Compartmentalized signaling of Ras in fission yeast

Ras-Mediated Signal Transduction and Virulence in Human Pathogenic Fungi

Signal transduction pathways regulating growth and stress responses are areas of significant study in the effort to delineate pathogenic mechanisms of fungi. In-depth knowledge of signal transduction events deepens our understanding of how a fungal pathogen is able to sense changes in the environment and respond accordingly by modulation of gene expression and re-organization of cellular activities to optimize fitness. Members of the Ras protein family are important regulators of growth and differentiation in eukaryotic organisms, and have been the focus of numerous studies exploring fungal pathogenesis. Here, the current data regarding Ras signal transduction are reviewed for three major pathogenic fungi: Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Particular emphasis is placed on Ras-protein interactions during control of morphogenesis, stress response and virulence.

Ras signaling in yeast

Since the study of yeast RAS and adenylate cyclase in the early 1980s, yeasts including budding and fission yeasts contributed significantly to the study of Ras signaling. First, yeast studies provided insights into how Ras activates downstream signaling pathways. Second, yeast studies contributed to the identification and characterization of GAP and GEF proteins, key regulators of Ras. Finally, the study of yeast provided many important insights into the understanding of C-terminal processing and membrane association of Ras proteins.

Ras, an actor on many stages: posttranslational modifications, localization, and site-specified events

Among the wealth of information that we have gathered about Ras in the past decade, the introduction of the concept of space in the field has constituted a major revolution that has enabled many pieces of the Ras puzzle to fall into place. In the early days, it was believed that Ras functioned exclusively at the plasma membrane. Today, we know that within the plasma membrane, the 3 Ras isoforms-H-Ras, K-Ras, and N-Ras-occupy different microdomains and that these isoforms are also present and active in endomembranes. We have also discovered that Ras proteins are not statically associated with these localizations; instead, they traffic dynamically between compartments. And we have learned that at these localizations, Ras is under site-specific regulatory mechanisms, distinctively engaging effector pathways and switching on diverse genetic programs to generate different biological responses. All of these processes are possible in great part due to the posttranslational modifications whereby Ras proteins bind to membranes and to regulatory events such as phosphorylation and ubiquitination that Ras is subject to. As such, space and these control mechanisms act in conjunction to endow Ras signals with an enormous signal variability that makes possible its multiple biological roles. These data have established the concept that the Ras signal, instead of being one single, homogeneous entity, results from the integration of multiple, site-specified subsignals, and Ras has become a paradigm of how space can differentially shape signaling.

Roles of Ras1 membrane localization during Candida albicans hyphal growth and farnesol response

Many Ras GTPases localize to membranes via C-terminal farnesylation and palmitoylation, and localization regulates function. In Candida albicans, a fungal pathogen of humans, Ras1 links environmental cues to morphogenesis. Here, we report the localization and membrane dynamics of Ras1, and we characterize the roles of conserved C-terminal cysteine residues, C287 and C288, which are predicted sites of palmitoylation and farnesylation, respectively. GFP-Ras1 is localized uniformly to plasma membranes in both yeast and hyphae, yet Ras1 plasma membrane mobility was reduced in hyphae compared to that in yeast. Ras1-C288S was mislocalized to the cytoplasm and could not support hyphal development. Ras1-C287S was present primarily on endomembranes, and strains expressing ras1-C287S were delayed or defective in hyphal induction depending on the medium used. Cells bearing constitutively activated Ras1-C287S or Ras1-C288S, due to a G13V substitution, showed increased filamentation, suggesting that lipid modifications are differentially important for Ras1 activation and effector interactions. The C. albicans autoregulatory molecule, farnesol, inhibits Ras1 signaling through adenylate cyclase and bears structural similarities to the farnesyl molecule that modifies Ras1. At lower concentrations of farnesol, hyphal growth was inhibited but Ras1 plasma membrane association was not altered; higher concentrations of farnesol led to mislocalization of Ras1 and another G protein, Rac1. Furthermore, farnesol inhibited hyphal growth mediated by cytosolic Ras1-C288SG13V, suggesting that farnesol does not act through mechanisms that depend on Ras1 farnesylation. Our findings imply that Ras1 is farnesylated and palmitoylated, and that the Ras1 stimulation of adenylate cyclase-dependent phenotypes can occur in the absence of these lipid modifications.

Ras trafficking, localization and compartmentalized signalling

Ras proteins are proto-oncogenes that are frequently mutated in human cancers. Three closely related isoforms, HRAS, KRAS and NRAS, are expressed in all cells and have overlapping but distinctive functions. Recent work has revealed how differences between the Ras isoforms in their trafficking, localization and protein-membrane orientation enable signalling specificity to be determined. We review the various strategies used to characterize compartmentalized Ras localization and signalling. Localization is an important contextual modifier of signalling networks and insights from the Ras system are of widespread relevance for researchers interested in signalling initiated from membranes.

The Golgi apparatus: an organelle with multiple complex functions

Remarkable advances have been made during the last few decades in defining the organizational principles of the secretory pathway. The Golgi complex in particular has attracted special attention due to its central position in the pathway, as well as for its fascinating and complex structure. Analytical studies of this organelle have produced significant advances in our understanding of its function, although some aspects still seem to elude our comprehension. In more recent years a level of complexity surrounding this organelle has emerged with the discovery that the Golgi complex is involved in cellular processes other than the 'classical' trafficking and biosynthetic pathways. The resulting picture is that the Golgi complex can be considered as a cellular headquarters where cargo sorting/processing, basic metabolism, signalling and cell-fate decisional processes converge.

Ras effector switching promotes divergent cell fates in C. elegans vulval patterning

The C. elegans vulva is patterned by epidermal growth factor (EGF) activation of Ras to control 1° fate, and 1° fate induces antagonistic Notch-dependent 2° fate. Furthermore, a spatial EGF gradient, in addition to inducing 1° fate, directly contributes to 2° fate via an unknown pathway. We find that in addition to its canonical effector, Raf, vulval Ras utilizes an exchange factor for the Ral small GTPase (RalGEF), such that Ras-RalGEF-Ral antagonizes Ras-Raf pro-1° fate activity. Consistent with its restricted expression pattern, Ral participates in EGF pro-2° activity. Thus, we have delineated a Ras effector-switching mechanism whereby position within the morphogen gradient dictates that Ras effector usage is switched to RalGEF from Raf to promote 2° instead of 1° fate. Our observations define the utility of Ras effector switching during normal development and may provide a possible mechanistic basis for cell and cancer-type differences in effector dependency and activation.

Compartmentalized Ras proteins transform NIH 3T3 cells with different efficiencies

Ras GTPases were long thought to function exclusively from the plasma membrane (PM). However, a current model suggests that Ras proteins can compartmentalize to regulate different functions, and an oncogenic H-Ras mutant that is restricted to the endomembrane can still transform cells. In this study, we demonstrated that cells transformed by endomembrane-restricted oncogenic H-Ras formed tumors in nude mice. To define downstream targets of endomembrane Ras pathways, we analyzed Cdc42, which concentrates in the endomembrane and has been shown to act downstream of Ras in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Our data show that cell transformation induced by endomembrane-restricted oncogenic H-Ras was blocked when Cdc42 activity was inhibited. Moreover, H-Ras formed a complex with Cdc42 on the endomembrane, and this interaction was enhanced when H-Ras was GTP bound or when cells were stimulated by growth factors. H-Ras binding evidently induced Cdc42 activation by recruiting and/or activating Cdc42 exchange factors. In contrast, when constitutively active H-Ras was restricted to the PM by fusing to a PM localization signal from the Rit GTPase, the resulting protein did not detectably activate Cdc42 although it activated Raf-1 and efficiently induced hallmarks of Ras-induced senescence in human BJ foreskin fibroblasts. Surprisingly, PM-restricted oncogenic Ras when expressed alone could only weakly transform NIH 3T3 cells; however, when constitutively active Cdc42 was coexpressed, together they transformed cells much more efficiently than either one alone. These data suggest that efficient cell transformation requires Ras proteins to interact with Cdc42 on the endomembrane and that in order for a given Ras protein to fully transform cells, multiple compartment-specific Ras pathways need to work cooperatively.

Cytosolic Ras supports eye development in Drosophila

Ras proteins associate with cellular membranes as a consequence of a series of posttranslational modifications of a C-terminal CAAX sequence that include prenylation and are thought to be required for biological activity. In Drosophila melanogaster, Ras1 is required for eye development. We found that Drosophila Ras1 is inefficiently prenylated as a consequence of a lysine in the A(1) position of its CAAX sequence such that a significant pool remains soluble in the cytosol. We used mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) to assess if various Ras1 transgenes could restore photoreceptor fate to eye disc cells that are null for Ras1. Surprisingly, we found that whereas Ras1 with an enhanced efficiency of membrane targeting could not rescue the Ras1 null phenotype, Ras1 that was not at all membrane targeted by virtue of a mutation of the CAAX cysteine was able to fully rescue eye development. In addition, constitutively active Ras1(12V,C186S) not targeted to membranes produced a hypermorphic phenotype and stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in S2 cells. We conclude that the membrane association of Drosophila Ras1 is not required for eye development.

