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K T Arndt

Publications and source records attributed to K T Arndt.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

The role of Saccharomyces cerevisiae type 2A phosphatase in the actin cytoskeleton and in entry into mitosis.

We have prepared a temperature-sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae type 2A phosphatase (PP2A) mutant, pph21-102. At the restrictive temperature, the pph21-102 cells arrested predominantly with small or aberrant buds, and their actin cytoskeleton and chitin deposition were abnormal. The involvement of PP2A in bud growth may be due to the role of PP2A in actin distribution during the cell cycle. Moreover, after a shift to the non-permissive temperature, the pph21-102 cells were blocked in G2 and had low activity of Clb2-Cdc28 kinase. Expression of Clb2 from the S.cerevisiae ADH promoter in pph21-102 cells was able to partially bypass the G2 arrest in the first cell cycle, but was not able to stimulate passage through a second mitosis. These cells had higher total amounts of Clb2-Cdc28 kinase activity, but the Clb2-normalized specific activity was lower in the pph21-102 cells compared with wild-type cells. Unlike wild-type strains, a PP2A-deficient strain was sensitive to the loss of MIH1, which is a homolog of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe mitotic inducer cdc25+. Furthermore, the cdc28F19 mutation cured the synthetic defects of a PP2A-deficient strain containing a deletion of MIH1. These results suggest that PP2A is required during G2 for the activation of Clb-Cdc28 kinase complexes for progression into mitosis.

Actins

Overexpression of SIS2, which contains an extremely acidic region, increases the expression of SWI4, CLN1 and CLN2 in sit4 mutants.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SIS2 gene was identified by its ability, when present on a high copy number plasmid, to increase dramatically the growth rate of sit4 mutants. SIT4 encodes a type 2A-related protein phosphatase that is required in late G1 for normal G1 cyclin expression and for bud initiation. Overexpression of SIS2, which contains an extremely acidic carboxyl terminal region, stimulated the rate of CLN1, CLN2, SWI4 and CLB5 expression in sit4 mutants. Also, overexpression of SIS2 in a CLN1 cln2 cln3 strain stimulated the growth rate and the rate of CLN1 and CLB5 RNA accumulation during late G1. The SIS2 protein fractionated with nuclei and was released from the nuclear fraction by treatment with either DNase I or micrococcal nuclease, but not by RNase A. This result, combined with the finding that overexpression of SIS2 is extremely to a strain containing lower than normal levels of histones H2A and H2B, suggests that SIS2 might function to stimulate transcription via an interaction with chromatin.

Amino Acid Sequence

SIT4 protein phosphatase is required for the normal accumulation of SWI4, CLN1, CLN2, and HCS26 RNAs during late G1.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the RNA levels of the G1 cyclins CLN1, CLN2, and HCS26 increase dramatically during the late G1 phase of the cell cycle. The SIT4 gene, which encodes a serine/threonine protein phosphatase, is required for the normal accumulation of CLN1, CLN2, and HCS26 RNAs during late G1. This requirement for SIT4 in normal G1 cyclin RNA accumulation is at least partly via SWI4. Strains containing mutations in SIT4 are sensitive to the loss of either CLN2 or CLN3 function. At the nonpermissive temperature, temperature-sensitive sit4 strains are blocked for both bud emergence and DNA synthesis. Heterologous expression of CLN2 in the absence of SIT4 function results in DNA synthesis, but most of the cells are still blocked for bud emergence. Therefore, SIT4 is required for at least two late G1 or G1/S functions: the normal accumulation of G1 cyclin RNAs (which is required for DNA synthesis) and some additional function that is required for bud emergence or cell cycle progression through late G1 or G1/S.

Cyclins

Characterization of SIS1, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue of bacterial dnaJ proteins.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SIS1 gene was identified as a high copy number suppressor of the slow growth phenotype of strains containing mutations in the SIT4 gene, which encodes a predicted serine/threonine protein phosphatase. The SIS1 protein is similar to bacterial dnaJ proteins in the amino-terminal third and carboxyl-terminal third of the proteins. In contrast, the middle third of SIS1 is not similar to dnaJ proteins. This region of SIS1 contains a glycine/methionine-rich region which, along with more amino-terminal sequences, is required for SIS1 to associate with a protein of apparent molecular mass of 40 kD. The SIS1 gene is essential. Strains limited for the SIS1 protein accumulate cells that appear blocked for migration of the nucleus from the mother cell into the daughter cell. In addition, many of the cells become very large and contain a large vacuole. The SIS1 protein is localized throughout the cell but is more concentrated at the nucleus. About one-fourth of the SIS1 protein is released from a nuclear fraction upon treatment with RNase. We also show that overexpression of YDJ1, another yeast protein with similarity to bacterial dnaJ proteins, can not substitute for SIS1.

