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Brl1p -- a novel nuclear envelope protein required for nuclear transport.

In this article, we identify a cold-sensitive mutant of Xpo1p designated as xop1-2 (but will be referred to from here on as xpo1-ok) that is synthetically lethal with srm1-1, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae RCC1 homolog. xpo1-ok was a novel mutated allele with a single point mutation, T283P. Suppressors of xpo1-ok were isolated, and one of them was found to encode a novel nuclear envelope integral membrane protein designated as Brl1p (Brr6 like protein no. 1). Brl1p is homologous with Brr6p at the C-terminal domain, which is well conserved in the Brr6/Brl1 family. To characterize the function of Brl1p, a series of temperature-sensitive mutants of Brl1p were isolated. All of brl1 mutations were localized to the conserved C-terminal domain that is essential for a function of Brl1p. Some brl1 alleles showed defects in nuclear export of either mRNA or protein, and nuclear pore clustering, similar to brr6-1. The cellular localization of Brl1p is also similar to that of Brr6p. The genetic analysis suggested that Brl1p functionally interacts with Brr6p. An interaction of Brl1p with Brr6p was shown by the two-hybrid method. We hypothesize that Brl1p functions for nuclear export as a complex with Brr6p.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

A temperature-sensitive NUP116 null mutant forms a nuclear envelope seal over the yeast nuclear pore complex thereby blocking nucleocytoplasmic traffic.

NUP116 encodes a 116-kD yeast nuclear pore complex (NPC) protein that is not essential but its deletion (nup116 delta) slows cell growth at 23 degrees C and is lethal at 37 degrees C (Wente, S. R., M. P. Rout, and G. Blobel. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 119:705-723). Electron microscopic analysis of nup116 delta cells shifted to growth at 37 degrees C revealed striking perturbations of the nuclear envelope: a double membrane seal that was continuous with the inner and outer nuclear membranes had formed over the cytoplasmic face of the NPCs. Electron-dense material was observed accumulating between the cytoplasmic face of these NPCs and the membrane seal, resulting in "herniations" of the nuclear envelope around individual NPCs. In situ hybridization with poly(dT) probes showed the accumulation of polyadenylated RNA in the nuclei of arrested nup116 delta cells, sometimes in the form of punctate patches at the nuclear periphery. This is consistent with the electron microscopically observed accumulation of electron-dense material within the nuclear envelope herniations. We propose that nup116 delta NPCs remain competent for export, but that the formation of the membrane seals over the NPCs blocks nucleocytoplasmic traffic.

Animals↗

unc-83 encodes a novel component of the nuclear envelope and is essential for proper nuclear migration.

Nuclear migration plays an essential role in the growth and development of a wide variety of eukaryotes. Mutations in unc-84, which encodes a conserved component of the nuclear envelope, have been shown to disrupt nuclear migration in two C. elegans tissues. We show that mutations in unc-83 disrupt nuclear migration in a similar manner in migrating P cells, hyp7 precursors and the intestinal primordium, but have no obvious defects in the association of centrosomes with nuclei or the structure of the nuclear lamina of migrating nuclei. We also show that unc-83 encodes a novel transmembrane protein. We identified three unc-83 transcripts that are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. Antibodies against UNC-83 co-localized to the nuclear envelope with lamin and UNC-84. Unlike UNC-84, UNC-83 localized to only specific nuclei, many of which were migratory. UNC-83 failed to localize to the nuclear envelope in unc-84 mutants with lesions in the conserved SUN domain of UNC-84, and UNC-83 interacted with the SUN domain of UNC-84 in vitro, suggesting that these two proteins function together during nuclear migration. We favor a model in which UNC-84 directly recruits UNC-83 to the nuclear envelope where they help transfer force between the cytoskeleton and the nucleus.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

