly understanding various biological processes. So far, however, most large-scale PPI analyses have not been performed in the natural cellular context. Here, we describe the construction of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fusion library in which each endogenous gene is C-terminally tagged with the N-terminal fragment of Venus (VN) for a genome-wide bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay, a powerful technique for identifying PPIs in living cells. We illustrate the utility of the VN fusion library by systematically analyzing the interactome of the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) and provide previously unavailable information on the subcellular localization, types, and protease dependence of SUMO interactions. Our data set is highly complementary to the existing data sets and represents a useful resource for expanding the understanding of the physiological roles of SUMO. In addition, the VN fusion library provides a useful research tool that makes it feasible to systematically analyze PPIs in the natural cellular context.