Amino Acid Sequence

The SIT4 protein phosphatase functions in late G1 for progression into S phase.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains containing temperature-sensitive mutations in the SIT4 protein phosphatase arrest in late G1 at the nonpermissive temperature. Order-of-function analysis shows that SIT4 is required in late G1 for progression into S phase. While the levels of SIT4 do not change in the cell cycle, SIT4 associates with two high-molecular-weight phosphoproteins in a cell-cycle-dependent fashion. In addition, we have identified a polymorphic gene, SSD1, that in some versions can suppress the lethality due to a deletion of SIT4 and can also partially suppress the phenotypic defects due to a null mutation in BCY1. The SSD1 protein is implicated in G1 control and has a region of similarity to the dis3 protein of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We have also identified a gene, PPH2alpha, that in high copy number can partially suppress the growth defect of sit4 strains. The PPH2 alpha gene encodes a predicted protein that is 80% identical to the catalytic domain of mammalian type 2A protein phosphatases but also has an acidic amino-terminal extension not present in other phosphatases.

Amino Acid Sequence

RAP1 is required for BAS1/BAS2- and GCN4-dependent transcription of the yeast HIS4 gene.

The major in vitro binding activity to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HIS4 promoter is due to the RAP1 protein. In the absence of GCN4, BAS1, and BAS2, the RAP1 protein binds to the HIS4 promoter in vivo but cannot efficiently stimulate HIS4 transcription. RAP1, which binds adjacently to BAS2 on the HIS4 promoter, is required for BAS1/BAS2-dependent activation of HIS4 basal-level transcription. In addition, the RAP1-binding site overlaps with the single high-affinity HIS4 GCN4-binding site. Even though RAP1 and GCN4 bind competitively in vitro, RAP1 is required in vivo for (i) the normal steady-state levels of GCN4-dependent HIS4 transcription under nonstarvation conditions and (ii) the rapid increase in GCN4-dependent steady-state HIS4 mRNA levels following amino acid starvation. The presence of the RAP1-binding site in the HIS4 promoter causes a dramatic increase in the micrococcal nuclease sensitivity of two adjacent regions within HIS4 chromatin: one region contains the high-affinity GCN4-binding site, and the other region contains the BAS1- and BAS2-binding sites. These results suggest that RAP1 functions at HIS4 by increasing the accessibility of GCN4, BAS1, and BAS2 to their respective binding sites when these sites are present within chromatin.

Base Sequence

BAS1 has a Myb motif and activates HIS4 transcription only in combination with BAS2.

The BAS1 and BAS2 proteins are both required for activation of GCN4-independent (basal) HIS4 transcription in yeast. BAS1 has an NH2-terminal region similar to those of the myb proto-oncogene family. BAS1 and BAS2, which contains a homeo box, bound to adjacent sites on the HIS4 promoter. The joint requirement of BAS1 and BAS2 for activation is probably not due to cooperative binding or the transcriptional control of one of the genes by the other. Although BAS1 and BAS2 were both required for activation of HIS4 transcription, BAS1 was not required for BAS2-dependent expression of the secreted acid phosphatases. The transcriptional activators of HIS4 have DNA binding domains that are conserved in evolution (BAS1 = Myb, BAS2 = homeo box, GCN4 = Jun). Their interactions, therefore, may be relevant to the control of gene expression in more complex systems.

Amino Acid Sequence

A suppressor of a HIS4 transcriptional defect encodes a protein with homology to the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatases.

Reversion analysis has identified four suppressor genes that permit transcription of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HIS4 gene in the absence of GCN4, BAS1, and BAS2, trans-acting proteins normally required for activation of HIS4 transcription. These suppressor genes encode factors that affect the transcription of many diverse genes. Two of these suppressors, SIT1 and SIT2, are encoded by RPB1 and RPB2, the genes for the two largest subunits of RNA polymerase II. All strains containing suppressor mutations in RPB1 and RPB2 have reduced transcription of the INO1 gene and an inositol requirement. Mutations in SIT3 or high copy number SIT3 increase HIS4 transcription in the absence of GCN4, BAS1, and BAS2. This increase in HIS4 transcription by high copy number SIT3 or by sit3 alleles is largely independent of the HIS4 TATA sequence. The SIT4 protein is over 50% identical to the catalytic subunit of bovine type 2A protein phosphatase. sit4 mutations in combination with suppressor mutations in RPB1 or RPB2 (sit1, sit4 or sit2, sit4) are lethal, suggesting an interaction between SIT4 and RNA polymerase II.

Amino Acid Sequence

Multiple global regulators control HIS4 transcription in yeast.

Gene expression is dependent on the interaction of DNA binding factors with distinct promoter control elements to activate RNA synthesis. The expression of the HIS4 gene in yeast is under two different control systems. One of these, general amino acid control, involves a DNA binding protein, GCN4, that stimulates transcription in response to amino acid starvation by binding to 5'-TGACTC-3' sequences in the HIS4 promoter region. A second system, the basal level control, stimulates HIS4 transcription in the absence of amino acid starvation. The basal level transcription of the HIS4 gene is under the control of two genes, BAS1 and BAS2, which are also required for the control of purine biosynthesis. In addition, BAS2 is required for the utilization of organic phosphates in the growth medium. Genetic mapping and DNA sequence analysis show that BAS2 is PHO2, a gene previously identified as a regulator of phosphate metabolism. Direct biochemical analysis shows that the BAS2 gene encodes a protein that binds to both the HIS4 and PHO5 promoters. The involvement of a single DNA binding protein in the regulation of histidine, adenine, and phosphate metabolism suggests that yeast may use a few key DNA binding proteins to coordinate the regulation of diverse metabolic pathways.

Acid Phosphatase

lambda Phage cro repressor interaction with DNA.

We present here the complete identification of the resonances from the aromatic region of the 1H NMR spectrum of the cro repressor of the Escherichia coli lysogenic phage lambda. This was accomplished by the use of two-dimensional NMR analysis as well as specifically deuterated tyrosines. Not surprisingly, it shows that the published resonance assignment approached by more conventional methods by others includes substantial errors. The effect of complex formation with DNA was examined in the 1H NMR spectrum as well as in 19F NMR spectra from 3-fluorophenylalanine- or 3-fluorotyrosine-substituted cro repressors. The fluoro analogues show the practicality of using a structural gene cloned into an inducible system as a starting point to obtain both material and specific nuclear spin incorporation for NMR spectroscopy. The NMR data offer direct support for the speculative models of cro repressor-DNA complexes proposed from x-ray structure analysis on the protein alone.

Bacteriophage lambda

lac Repressor: a proton magnetic resonance look at the deoxyribonucleic acid binding fragment.

The DNA binding fragment from Escherichia coli lac repressor, the N-terminal 56 amino acid residue "headpiece", has been examined by high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy at 360 MHz. The aromatic region has been examined in detail along with the four headpieces of altered repressors that are each missing one of the tyrosines, respectively. The spectra here show more resolved resonances and correct errors in the resonance assignments that have been published by Ribeiro et al. (1981b) Ribeiro, A. A., Wemmer, D., Bray, R. P., Wade-Jardetzky, N. G., & Jardetzky, O. (1981) Biochemistry 20, 818-823]. These corrections allow an interpretation of the spectroscopic observations that is now consistent with the extensive genetic analysis that has been carried out with the lac repressor gene. In addition, nuclear Overhauser enhancement measurements give a guide to the interresidue distances among the aromatic residues in this protein fragment.

DNA

Genetic insertion of nuclear spin labels in the lac repressor.

A general strategy for the insertion of nuclear spin labels throughout the sequence of a protein is illustrated with the Escherichia coli lac repressor. Examples are shown where the 19F nucleus is incorporated using 3-fluorotyrosine, as well as the selective insertion of additional protons. These selectively inserted nuclei give additional resonances in the respective NMR spectra that can be used to probe the structure and function of the proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence