scholarly journals Activation of an Essential Calcium Signaling Pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Kch1 and Kch2, Putative Low-Affinity Potassium Transporters

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Stefan ◽  
Nannan Zhang ◽  
Takaaki Sokabe ◽  
Alberto Rivetta ◽  
Clifford L. Slayman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Animal Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Activation Mechanism ◽  
Homologous Pair ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mating Pheromones ◽  
Inwardly Rectifying ◽  
Low K ◽  
Mutant Cells

ABSTRACT In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , mating pheromones activate a high-affinity Ca 2+ influx system (HACS) that activates calcineurin and is essential for cell survival. Here we identify extracellular K + and a homologous pair of transmembrane proteins, Kch1 and Kch2 (Prm6), as necessary components of the HACS activation mechanism. Expression of Kch1 and especially Kch2 was strongly induced during the response to mating pheromones. When forcibly overexpressed, Kch1 and Kch2 localized to the plasma membrane and activated HACS in a fashion that depended on extracellular K + but not pheromones. They also promoted growth of trk1 trk2 mutant cells in low K + environments, suggesting they promote K + uptake. Voltage-clamp recordings of protoplasts revealed diminished inward K + currents in kch1 kch2 double-mutant cells relative to the wild type. Conversely, heterologous expression of Kch1 in HEK293T cells caused the appearance of inwardly rectifying K + currents. Collectively, these findings suggest that Kch1 and Kch2 directly promote K + influx and that HACS may electrochemically respond to K + influx in much the same way as the homologous voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels in most animal cell types.

Yeast dom34 Mutants Are Defective in Multiple Developmental Pathways and Exhibit Decreased Levels of Polyribosomes

Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-56
Author(s):  
Luther Davis ◽  
JoAnne Engebrecht
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Heterologous Expression ◽  
Protein Translation ◽  
Developmental Pathways ◽  
G1 Phase ◽  
Growth Defect ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Drosophila Homolog ◽  
Mutant Cells

Abstract The DOM34 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is similar togenes found in diverse eukaryotes and archaebacteria. Analysis of dom34 strains shows that progression through the G1 phase of the cell cycle is delayed, mutant cells enter meiosis aberrantly, and their ability to form pseudohyphae is significantly diminished. RPS30A, which encodes ribosomal protein S30, was identified in a screen for high-copy suppressors of the dom34Δ growth defect. dom34Δ mutants display an altered polyribosome profile that is rescued by expression of RPS30A. Taken together, these data indicate that Dom34p functions in protein translation to promote G1 progression and differentiation. A Drosophila homolog of Dom34p, pelota, is required for the proper coordination of meiosis and spermatogenesis. Heterologous expression of pelota in dom34Δ mutants restores wild-type growth and differentiation, suggesting conservation of function between the eukaryotic members of the gene family.

scholarly journals Discovery of a Novel Class of Orally Active Antifungal β-1,3-d-Glucan Synthase Inhibitors

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (11) ◽  
pp. 5099-5106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott S. Walker ◽  
Yiming Xu ◽  
Ilias Triantafyllou ◽  
Michelle F. Waldman ◽  
Cara Mendrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Glabrata ◽  
Pharmacokinetic Data ◽  
Morphological Response ◽  
Glucan Synthase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Spontaneous Mutants ◽  
Orally Active

ABSTRACTThe echinocandins are a class of semisynthetic natural products that target β-1,3-glucan synthase (GS). Their proven clinical efficacy combined with minimal safety issues has made the echinocandins an important asset in the management of fungal infection in a variety of patient populations. However, the echinocandins are delivered only parenterally. A screen for antifungal bioactivities combined with mechanism-of-action studies identified a class of piperazinyl-pyridazinones that target GS. The compounds exhibitedin vitroactivity comparable, and in some cases superior, to that of the echinocandins. The compounds inhibit GSin vitro, and there was a strong correlation between enzyme inhibition andin vitroantifungal activity. In addition, like the echinocandins, the compounds caused a leakage of cytoplasmic contents from yeast and produced a morphological response in molds characteristic of GS inhibitors. Spontaneous mutants ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaewith reduced susceptibility to the piperazinyl-pyridazinones had substitutions inFKS1. The sites of these substitutions were distinct from those conferring resistance to echinocandins; likewise, echinocandin-resistant isolates remained susceptible to the test compounds. Finally, we present efficacy and pharmacokinetic data on an example of the piperazinyl-pyridazinone compounds that demonstrated efficacy in a murine model ofCandida glabratainfection.