Activation of ryanodine receptors in the nuclear envelope alters the conformation of the nuclear pore complex.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are supramolecular protein pores that traverse the nuclear envelope and form the only known direct route of transport between the cytoplasmic and nuclear spaces. Detailed studies have identified both active and passive mechanisms of transport through the NPC and structural studies have revealed its three-dimensional architecture. Under certain conditions, structural studies have found evidence for a mass in the central pore of the NPC whose identity remains unclear. Some studies suggest this mass represents cargo caught in transit, while others suggest it is an integral component of the NPC, the position of which is sensitive to sample conditions. Regardless of its identity, previous studies have shown that the central mass location within the NPC pore is influenced by the presence of calcium in the cisternal spaces of the nuclear membrane. Specific depletion of these calcium stores through inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) receptor activation leads to the apparent displacement of the central mass towards both the cytoplasmic and nucleoplasmic sides of the NPC. Whether the central mass is cargo or a NPC component, these observations may offer interesting insights linking transport and calcium signaling pathways. Here, we show that ryanodine (Ry) receptors are also present in the nuclear envelope of Xenopus laevis oocytes, and their specific activation can affect the conformational state of the NPC. Although previously undetected, Western blot analysis of isolated oocyte nuclei reveals the presence of Ry receptors in the nuclear envelope, albeit in low abundance. Extensive atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies at the single pore level of isolated, fixed nuclei reveal changes in the NPC conformational state following treatments that stimulate Ry receptor activity. At resting calcium levels ( approximately 200 nM Ca(2+)), the central mass within the lumen of the NPC is recessed 5.3 nm below the cytoplasmic rim of the NPC. Following treatment with 10 nM ryanodine, the central mass displaces towards the cytoplasmic face occupying a new position only 2.9 nm below the cytoplasmic rim. Interestingly, at high ryanodine concentrations (20 microM), which are reported to deactivate Ry receptors, the central mass is observed to return to the recessed position, 5.4 nm below the cytoplasmic rim. Treatments with caffeine also lead to large changes in the NPC conformation, confirming the link to specific activation of Ry receptors. These observations are consistent with a new mechanism of NPC regulation in which specific activation of Ry receptors located in the nuclear envelope can modulate cisternal calcium levels, leading to changes in the NPC conformation. Together with previous studies, it now appears that both IP(3) and Ry receptors are present in the nuclear envelope of Xenopus oocytes and are capable, through activation, of indirectly influencing the conformational state of the NPC.

Animals↗

The polypeptides of rat liver nuclear envelope. I. Examination by nuclear pore complex polypeptides by solid-state lactoperoxidase labelling.

Purified nuclei retaining a high degree of ultrastructural integrity were isolated by conventional centrifugation techniques. The cytoplasmic surface of these nuclei was iodinated using lactoperoxidase immobilized onto giant Sepharose beads; thus the outer nuclear membrane and the cytoplasmic surface of nuclear pore complexes were selectively labelled. Pore complexes in association with a fibrous lamina were isolated from these nuclei by removal of the nucleoplasm and extraction with Triton X-100. The chemical composition of the pore-lamina fraction was 93.6% protein, 6% RNA, 0.4% phospholipid. The labelling suggests that major polypeptides N1 (70 000) and N2 (67 000) and more than 10 other more minor polypeptides, ranging from 33 000 to 200 000 mol. wt, as being components of the nuclear pore complex. Polypeptide N3 (58 000) is shown to be present only on the nucleoplasmic face of nuclear envelopes, probably in the fibrous lamina.

Animals↗

Cyclin A2 regulates nuclear-envelope breakdown and the nuclear accumulation of cyclin B1.

Mitosis is thought to be triggered by the activation of Cdk-cyclin complexes. Here we have used RNA interference (RNAi) to assess the roles of three mitotic cyclins, cyclins A2, B1, and B2, in the regulation of centrosome separation and nuclear-envelope breakdown (NEB) in HeLa cells. We found that the timing of NEB was affected very little by knocking down cyclins B1 and B2 alone or in combination. However, knocking down cyclin A2 markedly delayed NEB, and knocking down both cyclins A2 and B1 delayed NEB further. The timing of cyclin B1-Cdk1 activation was normal in cyclin A2 knockdown cells, and there was no delay in centrosome separation, an event apparently controlled by the activation of cytoplasmic cyclin B1-Cdk1. However, nuclear accumulation of cyclin B1-Cdk1 was markedly delayed in cyclin A2 knockdown cells. Finally, a constitutively nuclear cyclin B1, but not wild-type cyclin B1, restored normal NEB timing in cyclin A2 knockdown cells. These findings show that cyclin A2 is required for timely NEB, whereas cyclins B1 and B2 are not. Nevertheless cyclin B1 translocates to the nucleus just prior to NEB in a cyclin A2-dependent fashion and is capable of supporting NEB if rendered constitutively nuclear.

Cell Nucleus↗

Nuclear envelope breakdown is under nuclear not cytoplasmic control in sea urchin zygotes.

Nuclear envelope breakdown (NEB) and entry into mitosis are though to be driven by the activation of the p34cdc2-cyclin B kinase complex or mitosis promoting factor (MPF). Checkpoint control mechanisms that monitor essential preparatory events for mitosis, such as DNA replication, are thought to prevent entry into mitosis by downregulating MPF activation until these events are completed. Thus, we were surprised to find that when pronuclear fusion in sea urchin zygotes is blocked with Colcemid, the female pronucleus consistently breaks down before the male pronucleus. This is not due to regional differences in the time of MPF activation, because pronuclei touching each other break down asynchronously to the same extent. To test whether NEB is controlled at the nuclear or cytoplasmic level, we activated the checkpoint for the completion of DNA synthesis separately in female and male pronuclei by treating either eggs or sperm before fertilization with psoralen to covalently cross-link base-paired strands of DNA. When only the maternal DNA is cross-linked, the male pronucleus breaks down first. When the sperm DNA is cross-linked, male pronuclear breakdown is substantially delayed relative to female pronuclear breakdown and sometimes does not occur. Inactivation of the Colcemid after female NEB in such zygotes with touching pronuclei yields a functional spindle composed of maternal chromosomes and paternal centrosomes. The intact male pronucleus remains located at one aster throughout mitosis. In other experiments, when psoralen-treated sperm nuclei, over 90% of the zygote nuclei do not break down for at least 2 h after the controls even though H1 histone kinase activity gradually rises close to, or higher than, control mitotic levels. The same is true for normal zygotes treated with aphidicolin to block DNA synthesis. From these results, we conclude that NEB in sea urchin zygotes is controlled at the nuclear, not cytoplasmic, level, and that mitotic levels of cytoplasmic MPF activity are not sufficient to drive NEB for a nucleus that is under checkpoint control. Our results also demonstrate that the checkpoint for the completion of DNA synthesis inhibits NEB by acting primarily within the nucleus, not by downregulating the activity of cytoplasmic MPF.

Animals↗

Granules 25-30 nm in diameter: basic constituent of the nuclear matrix, chromosome scaffold, and nuclear envelope.

Rat liver nuclear matrix and similar structures derived from isolated Chironomus polytene chromosomes, nuclear envelopes, and intranuclear bodies of frog late oocytes (the karyospheres) were studied by electron microscopy with platinum shadowing and negative staining. We have shown that the treatment of whole nuclei, nuclear envelopes, polytene chromosomes, or karyospheres with nonionic detergent, high salt, and RNase and DNase followed by dilute alkali or hyaluronidase digestion reveals numerous rather uniform granules 25-30 nm in diameter. With omission of the nucleases the granules appear to be associated with DNA strands mostly organized in loops. Many granules form clusters and are arranged in linear or arch-like aggregates or cycles resembling the pore complexes. We suppose that these spherical bodies constitute a basic component of the nuclear matrix, chromosome scaffold, and nuclear envelope and are bound together by hyaluronic acid or some similar glycosaminoglycan.

Animals↗

The fate and origin of the nuclear envelope during and after mitosis in Amoeba proteus. I. Synthesis and behavior of phospholipids of the nuclear envelope during the cell life cycle.

The synthesis and behavior of Amoeba proteus nuclear envelope (NE) phospholipids were studied. Most NE phospholipid synthesis occurs during G2 and little during mitosis or S. (A. proteus has no G1 phase). Autoradiographic observations after implantation of [3-H] choline nuclei into unlabeled cells reveal little turnover of NE phospholipid during interphase but during mitosis all the label is dispersed through the cytoplasm. Beginning at telophase all the label is dispersed through the cytoplasm. Beginning at telophase all the NE phospholipid label returns to the daughter NEs. This observation, along with the finding that no NE phospholipid synthesis occurs during mitosis or S, indicates that no de novo NE phospholipid production is required for newly forming NEs. Similarlyemetine, at concentrations that inhibit 97 percent of protein synthesis, does not prevent the post mitotic formation of NEs, suggesting that previously manufactured proteins are used in making new NEs. If a nucleus containing labeled NE phospholipids is transplanted into an unlabeled nucleate cell and the cell is allowed to grow and divide, the resultant four nuclei are equally labeled. This finding supports, but does not prove (see next paragraph), the conclusion that there probably is no continuity of the A. proteus NE during mitosis. When a phospholipid-labeled nucleus is implanted into a cell in mitosis, the grafted nucleus is not induced to enter mitosis. There is, however, a marked increase in the turnover of that nucleus's NE phospholipids with no apparent breakdown of the NE; this indicated that the mitotic cytoplasm possesses a factor that stimulates NE phospholipid exchange with the cytoplasm. That enhanced turnover is not accompanied by visible structural alteration makes less certain the earlier conclusion that no NE continuity exists during mitosis. Perhaps the most important finding in this study is that there are present, at restricted times in the cell cycle, factors capable of inducing accelerated exchange of structural components without microscopically detectable disruptions of structure.

Amoeba↗

Nuclear envelope dynamics.

The nuclear envelope (NE) provides a semi permeable barrier between the nucleus and cytoplasm and plays a central role in the regulation of macromolecular trafficking between these two compartments. In addition to this transport function, the NE is a key determinant of interphase nuclear architecture. Defects in NE proteins such as A-type lamins and the inner nuclear membrane protein, emerin, result in several human diseases that include cardiac and skeletal myopathies as well as lipodystrophy. Certain disease-linked A-type lamin defects cause profound changes in nuclear organization such as loss of peripheral heterochromatin and redistribution of other nuclear envelope components. While clearly essential in maintenance of nuclear integrity, the NE is a highly dynamic organelle. In interphase it is constantly remodeled to accommodate nuclear growth. During mitosis it must be completely dispersed so that the condensed chromosomes may gain access to the mitotic spindle. Upon completion of mitosis, dispersed NE components are reutilized in the assembly of nuclei within each daughter cell. These complex NE rearrangements are under precise temporal and spatial control and involve interactions with microtubules, chromatin, and a variety of cell-cycle regulatory molecules.

Animals↗

Lamin dimers. Presence in the nuclear lamina of surf clam oocytes and release during nuclear envelope breakdown.

The nuclear lamina of surf clam oocytes contains dimers of 67-kDa lamin which are stabilized by both noncovalent interactions and disulfide bonds. The latter can be reduced but re-form when the reducing agent is removed. The cysteine residues involved in these disulfide bonds are inaccessible to alkylating agents unless the protein is unfolded in urea. During nuclear envelope breakdown the lamin is released as a mixture of oligomers in which disulfide-stabilized dimers are associated noncovalently with lamin monomers. Concurrent with solubilization, both dimers and monomers are phosphorylated to a similar extent, indicating that the interactions which maintain these complexes are not destabilized by lamin phosphorylation. Our results suggest the existence of two types of interactions between the lamin molecules in the polymer, which react differently to phosphorylation during nuclear envelope breakdown.

Animals↗

A lamin-independent pathway for nuclear envelope assembly.

The nuclear envelope is composed of membranes, nuclear pores, and a nuclear lamina. Using a cell-free nuclear assembly extract derived from Xenopus eggs, we have investigated how these three components interact during nuclear assembly. We find that the Xenopus embryonic lamin protein LIII cannot bind directly to chromatin or membranes when each is present alone, but is readily incorporated into nuclei when both of the components are present together in an assembly extract. We find that depleting lamin LIII from an extract does not prevent formation of an envelope consisting of membranes and nuclear pores. However, these lamin-depleted envelopes are extremely fragile and fail to grow beyond a limited extent. This suggests that lamin assembly is not required during the initial steps of nuclear envelope formation, but is required for later growth and for maintaining the structural integrity of the envelope. We also present results showing that lamins may only be incorporated into nuclei after DNA has been encapsulated within an envelope and nuclear transport has been activated. With respect to nuclear function, our results show that the presence of a nuclear lamina is required for DNA synthesis to occur within assembled nuclei.

Animals↗

Nuclear protein migration involves two steps: rapid binding at the nuclear envelope followed by slower translocation through nuclear pores.

When injected into the cytoplasm of Vero cells, nucleoplasmin rapidly concentrates in a narrow layer around the nuclear envelope and then accumulates within the nucleus. Transport into the nucleus can be reversibly arrested at the perinuclear stage by metabolic inhibitors or by chilling. Nucleoplasmin-coated colloidal gold particles concentrate around the nuclear envelope of Vero cells or Xenopus oocytes, and by electron microscopy of oocytes appear to be associated with fibrils attached to nuclear pore complexes. Perinuclear accumulation is not observed for the nonmigrating nucleoplasmin core fragment or nonnuclear proteins. We propose two steps in nuclear migration of proteins: rapid binding around the nuclear envelope, possibly to pore-associated fibrils, followed by slower, energy-dependent translocation through nuclear pores.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Characterization of high affinity and low affinity dexamethasone binding sites on male rat liver nuclear envelopes.

Steroids must traverse the nuclear envelope before exerting their action at the chromatin. However, few studies have been done to elucidate the mechanism by which steroids traverse this membrane barrier. As first steps towards investigating the mechanism, we have characterized the binding sites for dexamethasone on male rat liver nuclear envelopes. The nuclear envelopes, prepared in the presence of dithiothreitol, were isolated from purified nuclei after treatment with DNase 1 at high pH. Binding of dexamethasone to the nuclear envelopes was measured after 16 h of incubation at 0-4 degrees C. At pH 7.4, only a single high capacity, low affinity binding site for dexamethasone was identified. However, at pH 8.6, two sites were identified; a low capacity, high affinity site and a high capacity, low affinity site. Adrenalectomy of the animal before preparation of the membranes caused loss of the high affinity site and reduction in the number of the lower affinity sites. Acute dexamethasone treatment of adrenalectomized rats resulted in the reappearance of the high affinity site but long term treatment with dexamethasone was required for complete restoration of the high affinity sites and reappearance of any of the low affinity sites. The steroid specificity of these nuclear envelope binding sites was different from that of the cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor, generally showing broader specificity. However, triamcinolone acetonide, which is a potent competitor for binding to the glucocorticoid receptor, did not complete effectively. The binding sites were sensitive to protease treatment and salt extraction studies revealed that the dexamethasone binding sites do not represent proteins non-specifically bound to the nuclear envelope. The affinity and the hormone responsiveness of the high affinity site are similar to those of the nuclear glucocorticoid receptor. Therefore, the nuclear envelope may be a site of action of glucocorticoids.

Animals↗

Age-dependence of polyadenylate stimulation of nuclear-envelope nucleoside triphosphatase.

Nuclear envelopes of mammalian cells contain a nucleoside triphosphatase which is probably involved in mRNA transport through the nuclear membrane. The activity of the enzyme, studied in RNA-depleted nuclear ghosts, can be stimulated by poly(A) or by poly(A) (+)mRNA. Using nuclear ghost preparations from mature (8-10 months' old) and old (40-42 months' old) Wistar rats, it was shown that in "old" preparations the basal activity of the enzyme is significantly reduced (by 15%). In addition, the enzyme from old animals responds only very little to poly(A) or poly(A) (+)mRNA, compared to preparations from mature animals. Using a concentration of 6.8 X 10(11) poly(A) (+) mRNA molecules per microgram of enzyme preparation, the nucleoside triphosphatase from mature animals is stimulated by 77% and the enzyme from old animals by only 26%. Binding studies of poly(A) to pore laminae revealed that the number of binding sites in unphosphorylated preparations from old animals is significantly reduced (by 24%) compared to "mature" preparations. As a consequence of in vitro phosphorylation, no difference is observable in the number of binding sites between the two age groups. The values for half-maximal saturation binding constants for poly(A) are identical in unphosphorylated and phosphorylated pore-laminae preparations, irrespective of the age group studied. The results presented indicate that in old animals the pathway from the phosphorylated to the dephosphorylated nuclear-envelope protein which is controlled by poly(A) is impaired in the proposed cycle for mRNA efflux from nuclei.

