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J E Rothman

Publications and source records attributed to J E Rothman.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

En bloc incorporation of coatomer subunits during the assembly of COP-coated vesicles.

The cDNA encoding epsilon-COP, the 36-kD subunit of coatomer, was cloned from a bovine liver cDNA library and sequenced. Immunoblotting with an anti-epsilon-COP antibody showed that epsilon-COP exists in COP-coated vesicles as well as in the cytosolic coatomer. Using the cloned cDNA, recombinant His6- tagged epsilon-COP was overexpressed in cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, from which metabolically radiolabeled coatomer was purified by taking advantage of the His6 tag. Radiolabeled coatomer was employed to establish that all the subunits of the coatomer enter coated vesicles as an intact unit.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Sar1 promotes vesicle budding from the endoplasmic reticulum but not Golgi compartments.

Two new members (Sar1a and Sar1b) of the SAR1 gene family have been identified in mammalian cells. Using immunoelectron microscopy, Sar1 was found to be restricted to the transitional region where the protein was enriched 20-40-fold in vesicular carriers mediating ER to Golgi traffic. Biochemical analysis revealed that Sar1 was essential for an early step in vesicle budding. A Sar1-specific antibody potently inhibited export of vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) from the ER in vitro. Consistent with the role of guanine nucleotide exchange in Sar1 function, a trans-dominant mutant (Sar1a[T39N]) with a preferential affinity for GDP also strongly inhibited vesicle budding from the ER. In contrast, Sar1 was not found to be required for the transport of VSV-G between sequential Golgi compartments, suggesting that components active in formation of vesicular carriers mediating ER to Golgi traffic may differ, at least in part, from those involved in intra-Golgi transport. The requirement for novel components at different stages of the secretory pathway may reflect the recently recognized differences in protein transport between the Golgi stacks as opposed to the selective sorting and concentration of protein during export from the ER.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein: a trimeric ATPase whose hydrolysis of ATP is required for membrane fusion.

The NEM-sensitive fusion protein, NSF, together with SNAPs (soluble NSF attachment proteins) and the SNAREs (SNAP receptors), is thought to be generally used for the fusion of transport vesicles to their target membranes. NSF is a homotrimer whose polypeptide subunits are made up of three distinct domains: an amino-terminal domain (N) and two homologous ATP-binding domains (D1 and D2). Mutants of NSF were produced in which either the order or composition of the three domains were altered. These mutants could not support intra-Golgi transport, but they indicated that the D2 domain was required for trimerization of the NSF subunits. Mutations of the first ATP-binding site that affected either the binding (K266A) or hydrolysis (E329Q) of ATP completely eliminated NSF activity. The hydrolysis mutant was an effective, reversible inhibitor of Golgi transport with an IC50 of 125 ng/50 microliters assay. Mutants in the second ATP-binding site (binding, K549A; hydrolysis, D604Q) had either 14 or 42% the specific activity of the wild-type protein, respectively. Using coexpression of an inactive mutant with wild-type subunits, it was possible to produce a recombinant form of trimeric NSF that contained a mixture of subunits. The mixed NSF trimers were inactive, even when only one mutant subunit was present, suggesting that NSF action requires each of the three subunits in a concerted mechanism. These studies demonstrate that the ability of the D1 domain to hydrolyze ATP is required for NSF activity and, therefore is required for membrane fusion. The D2 domain is required for trimerization, but its ability to hydrolyze ATP is not absolutely required for NSF function.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Stepwise assembly of functionally active transport vesicles.

Budding of COP-coated vesicles (the likely carriers of newly synthesized proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum through the Golgi stack) from Golgi cisternae requires ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF), coatomer proteins from the cytosol, GTP, and fatty acyl-coenzyme A (CoA). The assembly of coated buds on the membranes requires coatomer, ARF, and GTP. When palmitoyl-CoA is added, membrane fission occurs at the coated bud, releasing coated vesicles. We show that COP-coated vesicles can be generated stepwise in vitro and isolated in a functionally active form, demonstrating that the minimal set of cytosolic components required for their formation as well as principal steps in their assembly have been identified.

ADP-Ribosylation Factors↗

"BFA bodies": a subcompartment of the endoplasmic reticulum.

A specialized region of the endoplasmic reticulum--the BFA body--is defined by the site of accumulation of coatomer when nonclathrin coat protein (COP)-coated vesicle assembly is prevented by the drug brefeldin A (BFA). BFA bodies are formed by part smooth, part rough domains of endoplasmic reticulum that are cis to the classical transitional endoplasmic reticulum and to BFA-induced Golgi remnants.

Animals↗

A protein assembly-disassembly pathway in vitro that may correspond to sequential steps of synaptic vesicle docking, activation, and fusion.

