Physical, Functional and Genetic Interactions between the BEACH Domain Protein SPIRRIG and LIP5 and SKD1 and Its Role in Endosomal Trafficking to the Vacuole in Arabidopsis.

Beige and Chediak Higashi (BEACH) domain-containing proteins (BDCPs) are facilitators of membrane-dependent cellular processes in eukaryotes. Mutations in BDCPs cause malfunctions of endosomal compartments in various cell types. Recently, the molecular analysis of the BDCP homolog gene SPIRRIG (SPI) has revealed a molecular function in P-bodies and the regulation of RNA stability. We therefore aimed to analyze, whether SPI has also a role in membrane-dependent processes. In this study, we show that SPI physically interacts with endosomal sorting complex required for transport associated ATPase Suppressor of K+-transport growth defect1 (SKD1) and its positive regulator, LYST Interacting Protein 5 (LIP5) and report genetic interactions between SPI and SKD1 and LIP5. We further show that the endosomal transport route of soluble proteins to the lytic vacuole is disturbed in spi lip5 double mutants but not in the single mutants. These vacuolar transport defects were suppressed by additional expression of SKD1. Our results indicate that the BEACH domain protein SPI has in addition to a role in P-bodies a function in endosomal transport routes.

The BEACH Domain Protein SPIRRIG Is Essential for Arabidopsis Salt Stress Tolerance and Functions as a Regulator of Transcript Stabilization and Localization.

Members of the highly conserved class of BEACH domain containing proteins (BDCPs) have been established as broad facilitators of protein-protein interactions and membrane dynamics in the context of human diseases like albinism, bleeding diathesis, impaired cellular immunity, cancer predisposition, and neurological dysfunctions. Also, the Arabidopsis thaliana BDCP SPIRRIG (SPI) is important for membrane integrity, as spi mutants exhibit split vacuoles. In this work, we report a novel molecular function of the BDCP SPI in ribonucleoprotein particle formation. We show that SPI interacts with the P-body core component DECAPPING PROTEIN 1 (DCP1), associates to mRNA processing bodies (P-bodies), and regulates their assembly upon salt stress. The finding that spi mutants exhibit salt hypersensitivity suggests that the local function of SPI at P-bodies is of biological relevance. Transcriptome-wide analysis revealed qualitative differences in the salt stress-regulated transcriptional response of Col-0 and spi. We show that SPI regulates the salt stress-dependent post-transcriptional stabilization, cytoplasmic agglomeration, and localization to P-bodies of a subset of salt stress-regulated mRNAs. Finally, we show that the PH-BEACH domains of SPI and its human homolog FAN (Factor Associated with Neutral sphingomyelinase activation) interact with DCP1 isoforms from plants, mammals, and yeast, suggesting the evolutionary conservation of an association of BDCPs and P-bodies.

Processing-body movement in Arabidopsis depends on an interaction between myosins and DECAPPING PROTEIN1.

Processing (P)-bodies are cytoplasmic RNA protein aggregates responsible for the storage, degradation, and quality control of translationally repressed messenger RNAs in eukaryotic cells. In mammals, P-body-related RNA and protein exchanges are actomyosin dependent, whereas P-body movement requires intact microtubules. In contrast, in plants, P-body motility is actin based. In this study, we show the direct interaction of the P-body core component DECAPPING PROTEIN1 (DCP1) with the tails of different unconventional myosins in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). By performing coexpression studies with AtDCP1, dominant-negative myosin fragments, as well as functional full-length myosin XI-K, the association of P-bodies and myosins was analyzed in detail. Finally, the combination of mutant analyses and characterization of P-body movement patterns showed that myosin XI-K is essential for fast and directed P-body transport. Together, our data indicate that P-body movement in plants is governed by myosin XI members through direct binding to AtDCP1 rather than through an adapter protein, as known for membrane-coated organelles. Interspecies and intraspecies interaction approaches with mammalian and yeast protein homologs suggest that this mechanism is evolutionarily conserved among eukaryotes.

Yttrium and lanthanide complexes with various P,N ligands in the coordination sphere: synthesis, structure, and polymerization studies.

Yttrium and lanthanide complexes with different P,N ligands in the coordination sphere have been synthesized. First the chloride complexes [{CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2}Ln{(Ph2P)2N}Cl] (Ln = Y (1 a), La (1 b), Nd (1 c), Yb (1 d)) having the bulky [CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2]- and the flexible [(Ph2P)2N]- ligands in the same molecule were prepared by three different synthetic pathways. Compounds 1 a-d can be obtained by reaction of [{[CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2]LnCl2}2] with [K(thf)nN(PPh2)2] (n = 1.25, 1.5) or by treatment of [{(Ph2P)2N}LnCl2(thf)3] with K[CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2]. Furthermore, a one-pot reaction of K[CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2] with LnCl3 and [K(thf)nN(PPh2)2] leads to the same products. Single-crystal X-ray structures of 1 a-d show that the conformation of the six-membered metallacycle (N1-P1-C1-P2-N2-Ln) which is formed by chelation of the [CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2]- ligand to the lanthanide atom is influenced by the ionic radius of the central metal atom. In solution dynamic behavior of the [(Ph2P)2N]- ligand is observed, which is caused by rapid exchange of the two different phosphorus atoms. Further reaction of 1 b with KNPh2 resulted in [{(Me3SiNPPh2)2CH}La{N(PPh2)2}(NPh2)] (2). Compounds 1 a-d and 2 are active in the ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone and the polymerization of methyl methacrylate. In some cases high molecular weight polymers with good conversions and narrow polydispersities were obtained. In both polymerizations the catalytic activity depends on the ionic radius of the metal center.