Aging↗

UNC-84 localizes to the nuclear envelope and is required for nuclear migration and anchoring during C. elegans development.

Nuclear migrations are essential for metazoan development. Two nuclear migrations that occur during C. elegans development require the function of the unc-84 gene. unc-84 mutants are also defective in the anchoring of nuclei within the hypodermal syncytium and in the migrations of the two distal tip cells of the gonad. Complementation analyses of 17 unc-84 alleles defined two genetically separable functions. Both functions are required for nuclear and distal tip cell migrations, but only one is required for nuclear anchorage. The DNA lesions associated with these 17 mutations indicate that the two genetically defined functions correspond to two distinct regions of the UNC-84 protein. The UNC-84 protein has a predicted transmembrane domain and a C-terminal region with similarity to the S. pombe spindle pole body protein Sad1 and to two predicted mammalian proteins. Analysis of a green fluorescent protein reporter indicated that UNC-84 is widely expressed and localized to the nuclear envelope. We propose that UNC-84 functions to facilitate a nuclear-centrosomal interaction required for nuclear migration and anchorage.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Nuclear pore complex number and distribution throughout the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle by three-dimensional reconstruction from electron micrographs of nuclear envelopes.

The number of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in individual nuclei of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was determined by computer-aided reconstruction of entire nuclei from electron micrographs of serially sectioned cells. Nuclei of 32 haploid cells at various points in the cell cycle were modeled and found to contain between 65 and 182 NPCs. Morphological markers, such as cell shape and nuclear shape, were used to determine the cell cycle stage of the cell being examined. NPC number was correlated with cell cycle stage to reveal that the number of NPCs increases steadily, beginning in G1-phase, suggesting that NPC assembly occurs continuously throughout the cell cycle. However, accumulation of nuclear envelope observed during the cell cycle, indicated by nuclear surface area, is not continuous at the same rate, such that the density of NPCs per unit area of nuclear envelope peaks in apparent S-phase cells. Analysis of the nuclear envelope reconstructions also revealed no preferred NPC-to-NPC distance. However, NPCs were found in large clusters over regions of the nuclear envelope. Interestingly, clusters of NPCs were most pronounced in early mitotic nuclei and were found to be associated with the spindle pole bodies, but the functional significance of this association is unknown.

Cell Cycle↗

Nuclear and nuclear envelope binding proteins of the glucocorticoid receptor nuclear localization peptide identified by crosslinking.

The molecular mechanisms underlying the nuclear entry of steroid receptors and possible regulation of steroid hormone action during receptor passage across the nuclear envelope have not been elucidated. A nuclear localization signal has been identified in the hinge region of the glucocorticoid receptor. A synthetic peptide corresponding to this sequence was radio-iodinated and incubated with high salt- and detergent-extracted rat liver nuclei or nuclear envelope in the presence of crosslinker. After SDS-PAGE, two nuclear polypeptides of 60 and 76 kDa which had been specifically crosslinked were identified by autoradiography. A 60 kDa polypeptide was also crosslinked in the nuclear envelope fraction. ATP and elevated temperatures enhanced the crosslinking of both nuclear peptides. Finally, we showed that the pattern of crosslinking of the simian virus 40 large tumour antigen nuclear localization signal was identical to that of the glucocorticoid receptor signal to the nuclear polypeptides. The crosslinked peptides are good candidates for nuclear importers of the glucocorticoid receptor. In addition, the data suggest that these binding sites may be part of a general mechanism for nuclear entry of proteins.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