Role of neurogenic genes in establishment of follicle cell fate and oocyte polarity during oogenesis in Drosophila.

Oogenesis in Drosophila involves specification of both germ cells and the surrounding somatic follicle cells, as well as the determination of oocyte polarity. We found that two neurogenic genes, Notch and Delta, are required in oogenesis. These genes encode membrane proteins with epidermal growth factor repeats and are essential in the decision of an embryonic ectodermal cell to take on the fate of neuroblast or epidermoblast. In oogenesis, mutation in either gene leads to an excess of posterior follicle cells, a cell fate change reminiscent of the hyperplasia of neuroblasts seen in neurogenic mutant embryos. Furthermore, the Notch mutation in somatic cells causes mislocalization of bicoid in the oocyte. These results suggest that the neurogenic genes Notch and Delta are involved in both follicle cell development and the establishment of anterior-posterior polarity in the oocyte.

Isolation of a functional vesicular intermediate that mediates ER to Golgi transport in yeast.

We have used an in vitro assay that reconstitutes transport from the ER to the Golgi complex in yeast to identify a functional vesicular intermediate in transit to the Golgi apparatus. Permeabilized yeast cells, which serve as the donor in this assay, release a homogeneous population of vesicles that are biochemically distinct from the donor ER fraction. The isolated vesicles, containing a post-ER/pre-Golgi form of the marker protein pro-alpha-factor, were able to bind to and fuse with exogenously added Golgi membranes. The ability to isolate fusion competent vesicles provides direct evidence that ER to Golgi membrane transport is mediated by a discrete population of vesicular carriers.

The GTP-binding protein Ypt1 is required for transport in vitro: the Golgi apparatus is defective in ypt1 mutants.

The YPT1 gene encodes a raslike, GTP-binding protein that is essential for growth of yeast cells. We show here that mutations in the ypt1 gene disrupt transport of carboxypeptidase Y to the vacuole in vivo and transport of pro-alpha-factor to a site of extensive glycosylation in the Golgi apparatus in vitro. Two different ypt1 mutations result in loss of function of the Golgi complex without affecting the activity of the endoplasmic reticulum or soluble components required for in vitro transport. The function of the mutant Golgi apparatus can be restored by preincubation with wild-type cytosol. The transport defect observed in vitro cannot be overcome by addition of Ca++ to the reaction mixture. We have also established genetic interactions between ypt1 and a subset of the other genes required for transport to and through the Golgi apparatus.

Reconstitution of transport from the ER to the Golgi complex in yeast using microsomes and permeabilized yeast cells.

We have developed a highly efficient in vitro-transport assay that couples translocation across the ER membrane and transport to the Golgi complex using the secreted pheromone alpha-factor as a marker protein. Radiolabeled prepro-alpha-factor of high specific radioactivity is obtained by in vitro-translating this protein in a yeast lysate. Prepro-alpha-factor synthesized in vitro is then translocated directly into microsomes or the ER of permeabilized yeast cells. Conversion of the 26-kDa ER form of pro-alpha-factor to the high molecular weight Golgi form is dependent on the presence of ATP and soluble and membrane-bound factors. Differential centrifugation and fractionation on a sucrose gradient have shown that the ER and Golgi forms of alpha-factor are enriched in separate compartments after the transport reaction. These and other findings (see Ruohola et al., 1988, for a more complete discussion) indicate that conversion to the high molecular weight form of alpha-factor is the result of authentic intercompartmental transport. Permeabilized mammalian cells have been used to reconstitute transport from the ER to the Golgi complex. In these systems (Becker et al., 1987; Simons and Virta, 1987), a viral membrane glycoprotein protein (vesicular stomatitis virus G protein) is used as the marker protein. This protein is radiolabeled with [35S]methionine during virus infection, either before or after the cells are permeabilized. Radiolabeled G protein, residing in the ER, is then transported to the Golgi complex in the presence of an ATP-regenerating system. In the mammalian system the donor and acceptor compartments are retained within the permeabilized cells (Simons and Virta, 1987); however, on occasion the addition of an exogenous acceptor compartment is required (Beckers et al., 1987). The assay we developed (Ruohola et al., 1988) differs from the mammalian assay (Beckers et al., 1987) in that we introduce radiolabeled marker protein into the ER in vitro during translocation rather than during virus infection. In addition, in our assay the acceptor Golgi compartment is always provided exogenously to the permeabilized cells. Therefore, if acceptor membranes are present in the PYC, they are not utilized. Because the permeabilized cells and the S3 fraction are prepared differently, the conditions used to prepare the cells may lead to inactivation or loss of the acceptor compartment. The in vitro assay will enable us to purify components involved in transporting proteins from the lumen of the ER to the Golgi complex. Antibody prepared to purified components can be used to clone the genes that code for these proteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Fractionation of yeast organelles.

In summary, organelles of the secretory pathway can be effectively separated from one another using differential centrifugation followed by sucrose density gradient fractionation of wild-type or vesicle-accumulating mutant yeast cells. Up to 10-fold enrichment of the plasma membrane fraction is obtained, and resolution of the peak fractions of several organelles allows one to localize specific proteins to particular components of the pathway. Additionally, a highly purified population of constitutive secretory vesicles can be isolated from the 100,000 g membrane fraction of sec 6-4 cells on a Sephacryl S-1000 column. The success of this procedure is due to the homogeneous size of the vesicles and the high concentration of vesicles accumulated in the sec 6-4 cells. From other laboratories, methods have been described for the isolation of other organelles including the vacuole (Wiemken, 1975), plasma membrane (Tschopp and Schekman, 1983), and nuclei (Mann and Mecke, 1980), as well as an alternative procedure for the purification of secretory vesicles from yeast (Holcomb et al., 1987). For the localization of proteins to particular organelles the ability to lyse cells osmotically is an important improvement over the glass bead lysis procedure. The shear forces generated during glass bead lysis could potentially remove proteins from the surface of organelles that otherwise would be membrane-attached, causing them to appear soluble. Similarly, because the conditions required for stabilizing the association of a protein with a membrane can be quite variable depending on the lysis buffer, confirmation of localization using alternative schemes is prudent. With the advent of such techniques as confocal immunofluorescent microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy, effective methods for confirming localizations are becoming available.

