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PubMed2003

Differential phosphorylation and subcellular localization of La RNPs associated with precursor tRNAs and translation-related mRNAs.

The La protein facilitates the production of tRNAs in the nucleus and the translation of specific mRNAs in the cytoplasm. We report that human La that is phosphorylated on serine 366 (pLa) is nucleoplasmic and associated with precursor tRNAs and other nascent RNA polymerase III transcripts while nonphosphorylated (np)La is cytoplasmic and associated with a subset of mRNAs that contain 5'-terminal oligopyrimidine (5'TOP) motifs known to control protein synthesis. Thus, La ribonucleoproteins (RNP) exist in distinct states that differ in subcellular localization, serine 366 phosphorylation, and associated RNAs. These results are consistent with a model in which the relative concentrations of the La S366 isoforms in different subcellular compartments in conjunction with the relative concentrations of specific RNA ligands in these compartments determine the differential association of npLa and pLa with their respective classes of associated RNAs.

Antibodies, Phospho-Specific↗

PubMed1989

Biochemical investigation of the subcellular localization of the estrogen-induced pro-glandular kallikrein in the rat anterior pituitary.

Glandular kallikrein (a trypsin-like serine protease) is a major estrogen-induced and dopamine-repressed protein in the rat anterior pituitary which appears to be associated with lactotrophs. In the pituitary the enzyme predominantly exists as a latent zymogen (pro-glandular kallikrein) which can be activated by trypsin. This study reports experiments employing biochemical techniques to investigate the subcellular localization of glandular kallikrein. Anterior pituitaries from estrogen-treated rats were fractionated on a discontinuous sucrose density gradient and the distribution of various organelles in the gradient was determined by conventional enzyme or protein marker assays. Each of the 8 organelle markers exhibited a unique distribution profile within the gradient. The distribution of glandular kallikrein was closely correlated (r = 0.91) with that of nucleoside diphosphatase (a marker for trans cisterna of the Golgi apparatus). For both glandular kallikrein and nucleoside diphosphatase, 35-45% of the total activity was found in Golgi zones of the gradient, and 18-22% was in the secretory vesicle fraction. In all of the subcellular fractions, 91-97% of the glandular kallikrein existed in the zymogen form (pro-glandular kallikrein). In Golgi fractions, 38% of the glandular kallikrein remained membrane-bound following freeze-thawing and two washes in hypotonic media; 94% of the nucleoside disphosphatase remained membrane-bound following such treatment. The results indicate that glandular kallikrein is most highly concentrated in trans cisternae of the Golgi apparatus with substantial activity also present in secretory vesicles. This localization is consistent with a role for glandular kallikrein as a prohormone processing enzyme in lactotrophs.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Absence of a carbohydrate modification does not affect the level or subcellular localization of three membrane glycoproteins in modB mutants of Dictyostelium discoideum.

The accumulation and localization of four developmentally regulated membrane glycoproteins were examined in a glycosylation mutant of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. As judged by immunoblot procedures using antipeptide antibodies, the levels of three of the glycoproteins, WGA80B, SP29A, and SP29B, were unaffected, but their apparent molecular masses were reduced by 14,000, 3,500 and 3,500 daltons, respectively. The level of the fourth glycoprotein, gp80, was reduced to below detectable limits. The reduced molecular sizes were apparently due to the absence of certain carbohydrate structures as judged by labeling Western blots with anti-carbohydrate antibodies and a lectin. Using immunofluorescence labeling of permeabilized and intact cells, the localization of WGA80B, SP29A, and SP29B, in intracellular vesicles and on the cell surface of prespore cells, was observed to be unaffected in the mutant cells. The developmentally regulated oligosaccharide structure(s) affected by the modB locus does not influence the subcellular localization and accumulation of these three glycoproteins in the prespore cells of this phylogenetically primitive organism.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Subcellular localization of procollagen I and prolyl 4-hydroxylase in corneal endothelial cells.

To investigate the molecular mechanism of intracellular degradation of type I collagen in normal corneal endothelial cells (CEC), we studied the role of prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4-H) and protein disulfide-isomerase (PDI; the beta subunit of P4-H) during procollagen I biosynthesis. When the subcellular localization of P4-H and PDI was determined, P4-H demonstrated a characteristic diffuse endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pattern, whereas PDI showed a slightly more restricted distribution within the ER. When colocalization of procollagen I with the enzymes was examined, procollagen I and PDI showed a large degree of colocalization. P4-H and procollagen I were predominantly colocalized at the perinuclear site. When colocalization of type IV collagen with PDI and P4-H was examined, type IV collagen was largely colocalized with PDI, which showed a wider distribution than type IV collagen. Type IV collagen is similarly colocalized with P4-H, except in some perinuclear sites. The colocalization profiles of procollagen I with both PDI and P4-H were not altered in cells treated with alpha,alpha'-dipyridyl compared to those of the untreated cells. The underhydroxylated type IV collagen demonstrated a colocalization profile with PDI similar to that observed with procollagen I, while the underhydroxylated type IV collagen was predominantly colocalized with P4-H at the perinuclear sites. Immunoblot analysis showed no real differences in the amounts of the beta subunit/PDI and the catalytic alpha subunit of P4-H in CEC compared to those of corneal stromal fibroblasts (CSF). When protein-protein association was determined, procollagen I was associated with PDI much more in CEC than it was in CSF, whereas type IV collagen showed no differential association specificity to PDI in both cells. Limited proteolysis of the newly synthesized intracellular procollagen I with pepsin showed that procollagen I in CEC was degraded by pepsin, whereas CSF contained type I collagen composed of alpha1(I) and alpha2(I). These findings suggest that procollagen I synthesized in CEC is not in triple helical conformation and that the improperly folded procollagen I may be preferentially associated with PDI before targeting to the intracellular degradation.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Functional expression of GFP-linked human heart sodium channel (hH1) and subcellular localization of the a subunit in HEK293 cells and dog cardiac myocytes.

Recent evidence suggests that biosynthesis of the human heart Na+ channel (hH1) protein is rapidly modulated by sympathetic interventions. However, data regarding the intracellular processing of hH1 in vivo are lacking. In this study we sought to establish a model that would allow us to study the subcellular localization of hH1 protein. Such a model could eventually help us to better understand the trafficking of hH1 in vivo and its potential role in cardiac conduction. We labeled the C-terminus of hH1 with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and compared the expression of this construct (hH1-GFP) and hH1 in transfected HEK293 cells. Fusion of GFP to hH1 did not alter its electrophysiological properties. Confocal microscopy revealed that hH1-GFP was highly expressed in intracellular membrane structures. Immuno-electronmicrographs showed that transfection of hH1-GFP and hH1 induced proliferation of three types of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes to accommodate the heterologously expressed proteins. Labeling with specific markers for the ER and the Golgi apparatus indicated that the intracellular channels are almost exclusively retained within the ER. Immunocytochemical labeling of the Na+ channel in dog cardiomyocytes showed strong fluorescence in the perinuclear region of the cells, a result consistent with our findings in HEK293 cells. We propose that the ER may serve as a reservoir for the cardiac Na+ channels and that the transport from the ER to the Golgi apparatus is among the rate-limiting steps for sarcolemmal expression of Na+ channels.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

The subcellular localization of E2F-4 is cell-cycle dependent.

The E2F family of transcription factors plays a crucial role in cell cycle progression. E2F activity is tightly regulated by a number of mechanisms, which include the timely synthesis and degradation of E2F, interaction with retinoblastoma protein family members ("pocket proteins"), association with DP heterodimeric partner proteins, and phosphorylation of the E2F/DP complex. Here we report that another mechanism, subcellular localization, is important for the regulation of E2F activity. Unlike E2F-1, -2, or -3, which are constitutively nuclear, ectopic E2F-4 and -5 were predominantly cytoplasmic. Cotransfection of expression vectors encoding p107, p130, or DP-2, but not DP-1, resulted in the nuclear localization of E2F-4 and -5. Moreover, the transcriptional activity of E2F-4 was markedly enhanced when it was invariably nuclear. Conversely, it was reduced when the protein was excluded from the nucleus, implying that E2F-4 transcription function depends upon its cytological location. In keeping with this, the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratios of endogenous E2F-4 changed as cells exited G0, with high ratios in G0 and early G1 and a progressive increase in cytoplasmic E2F-4 as cells approached S phase. Thus, the subcellular location of E2F-4 is regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner, providing another potential mechanism for its functional regulation.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2003

Human RGS6 gene structure, complex alternative splicing, and role of N terminus and G protein gamma-subunit-like (GGL) domain in subcellular localization of RGS6 splice variants.

RGS proteins are defined by the presence of a semiconserved RGS domain that confers the GTPase-activating activity of these proteins toward certain G alpha subunits. RGS6 is a member of a subfamily of RGS proteins distinguished by the presence of DEP and GGL domains, the latter a G beta 5-interacting domain. Here we report identification of 36 distinct transcripts of human RGS6 that arise by unusually complex processing of the RGS6 gene, which spans 630 kilobase pairs of genomic DNA in human chromosome 14 and is interrupted by 19 introns. These transcripts arise by use of two alternative transcription sites and complex alternative splicing mechanisms and encode proteins with long or short N-terminal domains, complete or incomplete GGL domains, 7 distinct C-terminal domains and a common internal domain where the RGS domain is found. The role of structural diversity in the N-terminal and GGL domains of RGS6 splice variants in their interaction with G beta 5 and subcellular localization and of G beta 5 on RGS6 protein localization was examined in COS-7 cells expressing various RGS6 splice variant proteins. RGS6 splice variants with complete GGL domains interacted with G beta 5, irrespective of the type of N-terminal domain, while those lacking a complete GGL domain did not. RGS6 protein variants displayed subcellular distribution patterns ranging from an exclusive cytoplasmic to exclusive nuclear/nucleolar localization, and co-expression of G beta 5 promoted nuclear localization of RGS6 proteins. Analysis of our results show that the long N-terminal and GGL domain sequences of RGS6 proteins function as cytoplasmic retention sequences to prevent their nuclear/nucleolar accumulation. These findings provide the first evidence for G beta 5-independent functions of the GGL domain and for a role of G beta 5 in RGS protein localization. This study reveals extraordinary complexity in processing of the human RGS6 gene and provides new insights into how structural diversity in the RGS6 protein family is involved in their localization and likely function(s) in cells.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed1998

Domains of the TMV movement protein involved in subcellular localization.

To identify and map functionally important regions of the tobacco mosaic virus movement protein, deletions of three amino acids were introduced at intervals of 10 amino acids throughout the protein. Mutations located between amino acids 1 and 160 abolished the capacity of the protein to transport virus from cell to cell, while some of the mutations in the C-terminal third of the protein permitted function. Despite extensive tests, no examples were found of intermolecular complementation between mutants, suggesting that function requires each movement protein molecule to be fully competent. Many of the mutants were fused to green fluorescent protein, and their subcellular localizations were determined by fluorescence microscopy in infected plants and protoplasts. Most mutants lost the ability to accumulate in one or more of the multiple subcellular sites targeted by wild-type movement protein, suggesting that specific functional domains were disrupted. The order in which accumulation at subcellular sites occurs during infection does not represent a targeting pathway. Association of the movement protein with microtubules or with plasmodesmata can occur in the absence of other associations. The region of the protein around amino acids 9-11 may be involved in targeting the protein to cortical bodies (probably associated with the endoplasmic reticulum) and to plasmodesmata. The region around residues 49-51 may be involved in co-alignment of the protein with microtubules. The region around residues 88-101 appears to play a role in targeting to both the cortical bodies and microtubules. Thus, the movement protein contains independently functional domains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Altered subcellular localization and low frequency of mutations of ING1 in human brain tumors.

PURPOSE: Clinical and experimental evidence suggest that the p33ING1b candidate tumor suppressor functionally cooperates with p53 in controlling biochemical and biological functions. Because p53 is frequently mutated in brain tumors and the ING1 locus maps to a site of which the loss is associated with gliomas, we analyzed the mutation and expression profiles of ING1B in human brain tumors. Here we present the first report of ING1 expression and mutation analyses in human brain tumor samples and malignant glioma cell lines. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Expression and mutation analyses of ING1B together with subcellular localization studies of ING1 proteins were performed on 29 brain tumor specimens and 6 human glioma cell lines. RESULTS: A single point mutation (3.5%) was detected in the 29 brain tumor specimens analyzed. This missense mutation occurred in a sequence reported previously to confer nuclear translocation properties to p33ING1b. Interestingly, overexpression and subcellular mislocalization of p33ING1b were observed in all 29 of the brain tumor specimens and some glioma cell lines. In tumor samples, ING1 proteins aberrantly localized to the cytoplasm, and to a lesser extent, to the nucleus of glioma cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that although mutations of ING1 seem to be infrequent in human brain tumors, deregulated expression and mislocalization of ING1 proteins, particularly the p33ING1b isoform, are common events in gliomas and glioblastomas.

Astrocytoma↗

PubMed1988

Subcellular localization of 3 alpha, 7 alpha-dihydroxy- and 3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoyl-coenzyme A ligase(s) in rat liver.

Liver peroxisomes from both rat and humans have previously been shown to contain enzymes that catalyze the oxidative cleavage of the C27-steroid side chain in the formation of bile acids. It has not been clear, however, whether the initial step, formation of the CoA-esters of the 5 beta-cholestanoic acids, also occurs in these organelles. In the present work the subcellular localization of 3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoyl-CoA (THCA-CoA) ligase (THCA-CoA synthetase) and of 3 alpha,7 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholestanoyl-CoA (DHCA-CoA) ligase in rat liver has been investigated. Main subcellular fractions and peroxisome-rich density gradient fractions from rat liver were incubated with THCA or DHCA, CoA, ATP, and Mg2+. Formation of THCA-CoA and DHCA-CoA was determined after high pressure liquid chromatography of the incubation extracts. The microsomal fraction contained the highest specific (and also relative specific) activity both for the formation of THCA-CoA and DHCA-CoA. The rates of THCA-CoA formation were further increased from 124-159 nmol/mg.hr-1 in crude microsomal fractions to 184-220 nmol/mg.hr-1 when studied in purified rough endoplasmic reticulum fractions. Formation of THCA-CoA in peroxisomal fractions prepared in Nycodenz density gradients could be accounted for by a small contamination (3-7%) by microsomal protein. The distribution of THCA-CoA ligase was different from that of palmitoyl-CoA ligase that was found to be localized also to the peroxisomal fractions.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Subcellular localization of beta-catenin in malignant cell lines and squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity.

BACKGROUND: Beta-catenin, an E-cadherin-associated protein involved in cell-cell adhesion and signaling, has been hypothesized to translocate to the nucleus and activate transcription in several human cancers, including oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). METHODS: In the present study, we analyzed the subcellular localization of beta-catenin in cultures of human oral normal and malignant (cell lines SCC15 and SCC25) keratinocytes and in 24 frozen samples of oral squamous cell carcinomas by a double-staining technique for nucleic acids and beta-catenin. Growth potential, as assessed by cell count at different time periods, was established for normal, SCC15 and SCC25 cell lines; oral squamous cell carcinomas were classified according to the histopathological and malignancy indexes. RESULTS: Beta-catenin localized at the plasma membrane in the normal and SCC15 cells, not in the SCC25 cells, where it localized mostly in the perinuclear and nuclear areas. In the growth assays, SCC25 cell lines proliferated faster than in normal and SCC15 cells over a period of 6 days (cell numbers were significantly different, P < 0.0001). Carcinoma sections showed a combination of membranous, cytoplasmic and, in few invading epithelial islands of two tumors, nuclear localization of beta-catenin. CONCLUSIONS: In oral squamous cell carcinomas, nuclear beta-catenin staining was observed only within invading islands of two carcinomas deep in the underlying connective tissue. On the basis of this study, we conclude that intranuclear beta-catenin does not appear to be a common finding in oral squamous cell carcinomas and that a clear association between intranuclear beta-catenin and histopathological and malignancy indexes in vivo could not be established.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Tissue distribution and subcellular localization of rabbit liver metalloendopeptidase.

We have previously isolated rabbit liver microsomal metalloendopeptidase (MEP) as a candidate for the processing enzyme of vitamin K-dependent plasma proteins. A cDNA coding for MEP has revealed that it is structurally related to metalloendopeptidase-24.15, which catalyzes the proteolytic processing of several bioactive peptides. In this study we examined the tissue distribution and subcellular localization of MEP by light and electron microscopic immunohistochemical methods, in addition to Northern blot analysis. Chicken polyclonal antibodies were raised by using synthetic peptides AG1 (Met31-Asn46) and AG3 (Asp537-Gly551) derived from the sequence of MEP. Both anti-AG1 and anti-AG3 antibodies reacted specifically with MEP, as judged by Western blotting and immunohistochemical methods. Both antibodies gave an identical staining distribution, which was localized on the luminal cell surfaces and in the cytoplasm of the following organs: liver, brain, lungs, kidneys, esophagus, stomach, duodenum, pancreas, placenta, epididymis, uterus, ovary, and oviduct. Northern blot analysis revealed that the expression of MEP mRNA is similar to its immunohistochemical distribution except in the heart. These results suggest that MEP may participate more closely in a degradation role in peptide metabolism in various tissues than in a processing role of the proprotein, like metalloendopeptidase-24.15.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1986

Subcellular localization of immunoreactive thyroid-stimulating hormone in the rat hypothalamus.

Hypothalamic tissue contains TSH-like material which is biologically, immunologically, and physicochemically similar to pituitary TSH. Immunoreactive thyroid-stimulating hormone (IR-TSH) is released from hypothalamic tissue in vitro by depolarizing concentrations of potassium or veratridine by a calcium-dependent mechanism. In the present study, we investigated the subcellular localization of IR-TSH using equilibrium density centrifugation. Tissue homogenates from intact, hypophysectomized or thyroidectomized rats were centrifuged at 150 g at 4 degrees C for 10 min and the supernatants were layered onto continuous sucrose gradients (1.00-1.27 g/ml) and centrifuged at 100,000 g (max) for 16 h. IR-TSH in pituitary supernatants from intact and thyroidectomized rats showed high equilibrium density peaks with a modal density around 1.2 g/ml. Fractionation of the supernatant from ventral or dorsal hypothalamic homogenates resulted in a bimodal distribution of IR-TSH. In supernatants from both tissues, IR-TSH containing particles were found at the top of the gradient in a low equilibrium density peak between 1.0 and 1.08 g/ml. In addition, IR-TSH containing particles were found in ventral and dorsal hypothalamic supernatants with modal densities at 1.16 and 1.25, respectively. These high density IR-TSH particles were present in tissue taken from hypophysectomized rats, and were not appreciably affected by thyroidectomy. Homogenization of the tissue in a hypo-osmotic medium disrupted the high density IR-TSH particles resulting in a single low density peak at the top of the gradient. These data suggest that hypothalamic IR-TSH is stored in membrane bound particles which have densities similar to that of secretory granules.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Subcellular localization of N-acetylglucosaminide beta 1----4 galactosyltransferase revealed by immunoelectron microscopy.

We prepared a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against N-acetylglucosaminide beta 1----4 galactosyltransferase purified from F9 embryonal carcinoma cells. The MAb recognized the protein portion of the enzyme, since it inhibited galactosyltransferase activity, reacted with the enzyme both from F9 cells and from bovine milk, and did not exhibit anti-carbohydrate activity. Using this MAb, we studied the subcellular localization of the enzyme by immunoelectron microscopy. Intense staining was observed in trans-Golgi stacks within testicular interstitial cells and mucous neck cells, confirming the specificity of the immunological reaction. Cell surface galactosyltransferase was detected in the following regions: cultured cells such as F9 embryonal carcinoma cells, testicular interstitial cells, seminiferous tubule epithelial cells, Sertoli cells, the head of the epididymal sperm, epididymal epithelial cells, and apical surfaces of epithelial cells in the fundic gland and of intestinal goblet cells. The use of Triton X-100 intensified the cell surface immunoreactivity, and in certain cases the mode of distribution of the cell surface enzyme was different from that described in previous reports. In addition, nuclear envelopes of cultured cells were distinctly stained. The possible significance of the latter finding is discussed in relation to recent advances in nuclear localization of glycoproteins.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Melanin-concentrating hormone-like immunoreactive material in the rat hypothalamus; characterization and subcellular localization.

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a neurosecretory peptide that induces melanin concentration within teleost melanophores. Here, we characterized MCH-like substance in the rat brain by both an in vitro fish-scale melanophore bioassay and a radioimmunoassay with a salmon MCH antiserum that is directed toward the carboxy-terminus and requires the cyclic configuration for recognition. Furthermore, subcellular localization of the MCH in the rat brain was examined by immunocytochemistry using electron microscopy. We confirmed that MCH-immunoreactivity and MCH-bioactivity were present together in the same effluent fractions of the rat hypothalamic extracts by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). At electron microscopic level, MCH-immunoreactivity was located specifically in secretory granules in MCH-positive cell bodies confined to the hypothalamus with their neuronal processes projecting widely in the rat brain. Although full characterization of substance must await its isolation, our results strongly support the notion that rat MCH-like substance may be homologous but not identical to salmon MCH, and simultaneously may serve some neurotransmitter and/or neuromodulator role in the brain of the rat.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Distribution and subcellular localization of surfactant-associated glycoproteins in human lung.

Human surfactant contains lung-specific, high molecular weight glycoproteins which are composed of disulfide-linked 34-kilodalton peptide subunits. We prepared antibodies to both isolated HMW glycoproteins and 34-kilodalton peptides and tested the antisera for specificity with immunochemical procedures. In the present study we have investigated the cellular distribution and subcellular localization of these glycoproteins in surgically excised human lung tissue with or without type II cell hyperplasia. An immunoperoxidase technique was used, and cytoplasmic staining reflecting labeling with antibodies to either high molecular weight glycoproteins or the 34-kilodalton peptide subunits was consistently observed in normal type II cells, Clara cells, and some alveolar macrophages and was more intense and diffuse in hyperplastic type II cells. The ultrastructural localization of surfactant-associated glycoproteins was investigated using the periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde fixative and a peroxidase-labeled antibody technique. In both normal and proliferating type II cells the staining was localized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum, perinuclear cisternas, vesicles of the Golgi complex, vesicles and lamellar membranes of the multivesicular bodies, and some multivesicular body-lamellar body forms. In addition, staining was frequently found in peripheral portions of partially preserved lamellar bodies including those at the stage of secretion, as well as in association with of alveolar tubular myelin. Labeling was also observed in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of Clara cells. We conclude that antibodies against human surfactant-associated glycoproteins are markers for normal and regenerating type II cells, as well as for Clara cells which apparently retain limited ability to produce surfactant-associated glycoproteins independently of surfactant phospholipids. The results indicate that, in type II cells, synthesis and secretion of these glycoproteins involve the same cytoplasmic organelles that are responsible for synthesis, packaging, storage, and exocytosis of surfactant phospholipids. However, maturation of the lamellar bodies, known to be characterized by progressive accumulation of phospholipids, may not require parallel storage of surfactant-associated glycoproteins within the entire lamellar body compartment.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

CDC46/MCM5, a yeast protein whose subcellular localization is cell cycle-regulated, is involved in DNA replication at autonomously replicating sequences.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells containing mutations in the cell-division-cycle gene CDC46 arrest with a large bud and a single nucleus with unreplicated DNA at the non-permissive temperature. This G1/S arrest, together with the increased rates of mitotic chromosome loss and recombination phenotype, suggests that these mutants are defective in DNA replication. The subcellular localization of the CDC46 protein changes with the cell cycle; it is nuclear between the end of M phase and the G1/S transition but is cytoplasmic in other phases of the cell cycle. Here we show that CDC46 is identical to MCM5, based on complementation analysis of the mcm5-1 and cdc46-1 alleles, complementation of the minichromosome maintenance defect of mcm5-1 by CDC46, and the genetic linkage of these two genes. Like mcm5-1, cdc46-1 and cdc46-5 also show a minichromosome maintenance defect thought to be associated with DNA replication initiation at autonomously replicating sequences. Taken together, these observations suggest that CDC46/MCM5 acts during a very narrow window at the G1/S transition or the beginning of S phase by virtue of its nuclear localization to effect the initiation of DNA replication at autonomously replicating sequences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

A novel heterodimerization domain, CRM1, and 14-3-3 control subcellular localization of the MondoA-Mlx heterocomplex.

Among members of the bHLHZip family of transcriptional regulators, MondoA and Mlx have the unique property of cytoplasmic localization. We have proposed that MondoA-Mlx heterodimers accumulate in the nucleus in response to extracellular cues. Our previous work implicated heterodimerization between MondoA and Mlx and a conserved domain in the N terminus of MondoA as important determinants of MondoA-Mlx subcellular localization. MondoA and Mlx share sequence similarity in their bHLHZip domains and C termini. Here we show that for both MondoA and Mlx, this C-terminal domain has cytoplasmic localization activity that is required by the protein monomers to accumulate in the cytoplasm. This C-terminal domain is also a novel dimerization interface that functions independently of the leucine zipper to mediate heterotypic interactions between MondoA and Mlx. Dimerization between MondoA and Mlx inactivates the cytoplasmic localization activity of their C termini and is necessary for the heterocomplex to accumulate in the nucleus. MondoA-Mlx heterodimers, while poised for nuclear entry, are retained in the cytoplasm by conserved domains in the N terminus of MondoA. Mondo conserved regions (MCRs) II and III contribute to cytoplasmic localization of MondoA-Mlx by functioning as a CRM1-dependent nuclear export signal and as a novel binding site for 14-3-3 family members, respectively. We propose that the nuclear accumulation of MondoA and Mlx is a two-step process. First, heterodimerization abolishes the cytoplasmic localization activity of their C termini. Second, an extracellular signal(s) must overcome the cytoplasmic localization function imparted by CRM1 and 14-3-3 binding to the N terminus of MondoA.

14-3-3 Proteins↗