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Biomedical subjects

S M Jazwinski

Publications and source records attributed to S M Jazwinski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

A 48-kDa, S-antigen-like phosphoprotein in yeast DNA-replicative complex preparations.

A 48-kDa protein from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is antigenically and structurally similar to S-antigen from retina. Eight anti-S-antigen monoclonal antibodies, directed against distinct epitopes, cross-reacted with a yeast 48-kDa protein. Structural similarity between the bovine and yeast proteins was further demonstrated by comparison of tryptic peptide fragments containing one of these epitopes. This 48-kDa yeast protein appears to be a component of the replicative complex of the cell. It was found associated with immunoaffinity-purified yeast DNA polymerase I-primase and with yeast DNA-replicative complex. The 48-kDa protein was phosphorylated by a protein kinase activity endogenous to the replicative complex preparation. This phosphorylation was dependent on the cell division cycle gene CDC7. In addition, authentic bovine S-antigen, when added to yeast DNA polymerase I-primase, stimulated polymerase activity. These findings suggest that the yeast S-antigen-like protein may play a role in replication, and they raise the possibility that it may be involved in traversal of the G1/S boundary of the cell cycle.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Telomere length constancy during aging of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

It has been proposed that a decrease in the length of telomeres with the successive rounds of DNA replication that accompany mitotic division could play a causal role in the aging process. To investigate this possibility, telomeres from cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that varied in replicative age were examined. No change in the lengths of the telomeres was observed in cells that had completed up to 83% of the mean life span. We conclude that the length of the telomeres is not a contributing factor in the natural aging process in individual yeast cells.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1990

Preparation and partial characterization of old yeast cells.

Age-synchronized populations of the binding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were prepared by a combination of growth-synchronization methods and cell separation by rate-zonal sedimentation in density gradients. The procedure allowed the bulk preparation of cells of any desired age up to at least 20 generations with minimum yields of 10(8) cells per preparation, starting with 6 X 10(9) 0-generation cells. The purity of the preparations was greater than 90%, with an accuracy of +/- 2 generations. The procedure itself had no detrimental effects on the cells, as indicated by a number of physiological parameters. Cell viability and resistance to sonication remained essentially unchanged during aging. In contrast, cell size and generation time increased, providing biomarkers for the aging process. The procedure described here should help establish yeast as a useful model system for studies of cellular aging at the molecular level.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1990

Prolongation of the yeast life span by the v-Ha-RAS oncogene.

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a finite life span that is defined by the number of times the cell divides. The patterns of expression of certain genes change in a specific manner during the life span, implying that at least some of the manifestations of the ageing process are subject to gene regulation. It has now been determined that the controlled expression of the RAS oncogene in yeast increases the longevity of this organism, indicating that, conversely, a defined alteration in the activity of a single gene can extend this organism's life span. The results suggest that there is a balance between life-span extension and growth arrest when RAS is expressed. Inasmuch as the homologues of RAS in yeast function to integrate cell metabolism with the cell cycle, these studies raise the possibility that this integrative function may also apply to the co-ordination of successive cell cycles during the life span.

Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal↗
PubMed1990

Aging and senescence of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a limited life span, defined by the number of times an individual cell divides. Longevity in this organism involves a genetic component. Several morphological and physiological changes are associated with yeast aging and senescence. One of these, an increase in generation time with age, provides a 'biomarker' for the aging process. This increase in generation time has revealed the operation of a 'senescence factor(s)', which is likely to be a product of age-specific gene expression. The Cell Spiral Model indicates coordination of successive cell cycles to be inherent in the determination of life span. It is proposed that life expectancy depends on the function of a stochastic trigger during aging that sets in motion a programme leading to cell senescence and death.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1989

Specific alterations in transcript prevalence during the yeast life span.