Pituitary adenoma producing growth hormone and adrenocorticotropin: a histological, immunocytochemical, electron microscopic, and in situ hybridization study

1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
pp. 1111-1115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalman Kovacs ◽  
Eva Horvath ◽  
Lucia Stefaneanu ◽  
Juan Bilbao ◽  
William Singer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Hormone ◽  
In Situ Hybridization ◽  
Pituitary Adenoma ◽  
Immunoelectron Microscopy ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Separate Cell ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors report on the morphological features of a pituitary adenoma that produced growth hormone (GH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This hormone combination produced by a single adenoma is extremely rare; a review of the available literature showed that only one previous case has been published. The tumor, which was removed from a 62-year-old man with acromegaly, was studied by histological and immunocytochemical analyses, transmission electron microscopy, immunoelectron microscopy, and in situ hybridization. When the authors used light microscopy, the tumor appeared to be a bimorphous mixed pituitary adenoma composed of two separate cell types: one cell population synthesized GH and the other ACTH. The cytogenesis of pituitary adenomas that produce more than one hormone is obscure. It may be that two separate cells—one somatotroph and one corticotroph—transformed into neoplastic cells, or that the adenoma arose in a common stem cell that differentiated into two separate cell types. In this case immunoelectron microscopy conclusively demonstrated ACTH in the secretory granules of several somatotrophs. This was associated with a change in the morphological characteristics of secretory granules. Thus it is possible that the tumor was originally a somatotropic adenoma that began to produce ACTH as a result of mutations that occurred during tumor progression.

scholarly journals A New Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strain with a Mutant Smt3-Deconjugating Ulp1 Protein Is Affected in DNA Replication and Requires Srs2 and Homologous Recombination for Its Viability

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 5130-5143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Soustelle ◽  
Laurence Vernis ◽  
Karine Fréon ◽  
Anne Reynaud-Angelin ◽  
Roland Chanet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Nonhomologous End Joining ◽  
End Joining ◽  
Recombination Mechanism ◽  
Growth Defects ◽  
Protein Conjugates ◽  
Synthetically Lethal ◽  
Mutant Cells ◽  
Insight Into

ABSTRACT The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Srs2 protein is involved in DNA repair and recombination. In order to gain better insight into the roles of Srs2, we performed a screen to identify mutations that are synthetically lethal with an srs2 deletion. One of them is a mutated allele of the ULP1 gene that encodes a protease specifically cleaving Smt3-protein conjugates. This allele, ulp1-I615N, is responsible for an accumulation of Smt3-conjugated proteins. The mutant is unable to grow at 37°C. At permissive temperatures, it still shows severe growth defects together with a strong hyperrecombination phenotype and is impaired in meiosis. Genetic interactions between ulp1 and mutations that affect different repair pathways indicated that the RAD51-dependent homologous recombination mechanism, but not excision resynthesis, translesion synthesis, or nonhomologous end-joining processes, is required for the viability of the mutant. Thus, both Srs2, believed to negatively control homologous recombination, and the process of recombination per se are essential for the viability of the ulp1 mutant. Upon replication, mutant cells accumulate single-stranded DNA interruptions. These structures are believed to generate different recombination intermediates. Some of them are fixed by recombination, and others require Srs2 to be reversed and fixed by an alternate pathway.

scholarly journals The Putative Eukaryote-LikeO-GlcNAc Transferase of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 Hydrolyzes UDP-GlcNAc and Is Involved in Multiple Cellular Processes

2014 ◽  
Vol 197 (2) ◽  
pp. 354-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry A. Sokol ◽  
Neil E. Olszewski
Keyword(s):  
Deletion Mutant ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Synechococcus Elongatus ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Mutant Phenotypes ◽  
Glcnac Transferase ◽  
Pcc 7942 ◽  
Mutant Cells

The posttranslational addition of a single O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) to serine or threonine residues regulates numerous metazoan cellular processes. The enzyme responsible for this modification,O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), is conserved among a wide variety of organisms and is critical for the viability of many eukaryotes. Although OGTs with domain structures similar to those of eukaryotic OGTs are predicted for many bacterial species, the cellular roles of these OGTs are unknown. We have identified a putative OGT in the cyanobacteriumSynechococcus elongatusPCC 7942 that shows active-site homology and similar domain structure to eukaryotic OGTs. An OGT deletion mutant was created and found to exhibit several phenotypes. Without agitation, mutant cells aggregate and settle out of the medium. The mutant cells have higher free inorganic phosphate levels, wider thylakoid lumen, and differential accumulation of electron-dense inclusion bodies. These phenotypes are rescued by reintroduction of the wild-type OGT but are not fully rescued by OGTs with single amino acid substitutions corresponding to mutations that reduce eukaryotic OGT activity.S. elongatusOGT purified fromEscherichia colihydrolyzed the sugar donor, UDP-GlcNAc, while the mutant OGTs that did not fully rescue the deletion mutant phenotypes had reduced or no activity. These results suggest that bacterial eukaryote-like OGTs, like their eukaryotic counterparts, influence multiple processes.

scholarly journals Coordination of K+Transporters in Neurospora: TRK1 Is Scarce and Constitutive, while HAK1 Is Abundant and Highly Regulated

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 684-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Rivetta ◽  
Kenneth E. Allen ◽  
Carolyn W. Slayman ◽  
Clifford L. Slayman
Keyword(s):  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Carbon Starvation ◽  
Transmembrane Helices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Biochemical Genetic ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Electrophysiological Characterization ◽  
Low K ◽  
Potassium Limitation

ABSTRACTFungi, plants, and bacteria accumulate potassium via two distinct molecular machines not directly coupled to ATP hydrolysis. The first, designated TRK, HKT, or KTR, has eight transmembrane helices and is folded like known potassium channels, while the second, designated HAK, KT, or KUP, has 12 transmembrane helices and resembles MFS class proteins. One of each type functions in the model organismNeurospora crassa, where both are readily accessible for biochemical, genetic, and electrophysiological characterization. We have now determined the operating balance between Trk1p and Hak1p under several important conditions, including potassium limitation and carbon starvation. Growth measurements, epitope tagging, and quantitative Western blotting have shown the geneHAK1to be much more highly regulated than isTRK1. This conclusion follows from three experimental results: (i) Trk1p is expressed constitutively but at low levels, and it is barely sensitive to extracellular [K+] and/or the coexpression ofHAK1; (ii) Hak1p is abundant but is markedly depressed by elevated extracellular concentrations of K+and by coexpression ofTRK1; and (iii) Carbon starvation slowly enhances Hak1p expression and depresses Trk1p expression, yielding steady-state Hak1p:Trk1p ratios of ∼500:1,viz., 10- to 50-fold larger than that in K+- and carbon-replete cells. Additionally, it appears that both potassium transporters can adjust kinetically to sustained low-K+stress by means of progressively increasing transporter affinity for extracellular K+. The underlying observations are (iv) that K+influx via Trk1p remains nearly constant at ∼9 mM/h when extracellular K+is progressively depleted below 0.05 mM and (v) that K+influx via Hak1p remains at ∼3 mM/h when extracellular K+is depleted below 0.1 mM.

scholarly journals Microinjection of Francisella tularensis and Listeria monocytogenes Reveals the Importance of Bacterial and Host Factors for Successful Replication

2015 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
pp. 3233-3242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Meyer ◽  
Jeanette E. Bröms ◽  
Xijia Liu ◽  
Martin E. Rottenberg ◽  
Anders Sjöstedt
Keyword(s):  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Francisella Tularensis ◽  
Hela Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Metabolic Adaptation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bacterial Uptake ◽  
J774 Cells ◽  
Cell Cytosol ◽  
Successful Replication

Certain intracellular bacteria use the host cell cytosol as the replicative niche. Although it has been hypothesized that the successful exploitation of this compartment requires a unique metabolic adaptation, supportive evidence is lacking. ForFrancisella tularensis, many genes of theFrancisellapathogenicity island (FPI) are essential for intracellular growth, and therefore, FPI mutants are useful tools for understanding the prerequisites of intracytosolic replication. We compared the growth of bacteria taken up by phagocytic or nonphagocytic cells with that of bacteria microinjected directly into the host cytosol, using the live vaccine strain (LVS) ofF. tularensis; five selected FPI mutants thereof, i.e., ΔiglA, ΔiglÇ ΔiglG, ΔiglI, and ΔpdpEstrains; andListeria monocytogenes. After uptake in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM), ASC−/−BMDM, MyD88−/−BMDM, J774 cells, or HeLa cells, LVS, ΔpdpEand ΔiglGmutants, andL. monocytogenesreplicated efficiently in all five cell types, whereas the ΔiglAand ΔiglCmutants showed no replication. After microinjection, all 7 strains showed effective replication in J774 macrophages, ASC−/−BMDM, and HeLa cells. In contrast to the rapid replication in other cell types,L. monocytogenesshowed no replication in MyD88−/−BMDM and LVS showed no replication in either BMDM or MyD88−/−BMDM after microinjection. Our data suggest that the mechanisms of bacterial uptake as well as the permissiveness of the cytosolic compartmentper seare important factors for the intracytosolic replication. Notably, none of the investigated FPI proteins was found to be essential for intracytosolic replication after microinjection.

