Biomedical subjects

A K Hopper

Publications and source records attributed to A K Hopper.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1990

Genetic methods for study of trans-acting genes involved in processing of precursors to yeast cytoplasmic transfer RNAs.

All of the strategies to identify mutants defective in pre-tRNA processing have proved to be useful. However, in some of these strategies (such as inability to derepress a nonsense suppressor, correction of processing-defective substrates, and reverse genetics) only a single mutant has been isolated. This is not because the methods have proved to be inefficient, but rather because the field is still in infancy. Further work is needed to saturate the types of mutants found by each procedure. Undoubtedly, new strategies will be designed.

Alleles↗

PubMed1990

The yeast RNA1 gene product necessary for RNA processing is located in the cytosol and apparently excluded from the nucleus.

The yeast RNA1 gene is required for RNA processing and nuclear transport of RNA. The rna1-1 mutation of this locus causes defects in pre-tRNA splicing, processing of the primary pre-rRNA transcript, production of mRNA and export of RNA from the nucleus to the cytosol. To understand how this gene product can pleiotropically affect these processes, we sought to determine the intracellular location of the RNA1 protein. As determined by indirect immunofluorescence localization and organelle fractionation, the RNA1 antigen is found exclusively or primarily in the cytoplasm. Only a tiny fraction of the endogenous protein could be localized to and functional in the nucleus. Furthermore, the RNA1 antigen does not localize differently under stress conditions. These findings suggest that the RNA1 protein is not directly involved in RNA processing but may modify nuclear proteins or otherwise transmit a signal from the cytosol to the nucleus or play a role in maintaining the integrity of the nucleus.

Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed1990

srd1, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae suppressor of the temperature-sensitive pre-rRNA processing defect of rrp1-1.

We define a new gene, SRD1, involved in the processing of pre-rRNA to mature rRNA. The SRD1 gene was identified by selecting for second-site suppressors of the previously described rrp1-1 mutation. The rrp1-1 mutation causes temperature-sensitive growth, a conditional defect in processing of 27S pre-rRNA to mature 25S rRNA, and a nonconditional increase in sensitivity to several aminoglycoside antibiotics. All srd1 alleles identified are recessive and apparently specific to the rrp1-1 mutation. Although a mutation of SRD1 suppresses the pre-rRNA processing defect, drug sensitivity and thermolethality of a point mutation of RRP1, it is unable to suppress a rrp1-disruption allele. We suggest that the SRD1 gene product either interacts with or regulates the RRP1 product.

Alleles↗

PubMed1989

N2,N2-dimethylguanosine-specific tRNA methyltransferase contains both nuclear and mitochondrial targeting signals in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The TRM1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a tRNA modification enzyme, N2,N2-dimethylguanosine-specific tRNA methyltransferase, which modifies both mitochondrial and cytoplasmic tRNAs. The enzyme is targeted to mitochondria for the modification of mitochondrial tRNAs. Cellular fractionation and indirect immunofluorescence studies reported here demonstrate that this enzyme is also localized to the nucleus. Further, immunofluorescence experiments using strains that overproduce the enzyme show a staining at the periphery of the nucleus suggesting that the enzyme is found in a subnuclear destination near or at the nuclear membrane. There is no obvious cytoplasmic staining in these overproducing strains. Fusion protein technology was used to begin to localize sequences involved in the nuclear targeting of this enzyme. Indirect immunofluorescence studies indicate that sequences between the first 70 and 213 NH2-terminal amino acids of the methyltransferase are sufficient to target Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase to nuclei.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1989

Amino-terminal extension generated from an upstream AUG codon increases the efficiency of mitochondrial import of yeast N2,N2-dimethylguanosine-specific tRNA methyltransferases.

Fusions between the TRM1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and COXIV or DHFR were made to examine the mitochondrial targeting signals of N2,N2-dimethylguanosine-specific tRNA methyltransferase [tRNA (m2(2)G)dimethyltransferase]. This enzyme is responsible for the modification of both mitochondrial and cytoplasmic tRNAs. We have previously shown that two forms of the enzyme are translated from two in-frame ATGs in this gene, that they differ by a 16-amino-acid amino-terminal extension, and that both the long and short forms are imported into mitochondria. Results of studies to test the ability of various TRM1 sequences to serve as surrogate mitochondrial targeting signals for passenger protein import in vitro and in vivo showed that the most efficient signal derived from tRNA (m2(2)G)dimethyltransferase included a combination of sequences from both the amino-terminal extension and the amino terminus of the shorter form of the enzyme. The amino-terminal extension itself did not serve as an independent mitochondrial targeting signal, whereas the amino terminus of the shorter form of tRNA (m2(2)G)dimethyltransferase did function in this regard, albeit inefficiently. We analyzed the first 48 amino acids of tRNA (m2(2)G)dimethyltransferase for elements of primary and secondary structure shared with other known mitochondrial targeting signals. The results lead us to propose that the most efficient signal spans the area around the second ATG of TRM1 and is consistent with the idea that there is a mitochondrial targeting signal present at the amino terminus of the shorter form of the enzyme and that the amino-terminal extension augments this signal by extending it to form a larger, more efficient mitochondrial targeting signal.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1989

Structural and functional analyses of Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild-type and mutant RNA1 genes.

The yeast gene RNA1 has been defined by the thermosensitive rna1-1 lesion. This lesion interferes with the processing and production of all major classes of RNA. Each class of RNA is affected at a distinct and presumably unrelated step. Furthermore, RNA does not appear to exit the nucleus. To investigate how the RNA1 gene product can pleiotropically affect disparate processes, we undertook a structural analysis of wild-type and mutant RNA1 genes. The wild-type gene was found to contain a 407-amino-acid open reading frame that encodes a hydrophilic protein. No clue regarding the function of the RNA1 protein was obtained by searching banks for similarity to other known gene products. Surprisingly, the rna1-1 lesion was found to code for two amino acid differences from wild type. We found that neither single-amino-acid change alone resulted in temperature sensitivity. The carboxy-terminal region of the RNA1 open reading frame contains a highly acidic domain extending from amino acids 334 to 400. We generated genomic deletions that removed C-terminal regions of this protein. Deletion of amino acids 397 to 407 did not appear to affect cell growth. Removal of amino acids 359 to 397, a region containing 24 acidic residues, caused temperature-sensitive growth. This allele, rna1-delta 359-397, defines a second conditional lesion of the RNA1 locus. We found that strains possessing the rna1-delta 359-397 allele did not show thermosensitive defects in pre-rRNA or pre-tRNA processing. Removal of amino acids 330 to 407 resulted in loss of viability.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1988

Isolation of a yeast gene involved in species-specific pre-tRNA processing.

To identify genes involved in pre-tRNA processing, we searched for yeast DNA sequences that specifically enhanced the expression of the SUP4(G37) gene. The SUP4(G37) gene possesses a point mutation at position 37 of suppressor tRNA(Tyr). This lesion results in a reduced rate of pre-tRNA splicing and a decreased level of nonsense suppression. A SUP4(G37) strain was transformed with a yeast genomic library, and the transformants were screened for increased suppressor activity. One transformant contained a plasmid that encoded an unessential gene, STP1, that in multiple copies enhanced the suppression of SUP4(G37) and caused increased production of mature SUP4(G37) product. Disruption of the genomic copy of STP1 resulted in a reduced efficiency of SUP4-mediated suppression and the accumulation of pre-tRNAs. Not all intron-containing pre-tRNAs were affected by the stp1-disruption. At least five of the nine families of pre-tRNAs were affected. Two other species, pre-tRNA(Ile) and pre-tRNA(3Leu), were not. We propose that STP1 encodes a tRNA species-specific product that functions as a helper for pre-tRNA splicing. The STP1 product may interact with pre-tRNAs to generate a structure that is efficiently recognized by splicing machinery.

Chromosome Mapping↗

PubMed1987

Amino-terminal extension generated from an upstream AUG codon is not required for mitochondrial import of yeast N2,N2-dimethylguanosine-specific tRNA methyltransferase.

The TRM1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is necessary for the N2,N2-dimethylguanosine modification of both mitochondrial and cytoplasmic tRNAs. The DNA sequence of the TRM1 locus and the 5' ends of mRNAs expressed from this gene have been determined. The majority of the 5' ends map within a large open reading frame between two in-frame ATGs at positions +1 and +49. A small fraction of the 5' ends are located upstream of the first ATG. Both AUGs of the TRM1 mRNAs are used to initiate translation, and two forms of N2,N2-dimethylguanosine-specific tRNA methyltransferase, which differ by an amino-terminal extension of 16 amino acids, are made. Mitochondrial tRNAs are modified when the initiation of translation is limited to one or the other of the AUGs, suggesting that the amino-terminal extension is not necessary for import of the protein into mitochondria. Mitochondrial targeting information must, therefore, be located in a region of N2,N2-dimethylguanosine-specific tRNA methyltransferase that is found in both forms of the enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Chromosome specificity of polysomy promotion by disruptions of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA1 gene.

Previously, we showed that a disruption of the yeast RNA1 gene with LEU2 sequences promotes polysomy for chromosome XIII. Here we demonstrate that this phenotype is due to sequences specific to the RNA1 gene and that the disruption allele does not affect nondisjunction of three other chromosomes or polysomy of a minichromosome. Hence polysomy appears to be restricted to chromosome XIII.

Aneuploidy↗

PubMed1987

RRP1, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene affecting rRNA processing and production of mature ribosomal subunits.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant ts351 had been shown to affect processing of 27S pre-rRNA to mature 25S and 5.8S rRNAs (C. Andrew, A. K. Hopper, and B. D. Hall, Mol. Gen. Genet. 144:29-37, 1976). We showed that this strain contains two mutations leading to temperature-sensitive lethality. The rRNA-processing defect, however, is a result of only one of the two mutations. We designated the lesion responsible for the rRNA-processing defect rrp1 and showed that it is located on the right arm of chromosome IV either allelic to or tightly linked to mak21. This rrp1 lesion also results in hypersensitivity to aminoglycoside antibiotics and a reduced 25S/18S rRNA ratio at semipermissive temperatures. We cloned the RRP1 gene and provide evidence that it encodes a moderately abundant mRNA which is in lower abundance and larger than most mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins.

Aminoglycosides↗

PubMed1987

Isolation and characterization of MOD5, a gene required for isopentenylation of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNAs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The mod5-1 mutation is a nuclear mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that reduces the biosynthesis of N6-(delta 2-isopentenyl)adenosine in both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNAs to less than 1.5% of wild-type levels. The tRNA modification enzyme, delta 2-isopentenyl pyrophosphate:tRNA isopentenyl transferase, cannot be detected in vitro with extracts from mod5-1 cells. A characterization of the MOD5 gene would help to determine how the same enzyme activity in different cellular compartments can be abolished by a single nuclear mutation. To that end we have cloned the MOD5 gene and shown that it restores delta 2-isopentenyl pyrophosphate:tRNA isopentenyl transferase activity and N6-(delta 2-isopentenyl)adenosine to tRNA in both the mitochondria and the nucleus/cytoplasm compartments of mod5-1 yeast cells. That MOD5 sequences are expressed in Escherichia coli and can complement an N6-(delta 2-isopentenyl)-2-methylthioadenosine-deficient E. coli mutant leads us to conclude that MOD5 is the structural gene for delta 2-isopentenyl pyrophosphate:tRNA isopentenyl transferase.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗

PubMed1987

DNA sequence and transcript mapping of MOD5: features of the 5' region which suggest two translational starts.