Shaping fission yeast with microtubules

For cell morphogenesis, the cell must establish distinct spatial domains at specified locations at the cell surface. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms of cell polarity in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. These are simple rod-shaped cells that form cortical domains at cell tips for cell growth and at the cell middle for cytokinesis. In both cases, microtubule-based systems help to shape the cell by breaking symmetry, providing endogenous spatial cues to position these sites. The plus ends of dynamic microtubules deliver polarity factors to the cell tips, leading to local activation of the GTPase cdc42p and the actin assembly machinery. Microtubule bundles contribute to positioning the division plane through the nucleus and the cytokinesis factor mid1p. Recent advances illustrate how the spatial and temporal regulation of cell polarization integrates many elements, including historical landmarks, positive and negative controls, and competition between pathways.

Regulation of constitutive cargo transport from the trans-Golgi network to plasma membrane by Golgi-localized G protein betagamma subunits

Observations of Golgi fragmentation upon introduction of G protein βγ (Gβγ) subunits into cells have implicated Gβγ in a pathway controlling the fission at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) of plasma membrane (PM)-destined transport carriers. However, the subcellular location where Gβγ acts to provoke Golgi fragmentation is not known. Additionally, a role for Gβγ in regulating TGN-to-PM transport has not been demonstrated. Here we report that constitutive or inducible targeting of Gβγ to the Golgi, but not other subcellular locations, causes phospholipase C- and protein kinase D-dependent vesiculation of the Golgi in HeLa cells; Golgi-targeted β(1)γ(2) also activates protein kinase D. Moreover, the novel Gβγ inhibitor, gallein, and the Gβγ-sequestering protein, GRK2ct, reveal that Gβγ is required for the constitutive PM transport of two model cargo proteins, VSV-G and ss-HRP. Importantly, Golgi-targeted GRK2ct, but not a PM-targeted GRK2ct, also blocks protein transport to the PM. To further support a role for Golgi-localized Gβγ, endogenous Gβ was detected at the Golgi in HeLa cells. These results are the first to establish a role for Golgi-localized Gβγ in regulating protein transport from the TGN to the cell surface.

Proteasome nuclear import mediated by Arc3 can influence efficient DNA damage repair and mitosis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Proteasomes must efficiently remove their substrates throughout the cells in a timely manner as many of these proteins can be toxic. This study shows that proteasomes can do so efficiently because they are highly mobile. Furthermore this study uncovers that proteasome mobility requires functional Arc3, a subunit of the Arp2/3 complex.

Proteasomes must remove regulatory molecules and abnormal proteins throughout the cell, but how proteasomes can do so efficiently remains unclear. We have isolated a subunit of the Arp2/3 complex, Arc3, which binds proteasomes. When overexpressed, Arc3 rescues phenotypes associated with proteasome deficiencies; when its expression is repressed, proteasome deficiencies intensify. Arp2/3 is best known for regulating membrane dynamics and vesicular transport; thus, we performed photobleaching experiments and showed that proteasomes are readily imported into the nucleus but exit the nucleus slowly. Proteasome nuclear import is reduced when Arc3 is inactivated, leading to hypersensitivity to DNA damage and inefficient cyclin-B degradation, two events occurring in the nucleus. These data suggest that proteasomes display Arc3-dependent mobility in the cell, and mobile proteasomes can efficiently access substrates throughout the cell, allowing them to effectively regulate cell-compartment–specific activities.

Chemical inhibition of CaaX protease activity disrupts yeast Ras localization

Proteins possessing a C-terminal CaaX motif, such as the Ras GTPases, undergo extensive post-translational modification that includes attachment of an isoprenoid lipid, proteolytic processing and carboxylmethylation. Inhibition of the enzymes involved in these processes is considered a cancer-therapeutic strategy. We previously identified nine in vitro inhibitors of the yeast CaaX protease Rce1p in a chemical library screen (Manandhar et al., 2007). Here, we demonstrate that these agents disrupt the normal plasma membrane distribution of yeast GFP-Ras reporters in a manner that pharmacologically phenocopies effects observed upon genetic loss of CaaX protease function. Consistent with Rce1p being the in vivo target of the inhibitors, we observe that compound-induced delocalization is suppressed by increasing the gene dosage of RCE1. Moreover, we observe that Rce1p biochemical activity associated with inhibitor-treated cells is inversely correlated with compound dose. Genetic loss of CaaX proteolysis results in mistargeting of GFP-Ras2p to subcellular foci that are positive for the endoplasmic reticulum marker Sec63p. Pharmacological inhibition of CaaX protease activity also delocalizes GFP-Ras2p to foci, but these foci are not as strongly positive for Sec63p. Lastly, we demonstrate that heterologously expressed human Rce1p can mediate proper targeting of yeast Ras and that its activity can also be perturbed by some of the above inhibitors. Together, these results indicate that disrupting the proteolytic modification of Ras GTPases impacts their in vivo trafficking.

Nox4-derived H2O2 mediates endoplasmic reticulum signaling through local Ras activation

The unfolded-protein response (UPR) of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has been linked to oxidant production, although the molecular details and functional significance of this linkage are poorly understood. Using a ratiometric H(2)O(2) sensor targeted to different subcellular compartments, we demonstrate specific production of H(2)O(2) by the ER in response to the stressors tunicamycin and HIV-1 Tat, but not to thapsigargin or dithiothreitol. Knockdown of the oxidase Nox4, expressed on ER endomembranes, or expression of ER-targeted catalase blocked ER H(2)O(2) production by tunicamycin and Tat and prevented the UPR following exposure to these two agonists, but not to thapsigargin or dithiothreitol. Tat also triggered Nox4-dependent, sustained activation of Ras leading to ERK, but not phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/mTOR, pathway activation. Cell fractionation studies and green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions of GTPase effector binding domains confirmed selective activation of endogenous RhoA and Ras on the ER surface, with ER-associated K-Ras acting upstream of the UPR and downstream of Nox4. Notably, the Nox4/Ras/ERK pathway induced autophagy, and suppression of autophagy unmasked cell death and prevented differentiation of endothelial cells in 3-dimensional matrix. We conclude that the ER surface provides a platform to spatially organize agonist-specific Nox4-dependent oxidative signaling events, leading to homeostatic protective mechanisms rather than oxidative stress.

Tandem fluorescence imaging of dynamic S-acylation and protein turnover

The functional significance and regulation of reversible S-acylation on diverse proteins remain unclear because of limited methods for efficient quantitative analysis of palmitate turnover. Here, we describe a tandem labeling and detection method to simultaneously monitor dynamic S-palmitoylation and protein turnover. By combining S-acylation and cotranslational fatty acid chemical reporters with orthogonal clickable fluorophores, dual pulse-chase analysis of Lck revealed accelerated palmitate cycling upon T-cell activation. Subsequent pharmacological perturbation of Lck palmitate turnover suggests yet uncharacterized serine hydrolases contribute to dynamic S-acylation in cells. In addition to dually fatty-acylated proteins, this tandem fluorescence imaging method can be generalized to other S-acylated proteins using azidohomoalanine as a methonine surrogate. The sensitivity and efficiency of this approach should facilitate the functional characterization of cellular factors and drugs that modulate protein S-acylation. Furthermore, diverse protein modifications could be analyzed with this tandem imaging method using other chemical reporters to investigate dynamic regulation of protein function.

Electrical control of cell polarization in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Electric signals surround tissues and cells and have been proposed to participate in directing cell polarity in processes such as development, wound healing, and host invasion [1, 2]. The application of exogenous electric fields (EFs) can direct cell polarization in cell types ranging from bacteria and fungi to neurons and neutrophils [3-7]. The mechanisms by which EFs modulate cell polarity, however, remain poorly understood. Here we introduce the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model organism to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this process. In these rod-shaped cells, an exogenous EF reorients cell growth in a direction orthogonal to the field, producing cells with a bent morphology. A candidate genetic screen identifies conserved factors involved in this process: an integral membrane proton ATPase pma1p that regulates intracellular pH, the small GTPase cdc42p, and the formin for3p that assembles actin cables. Interestingly, mutants in these genes still respond to the EF but orient in a different direction, toward the anode. In addition, EFs also cause electrophoretic movement of cell wall synthase complex proteins toward the anode. These data suggest molecular models for how the EF reorients cell polarization by modulating intracellular pH and steering cell polarity factors in multiple directions.