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a finite life span, limited by the number of generations the cell can undergo. Yeast cells display a variety of changes as they age. In order to determine whether age-associated changes occur in the prevalence of specific mRNAs, a differential hybridization screen has been used to identify yeast genes that are preferentially expressed in either young or in old cells. In this screen, a yeast genomic DNA library was probed with cDNA prepared to the poly(A)+ mRNA of young and old cells. Six clones representing distinct genes that showed differential patterns of expression throughout the life span were isolated, as determined by genomic blot and RNA dot blot analyses. On the basis of their expression patterns five of the genes were classified as young- and one as old-specific. These genes were all derived from the nuclear genome. Analysis of the expression during the cell cycle of two of these genes, one young cell-specific and the other old-cell-specific, revealed that it was not growth state-dependent. These results suggest that aging in yeast is accompanied by defined alterations in the levels of certain gene transcripts.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1989

Replication control and cellular life span.

Cell proliferation involves both control of progress through the current cell cycle and coordination of successive cell cycles. We have focused our attention on the events that trigger traversal of the G1/S boundary of the cell cycle. A protein kinase activity was found in preparations of the DNA-replicative complex from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The activity phosphorylated only a few of the proteins present in the replicative fraction, and it displayed a marked preference for a 48-kDa polypeptide. Most importantly, the protein kinase activity was heat-sensitive in replicative fractions from cdc7 cells, a mutant that arrests at the G1/S boundary at restrictive temperature. The results suggest that phosphorylation of components of the replication machinery may play a role in control of initiation of DNA replication during the cell cycle. We have also begun an analysis of cellular aging in yeast, as a means of addressing the problem of coordination of successive cell cycles. Yeast cells have a finite life span defined by reproductive capacity. With age, the generation time of yeast cells lengthened. The cell cycle of the daughter cell was under the control of the mother. This control was transient, and the daughter cell began dividing at the rate characteristic of its own age within three divisions of its birth. This suggests that the senescent phenotype, as manifested by lengthened generation time, is a dominant feature in yeast cells, and that it is determined by a diffusible cytoplasmic molecule(s) that undergoes turnover in young cells. In a search for this putative senescence factor(s), we are cloning genes that differentially expressed during the yeast life span. Several such genes have been isolated and partially characterized. Our goals are to determine whether the expression of one or more of these genes is casually associated with cell longevity. We propose the Cell Spiral model to describe the relationship between the cell cycle and cellular aging.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1989

Evidence for the involvement of a cytoplasmic factor in the aging of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The life spans of individual Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were determined microscopically by counting the number of buds produced by each cell to provide a measure of the number of cell generations (age) before death. As the cells aged, their generation times increased five- to sixfold. The generation times of daughter cells were virtually identical to those of their mothers throughout the life spans of the mothers. However, within two to three cell divisions after the daughters were detached from their mothers by micromanipulation, their generation times reverted to that characteristic of their own age. Recovery from the mother cell effect was also observed when the daughters were left attached to their mothers. The results suggest that senescence, as manifested by the increase in generation time, is a phenotypically dominant feature in yeast cells and that it is determined by a diffusible cytoplasmic factor(s) that undergoes turnover. This factor(s) appeared to be transmitted by a cell not only to its daughter, but also indirectly to its granddaughter. In separate studies, it was determined that the induced deposition of chitin, the major component of the bud scar, in the yeast cell wall had no appreciable effect on life span. We raise the possibility that the cytoplasmic factor(s) that appears to mediate the "senescent phenotype" is a major determinant of yeast life span. This factor(s) may be the product of age-specific gene expression.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1988

CDC7-dependent protein kinase activity in yeast replicative-complex preparations.

A protein kinase activity was identified in preparations of DNA-replicative complex from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The activity phosphorylated only a few of the endogenous proteins in the replicative fraction, and it displayed a marked preference for a 48-kDa polypeptide. Despite this relative specificity, the protein kinase activity was capable of utilizing exogenously added histone as substrate. The 48-kDa polypeptide was phosphorylated on serine residue(s) exclusively by the endogenous activity in the replicative-complex preparation. The activity was not stimulated by cAMP, cGMP, Ca2+/phosphatidylserine/diacylglycerol, or Ca2+/calmodulin. It did not utilize Ca2+ or Zn2+ in the place of Mg2+, and Mn2+ was only 22% as effective in fulfilling the divalent-cation requirement. Most importantly, the protein kinase activity was heat-sensitive in replicative fractions from the cell division cycle 7 (cdc7) mutant, which arrests at or close to the G1/S boundary of the cell cycle at restrictive temperature. Thus, the activity is CDC7-dependent. An effect of heat treatment on replicating activity in the replicative fraction from cdc7 cells was also found. This result and the finding that the protein kinase activity copurified with replicating activity in the preparations suggest that the CDC7 gene product and the protein kinase activity, whether or not they are the same entity, interact with yeast replicative complex. All of these results raise the possibility that phosphorylation of components of the replication machinery may play a role in the control of initiation of DNA replication during the cell cycle. It is possible that the phosphorylation observed is part of a protein kinase cascade that regulates progress through the G1 phase of the cell cycle.

DNA Replication↗
PubMed1987

Participation of ATP in the binding of a yeast replicative complex to DNA.

The activity that replicates yeast DNA in vitro can be isolated from cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces in a high-Mr (approximately 2 X 10(6] form. Several lines of evidence indicate that this fraction contains a multiprotein replicative complex. A functional assay has been developed for the analysis of the interaction of the replicating activity with DNA. Binding of the activity required Mg2+, but did not require the addition of ATP or the other ribo- or deoxynucleoside triphosphates. However, the ATP analogues adenosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate and adenosine 5'-[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate blocked the binding, suggesting that ATP participates in the interaction at some stage. The binding was template (origin)-specific in either the presence or the absence of ATP and the other nucleoside triphosphates; however, ATP stabilized the replicating activity. The preferential inhibition of binding that was observed in the presence of the DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor coumermycin suggests that the requirement for ATP may be at least partially accounted for by the involvement of this enzyme in the initial interaction of the replicating activity with DNA. Finally, the binding was rapid. In contrast, DNA synthesis displayed a lag when assayed directly without first allowing a period for the replicating activity to bind to the DNA. In addition, binding was 'tight', as judged by the resistance of the protein--DNA complexes to salt in comparison with the relative sensitivity of binding. The replicating activity was not readily displaced from the complexes by exogenous DNAs, either possessing or lacking yeast origins of replication. The results suggest that the interaction of the replicating activity with the DNA occurs in more than one stage.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1987

Evidence for the involvement of a single major species of replicative complex in DNA synthesis from two diverse nuclear replicons in yeast.

The activity that replicates the 2-micron yeast DNA plasmid in vitro can be isolated as a high-molecular weight (approximately 2 X 10(6)) fraction, which possesses many of the features of a multiprotein replicative complex. This fraction also initiates DNA synthesis at the yeast chromosomal replicator ARS1 raising the question whether the preparations discriminate between origins. It was determined that the binding of replicative complex to plasmids containing either 2-microns or ARS1 origins of replication was indistinguishable. The preparations also showed no preference among them for replication. In addition, the DNAs competed with each other to the same extent for binding of replicative complex. These results suggest that these two origins share one major species of replicative complex.

Binding, Competitive↗
PubMed1985

A DNA primase from yeast. Purification and partial characterization.

A DNA primase activity has been purified from the budding yeast Saccharomyces. The resulting preparation was nearly homogeneous and was devoid of DNA and RNA polymerase activities. The primase activity cofractionated with a Mr 65,000 polypeptide in sedimentation and chromatography procedures, and the native molecular weight of the enzyme corresponded closely to this value suggesting that the primase or an active proteolytic fragment of the protein exists as a monomer. Both heat-denatured calf thymus DNA and poly(dT) could be utilized by the enzyme as templates. Primase exhibited an absolute requirement for divalent cations and for rATP on a poly(dT) template. Although it required the ribonucleotide to initiate primer chains, the enzyme could incorporate the deoxynucleotide into primers. The product of the primase-catalyzed reaction was an oligonucleotide of discrete length (11-13 nucleotides), and oligonucleotides that were apparently dimers of this unit length were also observed. Primers that were synthesized were virtually identical in size in both the presence and absence of dATP incorporation. Although the bulk of DNA primase activity was isolated as a "free" enzyme, a portion of cellular primase activity co-chromatographed with DNA polymerase suggesting an association between these enzymes similar to that found in several higher eukaryotes.

Chromatography, Affinity↗
PubMed1984

Evidence for participation of a multiprotein complex in yeast DNA replication in vitro.

Fractions containing a high molecular weight form (Mr approximately equal to 2 X 10(6] of the activity that replicates in vitro both the 2-micron yeast DNA plasmid and the chromosomal autonomously replicating sequence ars 1 can be prepared from cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces. Protein complexes from the fractions associate in vitro with the replication origins of these DNA elements, as determined by electron microscopy. In the present study, the high molecular weight replicative fraction has been characterized in further detail. The DNA synthetic activity in the high molecular weight fraction was bound to the DNA and could be isolated with it. This binding of the replicating activity to the DNA was greatly reduced in the absence of the 2-micron origins of replication. Association of the protein complexes with DNA depended on the amount of replicating activity added, was sensitive to 0.2 M KCl, and exhibited a requirement for rATP and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. It was not blocked, however, by the DNA polymerase inhibitor aphidicolin or by the RNA polymerase inhibitor alpha-amanitin. The lack of inhibition by aphidicolin suggests that the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates may function as cofactors in the binding of protein complexes to DNA or as substrates for a polymerizing activity such as a primase. Binding of the protein complexes as well as actual DNA replication were heat sensitive in the high molecular weight fraction prepared from the temperature-sensitive mutant of the cell division cycle cdc 8. This suggests that the cdc 8 gene product is present in a replicative protein complex and strengthens the conclusion that the presence of the protein complexes on the DNA is associated with replication. Using independent enzyme assays, several other possible replication proteins (including DNA polymerase I, DNA ligase, DNA primase, and DNA topoisomerase II) have been identified directly in the high molecular weight replicative fraction. All of these results provide support for the idea that a protein complex (or replisome ) is involved in the replication of both the extrachromosomal 2-micron DNA and chromosomal DNA in yeast.

DNA Replication↗
PubMed1982

Protein complexes from active replicative fractions associate in vitro with the replication origins of yeast 2-micrometers DNA plasmid.

In a search for a replication complex, the activity that replicates the 2-micrometers yeast DNA plasmid in vitro was isolated in a high molecular weight form (Mr approximately 2 X 10(6) by gel filtration and rate-zonal sedimentation from extracts prepared from cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces. When obtained from cells in late logarithmic cultures this material or "complex" was labile compared to that from early logarithmic cultures, and it did not survive as a complex after ammonium sulfate precipitation. This suggests that, as cultures approach stationary phase and cells cease growth, the association of its protein constituents may be altered. A chimera of 2-micrometers DNA inserted into the plasmid pBR322 was used to test for binding of components of the complex. After a brief incubation of the chimera in vitro with the high molecular weight material containing replicating activity, a protein "knob" was found associated with the 2-micrometers DNA as shown by electron microscopy. This association was not random but was limited to two positions on the plasmid. In the same series of experiments, the in vitro origins of 2-micrometers plasmid replication were also mapped. Two origins were found, consistent in position with those that have been identified in vivo. Molecules utilizing both origins simultaneously in vitro were not observed, and replication in vitro was bidirectional. The location of the origins corresponded to the positions at which the protein knobs associated with 2-micrometers DNA. This and the fact that no replicative intermediates with associated complexes were detected raises the possibility that a specific protein complex may be involved in initiation of DNA replication.

DNA Replication↗
PubMed1982

Replication of the 2-micrometer DNA plasmid of yeast.

The 2-micrometer DNA plasmid of yeast provides an useful probe for the analysis of the factors involved in the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in the cell division cycle. Cell-free extracts prepared from growing yeast cells stimulate DNA replication directed by this plasmid. The plasmid replicating activity is subject to control in the yeast cell cycle. The 2-micrometer DNA plasmid can be isolated from logarithmically-growing cells in association with yeast folded chromosomes. The interaction of the plasmid with structures in the cell corresponding to the folded chromosome appears dynamic and cell cycle-dependent. Thus, not only the induction and activity of the proteins involved in replication, but also the intracellular locus of a replicon may be important factors in the control of initiation of DNA replication.

Cell Cycle↗