The SNARE hypothesis holds that a transport vesicle chooses its target for fusion when a soluble NSF attachment protein (SNAP) receptor on the vesicle (v-SNARE) pairs with its cognate t-SNARE at the target membrane. Three synaptosomal membrane proteins have previously been identified: syntaxin, SNAP-25 (t-SNAREs), and vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) (v-SNARE); all assemble with SNAPs and NSF into 20S fusion particles. We now report that in the absence of SNAP and NSF, these three SNAREs form a stable complex that can also bind synaptotagmin. Synaptotagmin is displaced by alpha-SNAP, suggesting that these two proteins share binding sites on the SNARE complex and implying that synaptotagmin operates as a "clamp" to prevent fusion from proceeding in the absence of a signal. The alpha-SNAP-SNARE complex can bind NSF, and NSF-dependent hydrolysis of ATP dissociates the complex, separating syntaxin, SNAP-25, and VAMP. ATP hydrolysis by NSF may provide motion to initiate bilayer fusion.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Coated vesicle assembly in the Golgi requires only coatomer and ARF proteins from the cytosol.

Transport vesicles derived from the Golgi apparatus are thought to mediate biosynthetic transport across the Golgi stack. These vesicles are surrounded by a protein coat whose principal constituents are coatomer (a complex of seven distinct subunits or COPs) and ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF, an N-myristylated small GTP-binding protein). The coat proteins of the COP-coated vesicles were originally defined by ultrastructural criteria, however, and it is possible that important but minor coat proteins or cytoplasmic proteins needed for coat assembly may have been overlooked. Here we show that coatomer and ARF are the only cytoplasmic proteins needed for the assembly and budding of COP-coated vesicles. COP-coated buds may therefore form essentially by self-assembly from Golgi cisternae after an initial step in which GTP is used to allow ARF binding.

ADP-Ribosylation Factors↗

Binding of coatomer to Golgi membranes requires ADP-ribosylation factor.

Coatomer, a complex of seven proteins, appears to be the precursor of the coat structure of non-clathrin-coated Golgi-derived vesicles. Another component of this vesicle coat is the cytosolic protein ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF). Like coatomer, ARF appears to reversibly associate with Golgi membranes. We now report that ARF is required for coatomer binding to Golgi membranes and that myristoylated, but not non-myristoylated, ARF is the required species. We utilize an antibody directed against the beta-subunit of coatomer (beta-COP) to follow coatomer binding. ARF and beta-COP bind stoichiometrically to Golgi membranes. ARF-dependent beta-COP binding requires a membrane-associated protein, is saturable, and is enhanced in the presence of stable GTP analogues like guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S). ARF and beta-COP bind sequentially to Golgi membranes, since beta-COP can be bound to reisolated membranes that had been previously incubated with ARF and GTP gamma S. We conclude that membrane-bound ARF confers to Golgi membranes all of the requirements for specific beta-COP binding.

ADP-Ribosylation Factors↗

The binding of AP-1 clathrin adaptor particles to Golgi membranes requires ADP-ribosylation factor, a small GTP-binding protein.

The small GTP-binding protein, ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF), has previously been shown to mediate the binding to Golgi membranes of the coatomer of non-cathrin-coated (COP-coated) vesicles. We now report that ARF is also required for the binding of the AP-1 adaptor protein of clathrin-coated vesicles to Golgi membranes. The binding of coat proteins from both clathrin- and COP-coated vesicles requires an additional Golgi membrane-associated factor. These results suggest that a mechanistic similarity underlies diverse types of vesicle coats.

ADP-Ribosylation Factors↗

Budding from Golgi membranes requires the coatomer complex of non-clathrin coat proteins.

Do the coats on vesicles budded from the Golgi apparatus actually cause the budding, or do they simply coat buds (Fig. 1)? One view (the membrane-mediated budding hypothesis) is that budding is an intrinsic property of Golgi membranes not requiring extrinsic coat proteins. Assembly of coats from dispersed subunits is super-imposed upon the intrinsic budding process and is proposed to convert the tips of tubules into vesicles. The alternative view (the coat-mediated budding hypothesis) is that coat formation provides the essential driving force for budding. The membrane-mediated budding hypothesis was inspired by the microtubule-dependent extension of apparently uncoated, 90-nm-diameter membrane tubules from the Golgi apparatus and other organelles in vivo after treatment with brefeldin A, a drug that inhibits the assembly of coat proteins onto Golgi membranes. This hypothesis predicts that tubules will be extended when coat proteins are unavailable to convert tubule-derived membrane into vesicles. Here we use a cell-free system in which coated vesicles are formed from Golgi cisternae to show that, on the contrary, when budding diminishes as a result of immunodepletion of coat protein pools, tubules are not formed at the expense of vesicles. We conclude that coat proteins are required for budding from Golgi membranes.

ADP-Ribosylation Factors↗

SNAP receptors implicated in vesicle targeting and fusion.

The N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) and the soluble NSF attachment proteins (SNAPs) appear to be essential components of the intracellular membrane fusion apparatus. An affinity purification procedure based on the natural binding of these proteins to their targets was used to isolate SNAP receptors (SNAREs) from bovine brain. Remarkably, the four principal proteins isolated were all proteins associated with the synapse, with one type located in the synaptic vesicle and another in the plasma membrane, suggesting a simple mechanism for vesicle docking. The existence of numerous SNARE-related proteins, each apparently specific for a single kind of vesicle or target membrane, indicates that NSF and SNAPs may be universal components of a vesicle fusion apparatus common to both constitutive and regulated fusion (including neurotransmitter release), in which the SNAREs may help to ensure vesicle-to-target specificity.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

SNAP family of NSF attachment proteins includes a brain-specific isoform.