Spatial aspects of intracellular information processing

The computational properties of intracellular biochemical networks, for which the cell is assumed to be a 'well-mixed' reactor, have already been widely characterized. What has so far not received systematic treatment is the important role of space in many intracellular computations. Spatial network computations can be divided into two broad categories: those required for essential spatial processes (e.g. polarization, chemotaxis, division, and development) and those for which space is simply used as an extra dimension to expand the computational power of the network. Several pertinent recent examples of each category are discussed that illustrate the often conceptually subtle role of space in the processing of intracellular information.

Int6 and Moe1 interact with Cdc48 to regulate ERAD and proper chromosome segregation

Int6/eIF3e is implicated in tumorigenesis, but its molecular functions remain unclear. We have studied its fission yeast homolog Yin6, reporting that it regulates proteolysis by controlling the assembly/localization of proteasomes, and binds directly to another conserved protein, Moe1. In the present study, we isolated Cdc48 as a Moe1-binding protein from a yeast two-hybrid screen, and confirmed biochemically that they form a stable complex in fission yeast. Overexpressing Moe1 or Yin6 partially rescued phenotypes of cdc48 mutants; conversely, overexpressing Cdc48 partially rescued phenotypes of moe1 or yin6 mutants. Mutants defective in both Cdc48 and the Yin6-Moe1 complex showed growth defects that were far more severe than either alone. These double mutants were severely deficient in endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation (ERAD), as they were hypersensitive to accumulation of misfolded proteins. In addition, their chromosomes showed frequent defects in spindle attachment and segregation--these mitotic defects correlated with Ase1 and Bir1/survivin mislocalization. These results suggest that Cdc48, Yin6 and Moe1 act in the same protein complex to concertedly control ERAD and chromosome segregation. Many of these properties are evolutionarily conserved in humans, since human Cdc48 rescued the lethality of the yeast cdc48Delta mutant, and Int6 and Moe1/eIF3d bind Cdc48 in human cells.

Two CDC42 paralogues modulate Cryptococcus neoformans thermotolerance and morphogenesis under host physiological conditions

The precise regulation of morphogenesis is a key mechanism by which cells respond to a variety of stresses, including those encountered by microbial pathogens in the host. The polarity protein Cdc42 regulates cellular morphogenesis throughout eukaryotes, and we explore the role of Cdc42 proteins in the host survival of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Uniquely, C. neoformans has two functional Cdc42 paralogues, Cdc42 and Cdc420. Here we investigate the contribution of each paralogue to resistance to host stress. In contrast to non-pathogenic model organisms, C. neoformans Cdc42 proteins are not required for viability under non-stress conditions but are required for resistance to high temperature. The paralogues play differential roles in actin and septin organization and act downstream of C. neoformans Ras1 to regulate its morphogenesis sub-pathway, but not its effects on mating. Cdc42, and not Cdc420, is upregulated in response to temperature stress and is required for virulence in a murine model of cryptococcosis. The C. neoformans Cdc42 proteins likely perform complementary functions with other Rho-like GTPases to control cell polarity, septin organization and hyphal transitions that allow survival in the environment and in the host.

Ras and Nox: Linked signaling networks?

Both Ras and Nox represent ancient gene families which control a broad range of cellular responses. Both families mediate signals governing motility, differentiation, and proliferation, and both inhabit overlapping subcellular microdomains. Yet little is known of the precise functional relationship between these two ubiquitous families. In this review, we examine the interface where these two large fields meet.

Intracellular signaling: peripatetic Ras

Ras proteins traffic between the plasma membrane and endomembranes and signal from the cytosolic face of a variety of organelles. Palmitoylated N-Ras and H-Ras signal from early endosomes. A recent study reports that K-Ras resides on and signals from various types of endosomes, including late endosomes/lysosomes and multivesicular bodies.

Ras/MAPK signaling from endomembranes

Signal transduction along the Ras/MAPK pathway has been generally thought to take place at the plasma membrane. It is now evident that the plasma membrane is not the only platform capable of Ras/MAPK signal induction. Fusion of Ras with green fluorescent protein and the development of genetically encoded fluorescent probes for Ras activation have revealed signaling events on a variety of intracellular membranes including endosomes, the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum. Thus, the Ras/MAPK pathway is spatially compartmentalized within cells and this may afford greater complexity of signal output.