Reconstitution of protein transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex in yeast: the acceptor Golgi compartment is defective in the sec23 mutant.

Using either permeabilized cells or microsomes we have reconstituted the early events of the yeast secretory pathway in vitro. In the first stage of the reaction approximately 50-70% of the prepro-alpha-factor, synthesized in a yeast translation lysate, is translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of permeabilized yeast cells or directly into yeast microsomes. In the second stage of the reaction 48-66% of the ER form of alpha-factor (26,000 D) is then converted to the high molecular weight Golgi form in the presence of ATP, soluble factors and an acceptor membrane fraction; GTP gamma S inhibits this transport reaction. Donor, acceptor, and soluble fractions can be separated in this assay. This has enabled us to determine the defective fraction in sec23, a secretory mutant that blocks ER to Golgi transport in vivo. When fractions were prepared from mutant cells grown at the permissive or restrictive temperature and then assayed in vitro, the acceptor Golgi fraction was found to be defective.

Orientation-dependent function of a short CYC1 DNA fragment in directing mRNA 3' end formation in yeast.

We have cloned an 82-base-pair region spanning the site of normal 3' end formation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CYC1 mRNA into an integrative vector carrying the 5' end of the actin gene (including its intron) fused in frame to HIS4ABC sequences. This vector can confer the ability to grow on histidinol if HIS4C (encoding histidinol dehydrogenase) is sufficiently expressed. With the CYC1 fragment cloned in its wild-type (forward) orientation within the actin intron, transformants cannot grow on histidinol, whereas cells transformed with the vector carrying the reverse orientation of this fragment are able to grow well. RNA transfers demonstrate that transformants containing the forward orientation accumulate less than 40% of the control level of full-length mRNA and reveal the presence of a short, stable (approximately equal to 300 nucleotides) poly(A) RNA that represents 60-70% of the transcripts originating from the same promoter. The reverse orientation of the insert allows near-normal levels of full-length mRNA. Mapping of the 3' end of the truncated RNA indicates that poly(A) addition is variable in length but occurs at the same location as in the normal CYC1 transcript. Dominant and recessive suppressor mutations permit growth on histidinol despite the inserted fragment. Genetic analyses indicate that most of the dominant mutants are cis-acting and that the recessive mutants define a minimum of three complementation groups, indicating that defects in several different genes can restore higher levels of HIS4C expression.

Sec53, a protein required for an early step in secretory protein processing and transport in yeast, interacts with the cytoplasmic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum.

The sec53 mutant is a conditional lethal yeast secretory mutant. At 37 degrees C, precursors to exported proteins become firmly attached to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and are not released into the lumen in a soluble form. The accumulated precursors are insoluble in the detergent Triton X-100; however, urea, a known protein denaturant, solubilizes them. Using antibody directed against the Sec53 protein, we found that a substantial portion of the Sec53 protein is associated with the cytoplasmic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Membrane-bound Sec53 protein is largely insoluble in Triton X-100, but the protein is effectively released from the membrane by urea. We propose that the Sec53 protein may be a member of a complex of proteins required for an early step in protein processing and transport.

Carnitine prevents the early mitochondrial damage induced by methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) in L1210 leukaemia cells.

We previously found that the anti-cancer drug methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (mitoguazone) depresses carnitine-dependent oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in cultured mouse leukaemia cells [Nikula, Alhonen-Hongisto, Seppänen & Jänne (1984) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 120, 9-14]. We have now investigated whether carnitine also influences the development of the well-known mitochondrial damage produced by the drug in L1210 leukaemia cells. Palmitate oxidation was distinctly inhibited in tumour cells exposed to 5 microM-methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) for only 7 h. Electron-microscopic examination of the drug-exposed cells revealed that more than half of the mitochondria were severely damaged. Similar exposure of the leukaemia cells to the drug in the presence of carnitine not only abolished the inhibition of fatty acid oxidation but almost completely prevented the drug-induced mitochondrial damage. The protection provided by carnitine appeared to depend on the intracellular concentration of methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), since the mitochondria-sparing effect disappeared at higher drug concentrations.

Ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) as an inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis in L1210 leukemia cells.

Ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), a close derivative of the known anti-cancer drug methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), is also a powerful inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.50), the enzyme needed for the synthesis of spermidine and spermine. There were, however, marked differences between the ethyl and methyl derivatives of glyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) when tested in cultured L1210 cells. The cellular accumulation of ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) represented only a fraction (20-25%) of that of the methyl derivative. Moreover, polyamine depletion, which is known to strikingly stimulate the uptake of methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), decreased, if anything, the uptake of ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) by L1210 cells. The compound produced spermidine and spermine depletion fully comparable to that achieved with methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) at micromolar concentrations. Ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) was growth-inhibitory to L1210 cells and produced an additive antiproliferative action when used together with 2-difluoromethylornithine. Ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) was distinctly less effective than methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) in releasing bound polyamines from isolated cell organelles in vitro. Ethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) was also devoid of the early and profound mitochondrial toxicity typical to methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone). These findings may indicate that this compound is a more specific inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis with less intracellular polyamine 'receptor-site' activity than methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone).