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Biomedical subjects

S Ferro-Novick

Publications and source records attributed to S Ferro-Novick.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

TRAPP I implicated in the specificity of tethering in ER-to-Golgi transport.

TRAPP is a conserved protein complex required early in the secretory pathway. Here, we report two forms of TRAPP, TRAPP I and TRAPP II, that mediate different transport events. Using chemically pure TRAPP I and COPII vesicles, we have reconstituted vesicle targeting in vitro. The binding of COPII vesicles to TRAPP I is specific, blocked by GTPgammaS, and, surprisingly, does not require other tethering factors. Our findings imply that TRAPP I is the receptor on the Golgi for COPII vesicles. Once the vesicle binds to TRAPP I, the small GTP binding protein Ypt1p is activated and other tethering factors are recruited.

COP-Coated Vesicles↗

Sgf1p, a new component of the Sec34p/Sec35p complex.

Here we report the identification of SGF1 as a high-copy suppressor of the sec35-1 mutant. SGF1 encodes an essential hydrophilic protein of approximately 100 kDa. Using the yeast two-hybrid system and coprecipitation studies, we demonstrate that Sgf1p is a new subunit of the multiprotein Sec34p/Sec35p complex. Reduced levels of Sgf1p lead to the accumulation of a variety of membranes as well as a kinetic block in endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi traffic. Immunofluorescence studies demonstrate that Sec34p is found throughout the Golgi, with a high concentration on early Golgi. Although an earlier study suggested that Sec34p (Grd20p) is not required for protein secretion, we show here that the sec34-2 and sec35-1 mutations lead to a pleiotropic block in the secretion of all proteins into the growth medium.

Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport↗

Aux1p/Swa2p is required for cortical endoplasmic reticulum inheritance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is found at the periphery of the cell and around the nucleus. The segregation of ER through the mother-bud neck may occur by more than one mechanism because perinuclear, but not peripheral ER, requires microtubules for this event. To identify genes whose products are required for cortical ER inheritance, we have used a Tn3-based transposon library to mutagenize cells expressing a green fluorescent protein-tagged ER marker protein (Hmg1p). This approach has revealed that AUX1/SWA2 plays a role in ER inheritance. The COOH terminus of Aux1p/Swa2p contains a J-domain that is highly related to the J-domain of auxilin, which stimulates the uncoating of clathrin-coated vesicles. Deletion of the J-domain of Aux1p/Swa2p leads to vacuole fragmentation and membrane accumulation but does not affect the migration of peripheral ER into daughter cells. These findings suggest that Aux1p/Swa2p may be a bifunctional protein with roles in membrane traffic and cortical ER inheritance. In support of this hypothesis, we find that Aux1p/Swa2p localizes to ER membranes.

ADP-Ribosylation Factor 1↗

TRAPP stimulates guanine nucleotide exchange on Ypt1p.

TRAPP, a novel complex that resides on early Golgi, mediates the targeting of ER-to-Golgi vesicles to the Golgi apparatus. Previous studies have shown that YPT1, which encodes the small GTP-binding protein that regulates membrane traffic at this stage of the secretory pathway, interacts genetically with BET3 and BET5. Bet3p and Bet5p are 2 of the 10 identified subunits of TRAPP. Here we show that TRAPP preferentially binds to the nucleotide-free form of Ypt1p. Mutants with defects in several TRAPP subunits are temperature-sensitive in their ability to displace GDP from Ypt1p. Furthermore, the purified TRAPP complex accelerates nucleotide exchange on Ypt1p. Our findings imply that Ypt1p, which is present on ER-to-Golgi transport vesicles, is activated at the Golgi once it interacts with TRAPP.

Carrier Proteins↗

TRAPP stably associates with the Golgi and is required for vesicle docking.

Bet3p, a component of a large novel complex called TRAPP, acts upstream of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi SNAREs. Unlike the SNAREs, which reside on multiple compartments, Bet3p is localized exclusively to Golgi membranes. While other proteins recycle from the Golgi to the ER, Bet3p and other TRAPP subunits remain associated with this membrane under conditions that block anterograde traffic. We propose that the persistent localization of TRAPP to the Golgi may be important for its role in docking vesicles to this membrane. Consistent with this proposal, we find that transport vesicles fail to bind to Golgi membranes in vitro in the absence of Bet3p. Binding is restored by the addition of cytosol containing Bet3p. These findings indicate that TRAPP stably associates with the Golgi and is required for vesicle docking.

Animals↗

Protein complexes in transport vesicle targeting.

The transport of material between membrane-bounded organelles in eukaryotic cells requires the accurate delivery of different classes of carrier vesicles to specific target compartments. Recent studies indicate that different targeting reactions involve distinct protein complexes that act to mark the target organelle for incoming vesicles. This review focuses on the proteins and protein complexes that have been implicated in various targeting reactions.

Biological Transport↗

Identification and characterization of five new subunits of TRAPP.

TRAPP (transport protein particle), a multiprotein complex containing ten subunits, plays a key role in the late stages of endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi traffic in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We previously described the identification of five TRAPP subunits (Bet5p, Trs20p, Bet3p, Trs23p and Trs33p). Now we report the identification of the remaining five subunits (Trs31p, Trs65p, Trs85p, Trs120p and Trs130p) as well as an initial characterization of the yeast complex and its human homologue. We find that three of the subunits are dispensable for growth and a novel sequence motif is found in Bet3p, Trs31p and Trs33p. Furthermore, biochemical characterization of both yeast and human TRAPP suggests that this complex is anchored to a Triton X-100 resistant fraction of the Golgi. Differences between yeast and human TRAPP as well as the relationship of TRAPP subunits to other docking/tethering factors are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

High-copy suppressor analysis reveals a physical interaction between Sec34p and Sec35p, a protein implicated in vesicle docking.

A temperature-sensitive mutant, sec34-2, is defective in the late stages of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport. A high-copy suppressor screen that uses the sec34-2 mutant has resulted in the identification of the SEC34 structural gene and a novel gene called GRP1. GRP1 encodes a previously unidentified hydrophilic yeast protein related to the mammalian Golgi protein golgin-160. Although GRP1 is not essential for growth, the grp1Delta mutation displays synthetic lethal interactions with several mutations that result in ER accumulation and a block in the late stages of ER-to-Golgi transport, but not with those that block the budding of vesicles from the ER. Our findings suggest that Grp1p may facilitate membrane traffic indirectly, possibly by maintaining Golgi function. In an effort to identify genes whose products physically interact with Sec34p, we also tested the ability of overexpressed SEC34 to suppress known secretory mutations that block vesicular traffic between the ER and the Golgi. This screen revealed that SEC34 specifically suppresses sec35-1. SEC34 encodes a hydrophilic protein of approximately 100 kDa. Like Sec35p, which has been implicated in the tethering of ER-derived vesicles to the Golgi, Sec34p is predominantly soluble. Sec34p and Sec35p stably associate with each other to form a multiprotein complex of approximately 480 kDa. These data indicate that Sec34p acts in conjunction with Sec35p to mediate a common step in vesicular traffic.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Tlg2p, a yeast syntaxin homolog that resides on the Golgi and endocytic structures.

Intracellular membrane fusion events in eukaryotic cells are thought to be mediated by protein-protein interactions between soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complex proteins. We have identified and analyzed a new yeast syntaxin homolog, Tlg2p. Tlg2p is unique among known syntaxin family proteins in possessing a sizeable hydrophilic domain of 63 amino acids that is C-terminal to the membrane spanning region and nonessential for Tlg2p function. Tlg2p resides on the endosome and late Golgi by co-localization with an endocytic intermediate and co-fractionation with markers for both endosomes and late Golgi. Cells depleted for Tlg2p missort a portion of carboxypeptidase Y and are defective in endocytosis. In addition, we report that Tlg2p forms a SEC18-dependent SNARE complex with Snc2p, a vesicle SNARE known to function in Golgi to plasma membrane trafficking. Based on these findings we propose that Tlg2p is a t-SNARE that functions in transport from the endosome to the late Golgi and on the endocytic pathway.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

TRAPP, a highly conserved novel complex on the cis-Golgi that mediates vesicle docking and fusion.

We previously identified BET3 by its genetic interactions with BET1, a gene whose SNARE-like product acts in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport. To gain insight into the function of Bet3p, we added three c-myc tags to its C-terminus and immunopurified this protein from a clarified detergent extract. Here we report that Bet3p is a member of a large complex ( approximately 800 kDa) that we call TRAPP (transport protein particle). We propose that TRAPP plays a key role in the targeting and/or fusion of ER-to-Golgi transport vesicles with their acceptor compartment. The localization of Bet3p to the cis-Golgi complex, as well as biochemical studies showing that Bet3p functions on this compartment, support this hypothesis. TRAPP contains at least nine other constituents, five of which have been identified and shown to be highly conserved novel proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi.

Two crucial aspects of transport vesicle function have recently been reconstituted using purified proteins and chemically defined lipid bilayers. The reconstituted steps are the assembly of a polymeric protein coat on the cytosolic surface of the membrane, and bilayer fusion based on the pairing of proteins in the vesicle and target membrane. These advances now set the stage to address major unresolved questions of how vesicle budding and vesicle fusion are regulated, how specific cargo molecules are incorporated into vesicles, and how vesicles find their target membrane.

Animals↗

A high copy suppressor screen reveals genetic interactions between BET3 and a new gene. Evidence for a novel complex in ER-to-Golgi transport.

The BET3 gene in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a 22-kD hydrophilic protein that is required for vesicular transport between the ER and Golgi complex. To gain insight into the role of Bet3p, we screened for genes that suppress the growth defect of the temperature-sensitive bet3 mutant at 34 degrees. This high copy suppressor screen resulted in the isolation of a new gene, called BET5. BET5 encodes an essential 18-kD hydrophilic protein that in high copy allows growth of the bet3-1 mutant, but not other ER accumulating mutants. This strong and specific suppression is consistent with the fact that Bet3p and Bet5p are members of the same complex. Using PCR mutagenesis, we generated a temperature-sensitive mutation in BET5 (bet5-1) that blocks the transport of carboxypeptidase Y to the vacuole and prevents secretion of the yeast pheromone alpha-factor at 37 degrees. The precursor forms of these proteins that accumulate in this mutant are indicative of a block in membrane traffic between the ER and Golgi apparatus. High copy suppressors of the bet5-1 mutant include several genes whose products are required for ER-to-Golgi transport (BET1, SEC22, USO1 and DSS4) and the maintenance of the Golgi (ANP1). These findings support the hypothesis that Bet5p acts in conjunction with Bet3p to mediate a late stage in ER-to-Golgi transport. The identification of mammalian homologues of Bet3p and Bet5p implies that the Bet3p/Bet5p complex is highly conserved in evolution.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Synaptojanin family members are implicated in endocytic membrane traffic in yeast.

The synaptojanins represent a subfamily of inositol 5'-phosphatases that contain an NH2-terminal Sac1p homology domain. A nerve terminal-enriched synaptojanin, synaptojanin 1, was previously proposed to participate in the endocytosis of synaptic vesicles and actin function. The genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains three synaptojanin-like genes (SJL1, SJL2 and SJL3), none of which is essential for growth. We report here that a yeast mutant lacking SJL1 and SJL2 (Deltasjl1 Deltasjl2) exhibits a severe defect in receptor-mediated and fluid-phase endocytosis. A less severe endocytic defect is present in a Deltasjl2 Deltasjl3 mutant, while endocytosis is normal in a Deltasjl1 Deltasjl3 mutant. None of the mutants are impaired in invertase secretion. The severity of the endocytic impairment of the sjl double mutants correlates with the severity of actin and polarity defects. Furthermore, the deletion of SJL1 suppresses the temperature-sensitive growth defect of sac6, a mutant in yeast fimbrin, supporting a role for synaptojanin family members in actin function. These findings provide a first direct evidence for a role of synaptojanin family members in endocytosis and provide further evidence for a close link between endocytosis and actin function.

Actins↗

The synaptobrevin-related domains of Bos1p and Sec22p bind to the syntaxin-like region of Sed5p.

SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptors) are cytoplasmically oriented membrane proteins that reside on vesicular carriers (v-SNARE) and target organelles (t-SNARE). The pairing of a stage-specific v-SNARE with its cognate t-SNARE may mediate the specificity of membrane traffic. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex employs two v-SNAREs, Bos1p and Sec22p, each containing a domain that is related to the neuronal v-SNARE synaptobrevin. Sed5p, which is homologous to syntaxin, is the t-SNARE that functions at this stage of the secretory pathway. Here we report that regions of Bos1p and Sec22p, which are homologous to synaptobrevin, bind to the syntaxin-like domain of Sed5p. Furthermore, we demonstrate that efficient v-SNARE/t-SNARE interactions require the participation of both v-SNAREs, indicating that, unlike post-Golgi membrane traffic, the active form of the endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi v-SNARE is a heteromeric complex.

Binding Sites↗

Bet1p activates the v-SNARE Bos1p.

Bet1p is a type II membrane protein that is required for vesicular transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A domain of Bet1p, that shows potential to be involved in a coiled-coil interaction, is homologous to a region of the neuronal protein SNAP-25. Here, we used in vitro binding studies to demonstrate that Bet1p plays a role in potentiating soluble NSF attachment protein receptor (SNARE) interactions. Mutational analysis points to the coiled-coil region as necessary for Bet1p function, and circular dichroism experiments support this theory. In vitro binding studies were also used to demonstrate that a direct interaction between Bet1p and Bos1p is required for the efficient interaction of the vesicle SNARE with its SNARE target. Genetic studies suggest that the interactions of Bet1p with Bos1p are regulated by the small GTP-binding protein Ypt1p.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Use of a synthetic lethal screen to identify yeast mutants impaired in endocytosis, vacuolar protein sorting and the organization of the cytoskeleton.

To identify new genes whose products act on the endocytic and vacuolar protein sorting pathways, we screened for mutants that display synthetic growth defects with delta ypt51, a mutant impaired in membrane traffic at a point where these pathways intersect. Seven mutants that fell into six different complementation groups were found to fit this criterium. Two of the mutants (ysl1 and ysl2) are new, two others are defective in the VAN1 gene. Mutants in VAN1 were previously identified by their resistance to the drug orthovanadate. The others represent known endocytosis (rvs167 and sac6) and vacuolar protein sorting (vps41) mutants. As suggested by their genetic interactions with delta ypt51, the newly identified mutants are impaired in endocytosis, vacuolar protein sorting and vacuole biogenesis. In addition, van1 and ysl2 display actin cytoskeletal defects.

Actins↗

BTS1 encodes a geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Protein prenylation utilizes different types of isoprenoids groups, namely farnesyl and geranylgeranyl, to modify proteins. These lipophilic moieties attach to carboxyl-terminal cysteine residues to promote the association of soluble proteins to membranes. Most prenylated proteins are geranylgeranylated. Geranylgeranylation is catalyzed by two different prenyltransferases, the type I and type II geranylgeranyl transferases, both of which utilize geranylgeranyl diphosphate as a lipid donor. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the BET2 gene encodes the beta-subunit of the type II geranylgeranyl transferase. Mutations in this gene cause a defect in the geranylgeranylation of small GTP-binding proteins that mediate vesicular traffic. In an attempt to analyze those genes whose products may interact with Bet2, we isolated a suppressor of the bet2-1 mutant. This suppressor gene, called BTS1, encodes the yeast geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase. BTS1 is not essential for the vegetative growth of cells; however, disrupting it impedes the geranylgeranylation of many cellular proteins and renders cells cold sensitive for growth. Our findings imply that BTS1 suppresses the bet2-1 mutant by increasing the intracellular pool of geranylgeranyl diphosphate.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