The soluble NSF attachment proteins (SNAPs) enable N-ethyl-maleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) to bind to target membranes. Here we report the cloning and sequencing of complementary DNAs encoding alpha-, beta- and gamma-SNAPs. Two of these proteins, alpha and gamma, are found in a wide range of tissues, and act synergistically in intra-Golgi transport. The third, beta, is a brain-specific isoform of alpha-SNAP. Thus, NSF and SNAPs appear to be general components of the intracellular membrane fusion apparatus, and their action at specific sites of fusion must be controlled by SNAP receptors particular to the membranes being fused, as described in the accompanying article.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Domain structure of an N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein involved in vesicular transport.

N-Ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) is an essential component for protein transport between Golgi cisternae. Sequence analysis and proteolytic dissection reveal that NSF contains two tandem "ATP domains," each containing the consensus sequence for the binding of nucleotide. When Escherichia coli-produced Chinese hamster ovary NSF is purified, it exhibits a low, but significant, ATPase activity. The ATPase activity of NSF is sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide and influenced by monoclonal antibodies against recombinant NSF.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Conformational change of chaperone Hsc70 upon binding to a decapeptide: a circular dichroism study.

The conformation of bovine Hsc70, a 70-kDa heat shock cognate protein, and its conformational change upon binding to decapeptides, was studied by CD spectroscopy and secondary structure prediction (Chou, P.Y. & Fasman, G.D., 1974, Biochemistry 13, 222-245). The CD spectra were analyzed by the LINCOMB method, as well as by the convex constraint analysis (CCA) method (Perczel, A., Park, K., & Fasman, G.D., 1992, Anal. Biochem. 203, 83-93). The result of the CD analysis of Hsc70 (15% alpha-helix, 24% beta-sheet, 24% beta-turn, and 38% remainder) was very similar to the predicted secondary structure for the beta-sheet (24%) and the beta-turn (29%). However, there is disagreement between the alpha-helical content by CD analysis (15%) and the predicted structure (30%). In spite of the fact that the decapeptides contained a considerable amount of beta-sheet (22%), the interaction of the heat shock protein with the peptide resulted in an overall decrease in the content of beta-sheet conformation (-15%) of the complex. This may be due to induction of a molten globule state. The result of the CCA analysis indicated that the Hsc70 undergoes a conformational change upon binding the decapeptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Two distinct populations of ARF bound to Golgi membranes.

ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) is a small molecular weight GTP-binding protein (20 kD) and has been implicated in vesicular protein transport. The guanine nucleotide, bound to ARF protein is believed to modulate the activity of ARF but the mechanism of action remains elusive. We have previously reported that ARF binds to Golgi membranes after Brefeldin A-sensitive nucleotide exchange of ARF-bound GDP for GTP gamma S. Here we report that treatment with phosphatidylcholine liposomes effectively removed 40-60% of ARF bound to Golgi membranes with nonhydrolyzable GTP, presumably by competing for binding of activated ARF to lipid bilayers. This revealed the presence of two different pools of ARF on Golgi membranes. Whereas total ARF binding did not appear to be saturable, the liposome-resistant pool is saturable suggesting that this pool of ARF is stabilized by interaction with a Golgi membrane-component. We propose that activation of ARF by a guanine nucleotide-exchange protein results in association of myristoylated ARF GTP with the lipid bilayer of the Golgi apparatus. Once associated with the membrane, activated ARF can diffuse freely to associate stably with a target protein or possibly can be inactivated by a GTPase activating protein (GAP) activity.

ADP-Ribosylation Factors↗

zeta-COP, a subunit of coatomer, is required for COP-coated vesicle assembly.

cDNA encoding the 20-kD subunit of coatomer, zeta-COP, predicts a protein of 177-amino acid residues, similar in sequence to AP17 and AP19, subunits of the clathrin adaptor complexes. Polyclonal antibody directed to zeta-COP blocks the binding of coatomer to Golgi membranes and prevents the assembly of COP-coated vesicles on Golgi cisternae. Unlike other coatomer subunits (beta-, beta'-, gamma-, and epsilon-COP), zeta-COP exists in both coatomer bound and free pools.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Gamma-COP, a coat subunit of non-clathrin-coated vesicles with homology to Sec21p.

Constitutive secretory transport in eukaryotes is likely to be mediated by non-clathrin-coated vesicles, which have been isolated and characterized [(1989) Cell 58, 329-336; (1991) Nature 349, 215-220]. They contain a set of coat proteins (COPs) which are also likely to exist in a preformed cytosolic complex named coatomer [(1991) Nature 349, 248-250]. From peptide sequence and cDNA structure comparisons evidence is presented that one of the subunits of coatomer, gamma-COP, is a true constituent of non-clathrin-coated vesicles, and that gamma-COP is related to sec 21, a secretory mutant of the yeast Saccharomyces cervisiae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