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M Yanagida

Publications and source records attributed to M Yanagida.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Mitotic regulation of protein phosphatases by the fission yeast sds22 protein.

BACKGROUND: Cell cycle progression requires the activity of protein kinases and phosphatases at critical points in the cell cycle in all eukaryotes. We have previously reported that the dis2(+) and sds2(+) genes of fission yeast encode redundant catalytic subunits of a type 1-like protein phosphatase. The sds22(+) gene was shown to be essential for cell viability and to interact genetically with dis2(+) and sds21(+). RESULTS: Here we show by immunoprecipitation that the sds22 protein physically interacts with the dis2 and sds21 proteins, and that sds22-associated phosphatase activity has altered substrate specificity, The loss of sds22 function by a temperature sensitive mutation leads to cell cycle arrest at mid-mitosis, at which point cdc2-dependent histone Hl kinase activity is high while sds22-dependent H1 phosphatase activity is low. To examine the unusual properties of sds22 protein structure, we analyzed a collection of sds22 deletion and point mutants by a variety of functional criteria. CONCLUSION: We propose that sds22 is a regulatory subunit of the dis2/sds21 phosphatase catalytic subunits and that sds22-bound phosphatase carries a key phosphatase activity essential for the progression from metaphase to anaphase. Mutational analysis indicates that dis2/sds21 interacts with the central repetitive domain of sds22, while the C-terminal and central regions of sds22 may be involved in subcellular targeting and the N-terminus is important for stability.

Journal Article↗

Cell cycle-dependent specific positioning and clustering of centromeres and telomeres in fission yeast.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) shows that fission yeast centromeres and telomeres make up specific spatial arrangements in the nucleus. Their positioning and clustering are cell cycle regulated. In G2, centromeres cluster adjacent to the spindle pole body (SPB), while in mitosis, their association with each other and with the SPB is disrupted. Similarly, telomeres cluster at the nuclear periphery in G2 and their associations are disrupted in mitosis. Mitotic centromeres interact with the spindle. They remain undivided until the spindle reaches a critical length, then separate and move towards the poles. This demonstrated, for the first time, that anaphase A occurs in fission yeast. The mode of anaphase A and B is similar to that of higher eukaryotes. In nda3 and cut7 mutants defective in tubulin of a kinesin-related motor, cells are blocked in early stages of mitosis due to the absence of the spindle, and centromeres dissociate but remain close to the SPB, whereas in a metaphase-arrested nuc2 mutant, they reside at the middle of the spindle. FISH is therefore a powerful tool for analyzing mitotic chromosome movement and disjunction using various mutants. Surprisingly, in top2 defective in DNA topoisomerase II, while most chromatid DNAs remain undivided, sister centromeres are separated. Significance of this finding is discussed. In contrast, most chromatid DNAs are separated but telomeric DNAs are not in cut1 mutant. In cut1, the dependence of SPB duplication on the completion of mitosis is abolished. In crm1 mutant cells defective in higher-order chromosome organization, the interphase arrangements of centromeres and telomeres are disrupted.

Cell Cycle↗

Fission yeast genes nda1+ and nda4+, mutations of which lead to S-phase block, chromatin alteration and Ca2+ suppression, are members of the CDC46/MCM2 family.

Fission yeast cold-sensitive mutants nda1-376 and nda4-108 display a cell cycle block phenotype at the restrictive temperature (cell elongation with the single nucleus) accompanied by an alteration in the nuclear chromatin region. DNA content analysis shows that the onset of DNA synthesis is blocked or greatly delayed in both mutant cells, the block being reversible in nda4-108. Upon release to the permissive temperature, nda4-108 cells resumed replicating DNA, followed by mitosis and cytokinesis. The nda4 phenotype was partly rescued by the addition of Ca2+ to the medium; Ca2+ plays a positive role in the nda4+ function. The predicted protein sequences of nda1+ and nda4+ isolated by complementation are similar to each other and also, respectively, to those of the budding yeast, MCM2 and CDC46, both of which are members of the gene family required for the initiation of DNA replication. The central domains of these proteins are conserved, whereas the NH2- and COOH- domains are distinct. Results of the disruption of the nda1+ and nda4+ genes demonstrates that they are essential for viability.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A mitotic role for a novel fission yeast protein kinase dsk1 with cell cycle stage dependent phosphorylation and localization.

The fission yeast dsk1+ gene, a multicopy suppressor for cold-sensitive dis1 mutants, encodes a novel 61-kd protein kinase. It is a phosphoprotein, and phosphoserine is the major phosphorylated amino acid. Hyperphosphorylation of dsk1 causes a mobility shift, resulting in two dsk1-specific protein bands. The phosphorylation pattern is strikingly altered when cell cycle progression is delayed or arrested. The slowly migrating phosphorylated form is prominent in mitotically arrested cells, and the fast migrating form is enriched in interphase-arrested cells. dsk1 is a protein kinase. It auto-phosphorylates as well as phosphorylates myelin basic protein (MBP). Phosphotyrosine as well as phosphoserine/threonine were found in autophosphorylation, but no tyrosine phosphorylation occurs when MBP was used as the substrate. The dsk1 immunoprecipitates from mitotically arrested cells have a several-fold higher kinase activity than that from wild type. The haploid gene disruptant is viable, indicating that the dsk1+ gene is non-essential for viability. High dosage of dsk1+, however, strongly delays the G2/M progression. Immunofluorescence microscopy using anti-dsk1 antibody shows that localization pattern of dsk1 protein strikingly alters depending on cell cycle stages. In G2-arrested cells, dsk1 locates in the cytoplasm, whereas in mitotically arrested cells, nuclear stain is intense. In wild-type cells, nuclear stain is seen only in mitotic cells. Hence dsk1 protein may play an important role in mitotic control by altering cellular location, degree of phosphorylation and kinase activity. We discuss possible roles of dsk1 kinase as an add-on regulator in mitosis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Isolation and characterization of the fission yeast protein phosphatase gene ppe1+ involved in cell shape control and mitosis.

We isolated a fission yeast putative protein serine/threonine phosphatase gene designated ppe1+ by hybridization. The predicted amino acid sequence is similar to those of the fission yeast ppa2 (53% identity) and dis2 (39%) phosphatases, and highly similar to those of the budding yeast SIT4 (72%), Drosophila PPV (68%) and rabbit PPX (61%) phosphatases. Antibodies against ppe1 protein identified a 37-kd polypeptide in fission yeast. A gene disruption (designated delta ppe1) caused cold-sensitive lethality and short, pear-shaped cells. These phenotypes were fully suppressed by a plasmid carrying ppe1+. Three classes of multicopy suppressor genes for delta ppe1 were identified as follows: 1) ppa1+ and ppa2+ encoding type 2A-like phosphatases, 2) mitotically essential dis3+ similar to the budding yeast SSD1/SRK1, a suppressor for sit4, and 3) pck1+ coding for a protein kinase C-like kinase. Consistently, the budding yeast SIT4 gene was also a multicopy suppressor for delta ppe1. Phosphatase ppe1 may play a role in cell morphogenesis and mitosis by either regulating or being regulated by these multicopy suppressor gene products. Consistent with this hypothesis, double mutants ppe1-ppa2 and ppe1-pck1 are lethal at the permissive temperature.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Negative regulation of mitosis by the fission yeast protein phosphatase ppa2.

To understand the role of the type 2A-like protein phosphatase in the cell division cycle, we investigated the mutant phenotypes obtained when the fission yeast ppa1+ and ppa2+ phosphatase genes (which encode polypeptides with approximately 80% identity to mammalian type 2A phosphatases) were either deleted or overexpressed. We also investigated the in vivo effect of okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein serine/threonine phosphatases, on cell division. We show that ppa2+ interacts genetically with the cell cell regulators cdc25+ and wee1+, as a ppa2 deletion is lethal when combined with wee1-50 but partially suppresses the conditional lethality of cdc25-22 mutation. Evidence that ppa2+ negatively controls the entry into mitosis, possibly through the regulation of cdc2 tyrosine phosphorylation, is presented. ppa2 phosphatase is abundant in the cytoplasm, in contrast to the type 1-like phosphatase dis2, which is enriched in the nucleus. Overproduced ppa1 or ppa2 proteins accumulate in the cytoplasm near the nuclear periphery, and cells arrest in interphase. Okadaic acid-treated cells, like a ppa2 deletion, are short in length and display protein hyperphosphorylation. Cytokinesis is also inhibited, producing binucleated cells. We show that ppa2 is the genetic locus controlling okadaic acid sensitivity. The ppa2 deletion reveals the same hyperphosphorylated proteins as okadaic acid. When a strain deleted for ppa2 is treated with okadaic acid, cell size is reduced further to that of wee1-50 mutant strain or overexpressing the cdc25+ gene product, suggesting functional relationship of ppa2 with the cdc25 tyrosine phosphatase and/or the wee1 kinase in cell cycle control.

Base Sequence↗

Identification of seven new cut genes involved in Schizosaccharomyces pombe mitosis.

Fission yeast cut mutants cause cytokinesis in the absence of normal nuclear division. These mutants show abnormal uncoupled mitosis and are known to be the result of mutations in the genes encoding DNA topoisomerase II, proteins related to spindle pole duplication, and a kinesin-related mitotic motor. We have screened 717 temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants by individually observing their cytological phenotypes at the restrictive temperature, and have newly isolated 25 cut mutants. Genetic analyses indicate that 14 of them fall into five previously identified loci, namely, top2, cut1, cut5, cut7 and cut9, whereas nine have been mapped onto seven new loci, designated cut13 to cut19. The cytological phenotypes of the newly identified cut mutants can be classified into three groups. One group consists of mutants in which a portion of the nuclear chromatin is stretched by the elongated spindle but the entire nucleus is not separated, reminiscent of, but not identical to, the phenotypes of top2 and cut1; mutants cut14-208, cut15-85, cut16-267 and cut17-275 display such a phenotype. Another group exhibits non-disjunctioned and condensed chromosomes in the presence of the spindle; cut13-131 belongs to this group. The cut19-708 mutant has also been found to have condensed chromosomes. The remaining group has a mixed phenotype of the above two groups; namely, stretched chromatin and condensed chromosomes; cut18-447 exhibits such a phenotype. The isolation and characterization of the mutated genes will be the subjects of future investigations.

Cell Division↗

Effects of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor on hematopoiesis in normal cynomolgus monkeys.

The in vivo efficacy of nonglycosylated recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (rh GM-CSF) expressed in Escherichia coli was studied in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). A single intravenous (IV) administration of rh GM-CSF (100 micrograms/kg) resulted in a two-fold increase in peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count with a predominance of neutrophils after 12 hr. The increased WBC count returned to the initial level within 48 hr after administration. In a study with consecutive IV administrations for 10 days, animals treated with 20 micrograms/kg/day rh GM-CSF underwent marked leukocytosis (four fold) and thrombocytosis (two fold). The increase in WBC count was due to increased number of neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and basophils. Red blood cell count was unaffected. The leukocytosis resolved within one week after the termination of administration. A lower mean platelet volume compared to the pre-treatment level was observed in rh GM-CSF treated animals receiving 20 micrograms/kg/day for 20 days. This coincided with the elevation in platelet count.

Animals↗

MR imaging of vascular compression in hemifacial spasm.

Hemifacial spasm is related to vascular compression of the root entry zone of the facial nerve at the brainstem by elongated tortuous vessels of the vertebrobasilar arterial system. In this study, we performed MR imaging in 16 patients with hemifacial spasm and investigated the vascular structures in bilateral-cerebellopontine angles and the relationship of each vessel to the root entry zone of the facial nerve. MR examination was performed with a 0.5 tesla MRI system, and MR angiography (3D time-of-flight) was obtained. Of 15 patients in whom both the nerve and vessels were clearly visible and could be observed to contact each other at the root entry zone, in 11 the tortuous artery could be identified by name. In only 1 patient was the contact between the nerve and vessel indeterminate, due to nonvisualization of the vessel around the facial nerve at its root entry zone. These findings suggest that MRI is a useful screening method in the preoperative assessment of hemifacial spasm.

Adult↗

Enhanced MRI in patients with Ramsay-Hunt's syndrome.

Enhanced MRI was performed in 14 patients with Ramsay-Hunt's syndrome to investigate the pathogenesis of this syndrome. All MRI studies were performed on a 0.5T superconductivity MRI system using a head coil with Gd-DTPA. Enhancement was observed in the areas of the distal internal auditory canal and labyrinthine segment in many patients, and was especially prominent in patients suffering from vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss. In some patients it involved not only the facial nerve of the internal auditory canal but also the cochlear nerve and vestibular nerves. Since histological changes of the facial nerve in patients with Ramsay-Hunt's syndrome are assumed to occur in the distal internal auditory canal and labyrinthine segment, which is more proximal than the geniculate ganglion, and the possibility is suggested that inflammation may spread to the vestibular and cochlear nerve via the internal auditory canal.

Aged↗

[MRI enhancement of the facial nerve with Gd-DTPA--first report--experimental study on the enhancement mechanism used in viewing vascular permeability of the facial nerve].