scholarly journals Cell Wall-Related Bionumbers and Bioestimates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frans M. Klis ◽  
Chris G. de Koster ◽  
Stanley Brul
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Cell Size ◽  
Pathogenic Fungus ◽  
Turgor Pressure ◽  
Hyphal Growth ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point

ABSTRACTBionumbers and bioestimates are valuable tools in biological research. Here we focus on cell wall-related bionumbers and bioestimates of the budding yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiaeand the polymorphic, pathogenic fungusCandida albicans. We discuss the linear relationship between cell size and cell ploidy, the correlation between cell size and specific growth rate, the effect of turgor pressure on cell size, and the reason why using fixed cells for measuring cellular dimensions can result in serious underestimation ofin vivovalues. We further consider the evidence that individual buds and hyphae grow linearly and that exponential growth of the population results from regular formation of new daughter cells and regular hyphal branching. Our calculations show that hyphal growth allowsC. albicansto cover much larger distances per unit of time than the yeast mode of growth and that this is accompanied by strongly increased surface expansion rates. We therefore predict that the transcript levels of genes involved in wall formation increase during hyphal growth. Interestingly, wall proteins and polysaccharides seem barely, if at all, subject to turnover and replacement. A general lesson is how strongly most bionumbers and bioestimates depend on environmental conditions and genetic background, thus reemphasizing the importance of well-defined and carefully chosen culture conditions and experimental approaches. Finally, we propose that the numbers and estimates described here offer a solid starting point for similar studies of other cell compartments and other yeast species.

scholarly journals Enzymatic Degradation of Phenazines Can Generate Energy and Protect Sensitive Organisms from Toxicity

mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle C. Costa ◽  
Megan Bergkessel ◽  
Scott Saunders ◽  
Jonas Korlach ◽  
Dianne K. Newman
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Redox Activity ◽  
Mycobacterium Fortuitum ◽  
Active Metabolites ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Phenazine Production ◽  
Physiological Benefits

ABSTRACTDiverse bacteria, including severalPseudomonasspecies, produce a class of redox-active metabolites called phenazines that impact different cell types in nature and disease. Phenazines can affect microbial communities in both positive and negative ways, where their presence is correlated with decreased species richness and diversity. However, little is known about how the concentration of phenazines is modulatedin situand what this may mean for the fitness of members of the community. Through culturing of phenazine-degrading mycobacteria, genome sequencing, comparative genomics, and molecular analysis, we identified several conserved genes that are important for the degradation of threePseudomonas-derived phenazines: phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA), phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN), and pyocyanin (PYO). PCA can be used as the sole carbon source for growth by these organisms. Deletion of several genes inMycobacterium fortuitumabolishes the degradation phenotype, and expression of two genes in a heterologous host confers the ability to degrade PCN and PYO. In cocultures with phenazine producers, phenazine degraders alter the abundance of different phenazine types. Not only does degradation support mycobacterial catabolism, but also it provides protection to bacteria that would otherwise be inhibited by the toxicity of PYO. Collectively, these results serve as a reminder that microbial metabolites can be actively modified and degraded and that these turnover processes must be considered when the fate and impact of such compounds in any environment are being assessed.IMPORTANCEPhenazine production byPseudomonasspp. can shape microbial communities in a variety of environments ranging from the cystic fibrosis lung to the rhizosphere of dryland crops. For example, in the rhizosphere, phenazines can protect plants from infection by pathogenic fungi. The redox activity of phenazines underpins their antibiotic activity, as well as providing pseudomonads with important physiological benefits. Our discovery that soil mycobacteria can catabolize phenazines and thereby protect other organisms against phenazine toxicity suggests that phenazine degradation may influence turnoverin situ. The identification of genes involved in the degradation of phenazines opens the door to monitoring turnover in diverse environments, an essential process to consider when one is attempting to understand or control communities influenced by phenazines.

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