A mutation in the yeast nuclear gene MOD5 drastically reduces the biosynthesis of the modified base isopentenyladenosine in tRNAs located in different cellular compartments: the mitochondria and the nucleus or cytoplasm. Several lines of evidence strongly suggest that MOD5 is the structural gene encoding the tRNA-modifying enzyme delta 2-isopentenyl pyrophosphate:tRNA isopentenyl transferase. DNA sequence analysis of MOD5 reveals an open reading frame of 428 amino acids. A set of mRNAs heterogeneous at both the 5' and 3' termini are transcribed from this gene. Although all of these transcripts initiate upstream of the first AUG codon of the open reading frame, a subset has an extremely short (greater than or equal to 1 base) 5' leader. Furthermore, in positions important for efficient initiation of translation and generally occupied by purines, this first AUG codon is flanked by a U (position -3) and a C (position +4). It is possible that two proteins, one with an amino-terminal extension of basic charge, could be generated from the MOD5 gene via differential translational starts.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗

PubMed1987

Cloning and characterization of LOS1, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene that affects tRNA splicing.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains carrying los1-1 mutations are defective in tRNA processing; at 37 degrees C, such strains accumulate tRNA precursors which have mature 5' and 3' ends but contain intervening sequences. Strains bearing los1-1 and an intron-containing ochre-suppressing tRNA gene, SUP4(0), also fail to suppress the ochre mutations ade2-1(0) and can1-100(0) at 34 degrees C. To understand the role of the LOS1 product in tRNA splicing, we initiated a molecular study of the LOS1 gene. Two plasmids, YEpLOS1 and YCpLOS1, that complement the los1-1 phenotype were isolated from the YEp24 and YCp50 libraries, respectively. YEpLOS1 and YCpLOS1 had overlapping restriction maps, indicating that the DNA in the overlapping segment could complement los1-1 when present in multiple or single copy. Integration of plasmid DNA at the LOS1 locus confirmed that these clones contained authentic LOS1 sequences. Southern analyses showed that LOS1 is a single copy gene. The locations of the LOS1 gene within YEpLOS1 and YCpLOS1 were determined by deletion and gamma-delta mapping. Two genomic disruptions of the LOS1 gene were constructed, i.e., an insertion of a 1.2-kilobase fragment carrying the yeast URA3 gene, los1::URA3, and a 2.4-kilobase deletion from the LOS1 gene, los1-delta V. Disruption or deletion of most of the LOS1 gene was not lethal; cells carrying the disrupted los1 alleles were viable and had phenotypes similar to those of cells carrying the los1-1 allele. Thus, it appears that the los1 gene product expedites tRNA splicing at elevated temperatures but is not essential for this process.

Chromosome Deletion↗

PubMed1986

Isolation and characterization of the TRM1 locus, a gene essential for the N2,N2-dimethylguanosine modification of both mitochondrial and cytoplasmic tRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The trm1 mutation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a single nuclear mutation that affects a specific base modification of both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNA. Transfer RNA isolated from trm1 cells lacks the modified base N2,N2-dimethylguanosine, and extracts from these cells do not have detectable N2,N2-dimethylguanosine-specific tRNA methyltransferase activity. As part of our efforts to determine how this mutation affects enzyme activities in two different cellular compartments we have isolated the TRM1 locus by genetic complementation. The TRM1 locus restores the N2,N2-dimethylguanosine modification to both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNA in trm1 cells. An open reading frame in this TRM1 gene is essential for complementation of the trm1 phenotype. Expression of this open reading frame in Escherichia coli converts the organism from one that neither makes N2,N2-dimethylguanosine nor has N2,N2-dimethylguanosine-specific tRNA methyltransferase activity into one that does. This result suggests that the TRM1 locus is the structural gene for the tRNA modification enzyme and that both nuclear/cytoplasmic and mitochondrial forms of the methyltransferase are produced from the same gene.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1985

Characterization of an essential Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene related to RNA processing: cloning of RNA1 and generation of a new allele with a novel phenotype.

The RNA1 gene product is believed to be involved in RNA metabolism due to the phenotype of a single conditionally lethal, temperature-sensitive allele, rna1-1. We cloned the RNA1 gene and determined that it produces a 1,400-nucleotide polyadenylated transcript. On a multicopy plasmid, the mutant rna1-1 allele partially complements the rna1-1 temperature-sensitive growth defect. This suggests that the temperature-sensitive nature of the rna1-1 allele results from the synthesis of a product with lowered activity or stability at elevated temperatures or from a decrease in synthesis of the rna1-1 product at the restrictive temperature. A chromosomal disruption of RNA1 behaves as a recessive lethal mutation. Haploids bearing the disruption were isolated by sporulating a diploid heterozygous for the disrupted allele and the rna1-1 allele and possessing an episomal copy of the RNA1 gene. Analysis of the rescued haploids bearing the chromosomal disruption indicated that the recessive lethal phenotype of the RNA1 disruption is not merely due to a block in spore germination. Unexpectedly, diploids heterozygous for the disruption and the rna1-1 alleles become aneuploid for chromosome XIII at a frequency of 2 to 5%. It appears that the disrupted RNA1 allele on a multicopy plasmid also promotes aneuploidy for chromosome XIII. Promotion of aneuploidy seems to be a phenotype of this particular allele of RNA1.

Alleles↗

PubMed1982

Isopentenylation of both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNA is affected by a single nuclear mutation.

Cytoplasmic rRNA from the yeast mutant, mod5-1 is deficient in the modified base isopentenyladenosine and consequently migrates differently from isopentenylated wild type tRNAs on certain chromatographic systems. To determine if the mod5-1 mutation affects mitochondrial tRNA structure, the migration of mitochondrial tRNA from mod5-1 and wild type cells has been compared by reverse-phase chromatography. We conclude from this analysis that the single nuclear mutation that affects the isopentenylation of cytoplasmic tRNA also affects the isopentenylation of mitochondrial tRNA.

Alkenes↗

PubMed1982

Defects in modification of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial transfer RNAs are caused by single nuclear mutations.

Many nucleus-encoded mitochondrial enzymes differ in physical and chemical properties from analogous cytoplasmic enzymes, and it is therefore generally assumed that different genes encode analogous mitochondrial and cytoplasmic enzymes. However, our genetic studies show that for at least two different tRNA modifications, mutations in nuclear genes affect cytoplasmic as well as mitochondrial tRNAs. These studies utilize two yeast genes: TRM1 and TRM2. trm1 cells do not have the enzyme activity necessary to methylate guanosine to N2,N2-dimethylguanosine. trm2 is a new mutation that we describe here. trm2 cells are deficient in tRNA-(uridine-5)methyltransferase, and hence contain tRNA lacking 5-methyluridine or ribothymidine. Other than lacking 5-methyluridine trm2 cells have no obvious physiological defect. These studies also show that the N2,N2-dimethylguanosine and 5-methyluridine modifications are not added to tRNA in an obligatory order, and that 5-methyluridine is not required for removal of intervening sequences from precursor tRNA.

Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed1981

tRNA synthesis: identification of in vivo precursor tRNAs from parental and mutant yeast strains.

In vivo yeast precursor tRNAs have been identified using a modification of the Northern-hybridization procedure. Two species of pre-tRNA Tyr, 1 species of pre-tRNA Ser2 and 2 species of pre-tRNA Serminor have been found in all yeast strains examined, including parental strains and strains harboring mutations affecting tRNA function. One of the tRNA Tyr strains harboring and one of the pre-tRNA SerUCG are the same size as the unspliced pre-tRNAs which accumulate in the yeast mutant rna1. The in vivo tRNA Tyr precursors detected in these studies also appear similar with the RNA species identified when cloned yeast tRNA Tyr is transcribed and processed by Xenopus oocytes and/or Xenopus extracts. We have also studied the precursor and mature tRNA Tyr species from 22 mutants which contain mutations in the SUP4 tyrosine-inserting suppressor locus. The RNA from 2 mutants mapping at the G52 position showing an aberrantly migrating "mature" tRNA Tyr. Although several of those cloned mutant genes showed transcript products of altered size in in vitro transcription studies (1), we did not detect such altered transcripts in vivo.

Animals↗