Although there have recently been numerous reports of enhanced MRI in patients with facial palsy, the mechanism of enhancement remains largely unknown. In the present study, animal models with experimentally induced facial paralysis were prepared, and the vascular permeabilities of normal and damaged facial nerves were assessed using Evans blue albumin (EBA) as a tracer. The Gd-DTPA contents in normal and compressively damaged facial nerves were also investigated. The following results were obtained: 1. In the normal intratemporal facial nerve, EBA remained in the vessels, and did not leak into the endoneurium. In contrast, vascular permeability was very high in the epineurium and the geniculate ganglion which showed leakage of large amounts of EBA from vessels. 2. At the site of compression in the damaged nerve, EBA leakage was also seen in the endoneurism, indicating accentuated vascular permeability. This accentuation of vascular permeability shifted toward the distal side. However, no EBA leakage was seen on the side proximal to the site of compression. 3. Significantly higher Gd-DTPA contents were obtained in the facial nerve on the paralytic side than in that on the normal side (p < 0.001). As for differences between the distal and proximal sides, the distal side had a significantly higher Gd-DTPA content (p < 0.01). Assessment of vascular permeability with EBA revealed accentuated vascular permeability on the side distal to the site of compression. These results showed the presence of a blood nerve barrier (BNB) in the facial nerve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

[MRI enhancement of the facial nerve with Gd-DTPA--second report--investigation of enhanced nerve portions in patients with facial palsy].

We performed enhanced MRI using Gd-DTPA in 84 patients with facial palsy. After assessing enhancement of the normal facial nerve, we examined enhancement in patients with Bell's palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome. The following results were obtained. 1. In 95% of patients with Bell's palsy, enhancement was obtained in the distal IAC and labyrinthine portions. In 72%, enhancement was significant from the distal IAC portion through the vertical portion. In some of the patients who underwent enhanced MRI twice, increased signal intensity was observed in distal portions such as the vertical portion. 2. In many cases with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, enhancement was seen extensively in the IAC portion through the vertical portion. In the subjects with internal auditory symptoms such as vertigo and tinnitus, enhancement of the IAC portion was seen not only in the facial nerve but also in the vestibular and the cochlear nerves. These results suggest that the vascular permeability of lesions in Bell's palsy may be increased from the distal IAC portion to the vertical portion. Judging from the present findings with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, symptoms related to the enhanced portions suggest that accompanying internal auditory symptoms occur due to inflammation of the IAC portions of cochlear and vestibular nerves.

Adult↗

Kinesin-related cut7 protein associates with mitotic and meiotic spindles in fission yeast.

Several mitotic and meiotic gene products are related to the microtubule motor kinesin, providing insight into the molecular basis of the complex motile events responsible for spindle formation and function. Of these genes, three have been shown to affect spindle structure when mutated. The most severe phenotype is seen in Aspergillus nidulans bimC and Schizosaccharomyces pombe cut7 mutants. In both fungi the intranuclear spindle is bipolar, with microtubules that emanate from spindle pole bodies at either pole, interdigitating in a central overlap zone. In bimC and cut7 mutants, microtubule interdigitation does not appear to take place, instead two unconnected half spindles form and chromosome separation fails. Here we report that cut7 protein concentrates on or near the spindle pole bodies throughout mitotic and meiotic nuclear division and associates with mitotic spindle microtubules in a stage-specific manner, associating with the mid-anaphase B midzone. In cut7ts mutants, spindle pole bodies stain but mitotic microtubules do not.

Anaphase↗

Protein phosphatases and cell division cycle control.

Fission yeast has at least ten protein phosphatase genes that appear to play distinct roles in cell cycle control. Because of functional overlap, a clear lethal phenotype can be obtained only after multiple genetic alterations. Cells that have lost the protein phosphatase 1 (PP1)-like dis2/sds21 phosphatase activities prematurely enter mitosis and remain in a defective mitotic state with high H1 kinase activity and without sister chromatid disjunction. The same phenotype can be obtained in the presence of hydroxyurea. Overexpression of PP1-like phosphatase, on the other hand, delays the entry into mitosis. Cells that have lost PP2A-like ppa2 phosphatase activity also prematurely enter mitosis with a reduction in cell size. This semi-wee phenotype is enhanced in delta ppa2 mutants treated with the phosphatase inhibitor, okadaic acid. Genetic interactions between ppa2 and mitotic regulators suggest that ppa1/ppa2 phosphatase may directly or indirectly inhibit p34cdc2/cyclin kinase. Thus both PP1- and PP2A-like phosphatases in fission yeast may negatively regulate entry into mitosis. The major property of the dis2/sds21 mutant which is distinct from those of the ppa2/ppa1 mutant is its failure to inactivate the p34cdc2/cyclin complex after entry into mitosis. A novel phosphatase regulator encoded by sds22+ binds to dis2 phosphatase and controls the substrate specificity which appears to become essential in the progression from metaphase to anaphase.

Cell Division↗

Identification and characterization of a complex chromosomal replication origin in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

In the budding yeast, S. cerevisiae, two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis techniques permit mapping of DNA replication origins to short stretches of DNA (+/- 300 bp). In contrast, in mammalian cells and Drosophila, 2D gel techniques do not permit precise origin localization; the results have been interpreted to suggest that replication initiates in broad zones (several kbp or more). However, alternative techniques (replication timing, nascent strand polarity analysis, nascent strand size analysis) suggest that mammalian origins can be mapped to short DNA stretches, just like S. cerevisiae origins. Because the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, resembles higher organisms in several ways to a greater extent than does S. cerevisiae, we thought that S. pombe replication origins might prove to resemble--and thus be helpful models for--animal cell origins. An attempt to test this possibility using 2D gel techniques resulted in identification of a replication origin near the ura4 gene on chromosome III of S. pombe. The 2D gel patterns produced by this S. pombe origin indeed resemble the patterns produced by animal cell origins and show that the S. pombe origin cannot be precisely located. The data suggest an initiation zone of 3-5 kbp. Some aspects of the 2D gel patterns detected at the S. pombe origin cannot be explained by the rationale of initiation in broad zones, suggesting that future biochemical and genetic studies of this complex origin are likely to provide information useful in helping to understand the apparent conflict between the 2D gel mapping techniques and other mapping techniques at animal cell origins.

Chromosomes, Fungal↗

Functional dissection of the phosphorylated termini of fission yeast DNA topoisomerase II.

Fission Yeast DNA topoisomerase II (165 kD) consists of an enzymatically active 125-kD core, approximately 10-kD NH2-terminal and 30-kD COOH-terminal domains. The question addressed in the present study is what is the role of the topo II termini. Although deletion of either the NH2 or the COOH terminus is viable, deletion of both termini is lethal; the termini share an essential role for viability. We show here that topo II phosphorylation sites are localized in the terminal domains, but dephosphorylated topo II is still active. The topo II terminal sequences are required for nuclear localization; topo II double terminal deletion mutants are deficient for nuclear targeting, whereas wild-type and single deletion mutant topo IIs are transported into the nucleus with different efficiencies. Functional subdomains in the NH2 terminus are further dissected; we identified a 15 amino acid nuclear localization sequence (NLS) which is essential for viability and nuclear localization when the COOH terminus is deleted. This NLS could be substituted with SV-40 large T-antigen NLS. Two other functional subdomains were found; a non-essential acidic stretch which is phosphorylated and apparently enhances the nuclear localization and an essential hydrophilic stretch of unknown function. Motifs similar to these three NH2-terminal subdomains are also found in the COOH terminus. Our results support the possibility that phosphorylation of topo II does not play an essential role in fission yeast.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Fission yeast sts1+ gene encodes a protein similar to the chicken lamin B receptor and is implicated in pleiotropic drug-sensitivity, divalent cation-sensitivity, and osmoregulation.

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe sts1+ gene, identified by supersensitive mutations to a protein kinase inhibitor, staurosporine, was isolated by complementation by the use of a fission yeast genomic library. Nucleotide sequencing shows that the sts1+ gene encodes a 453 amino acid putative membrane-associated protein that is significantly similar (26% identity) to the chicken lamin B receptor. It is also highly related (53% identity) to a budding yeast ORF, YGL022. These three proteins contain a similar hydrophobicity pattern consisting of eight or nine putative transmembrane domains. By gene disruption we demonstrate that the sts1+ gene is not essential for viability. These disruptants exhibit pleiotropic defects, such as cold-sensitivity for growth and at the permissive temperature, a supersensitivity to divalent cations and several unrelated drugs including staurosporine, caffeine, chloramphenicol, sorbitol, and SDS. Disruption of the sts1+ gene does not lead to a sensitivity to thiabendazole or hydroxyurea.

Amino Acid Sequence↗