Compartmentalized signalling: Ras proteins and signalling nanoclusters

Differential subcellular compartmentalization of the three main Ras isoforms (H-Ras, N-Ras and K-Ras) is believed to underlie their biological differences. Modulatable interactions between cellular membranes and Ras C-terminal hypervariable region motifs determine differences in trafficking and the relative proportions of each isoform in cell-surface signalling nanoclusters and intracellular endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi, endosomal and mitochondrial compartments. Ras regulators, effectors and scaffolds are also differentially distributed, potentially enabling preferential coupling to specific signalling pathways in each subcellular location. Here we summarize the mechanisms underlying compartment-specific Ras signalling and the outputs generated.

TORC2 plasma membrane localization is essential for cell viability and restricted to a distinct domain

The conserved target of rapamycin (TOR) kinases regulate many aspects of cellular physiology. They exist in two distinct complexes, termed TOR complex 1 (TORC1) and TOR complex 2 (TORC2), that posses both overlapping and distinct components. TORC1 and TORC2 respond differently to the drug rapamycin and have different cellular functions: whereas the rapamycin-sensitive TORC1 controls many aspects of cell growth and has been characterized in great detail, the TOR complex 2 is less understood and regulates actin polymerization, cell polarity, and ceramide metabolism. How signaling specificity and discrimination between different input signals for the two kinase complexes is achieved is not understood. Here, we show that TORC1 and TORC2 have different localizations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. TORC1 is localized exclusively to the vacuolar membrane, whereas TORC2 is localized dynamically in a previously unrecognized plasma membrane domain, which we term membrane compartment containing TORC2 (MCT). We find that plasma membrane localization of TORC2 is essential for viability and mediated by lipid binding of the C-terminal domain of the Avo1 subunit. From these data, we suggest that the TOR complexes are spatially separated to determine downstream signaling specificity and their responsiveness to different inputs.

Ras acylation, compartmentalization and signaling nanoclusters (Review)

Ras proteins have become paradigms for isoform- and compartment-specific signaling. Recent work has shown that Ras isoforms are differentially distributed within cell surface signaling nanoclusters and on endomembranous compartments. The critical feature regulating Ras protein localization and isoform-specific functions is the C-terminal hypervariable region (HVR). In this review we discuss the differential post-translational modifications and reversible targeting functions of Ras isoform HVR motifs. We describe how compartmentalized Ras signaling has specific functional consequences and how cell surface signaling nanoclusters generate precise signaling outputs.

Subcellular localization directs signaling specificity of the Cryptococcus neoformans Ras1 protein

In the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, Ras signaling mediates sexual differentiation, morphogenesis, and pathogenesis. By studying Ras prenylation and palmitoylation in this organism, we have found that the subcellular localization of this protein dictates its downstream signaling specificity. Inhibiting C. neoformans Ras1 prenylation results in the defective general membrane targeting of this protein and the loss of all Ras function. In contrast, palmitoylation mediates localization of Ras1 to the plasma membrane and is required for normal morphogenesis and survival at high temperatures. However, palmitoylation and plasma membrane localization are not required for Ras-dependent sexual differentiation. Likely as a result of its effect on thermotolerance, Ras1 palmitoylation is also required for the pathogenesis of C. neoformans. These data support an emerging paradigm of compartmentalized Ras signaling. However, our studies also demonstrate fundamental differences between the Ras pathways in different organisms that emphasize the functional flexibility of conserved signaling cascades.

Activation of the MAPK module from different spatial locations generates distinct system outputs

The Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK (MAPK) pathway directs multiple cell fate decisions within a single cell. How different system outputs are generated is unknown. Here we explore whether activating the MAPK module from different membrane environments can rewire system output. We identify two classes of nanoscale environment within the plasma membrane. The first, which corresponds to nanoclusters occupied by GTP-loaded H-, N- or K-Ras, supports Raf activation and amplifies low Raf kinase input to generate a digital ERKpp output. The second class, which corresponds to nanoclusters occupied by GDP-loaded Ras, cannot activate Raf and therefore does not activate the MAPK module, illustrating how lateral segregation on plasma membrane influences signal output. The MAPK module is activated at the Golgi, but in striking contrast to the plasma membrane, ERKpp output is analog. Different modes of Raf activation precisely correlate with these different ERKpp system outputs. Intriguingly, the Golgi contains two distinct membrane environments that generate ERKpp, but only one is competent to drive PC12 cell differentiation. The MAPK module is not activated from the ER. Taken together these data clearly demonstrate that the different nanoscale environments available to Ras generate distinct circuit configurations for the MAPK module, bestowing cells with a simple mechanism to generate multiple system outputs from a single cascade.

Genes involved in carotene synthesis and mating in Blakeslea trispora

Mating of Blakeslea trispora and other molds of the order Mucorales requires the interaction of mycelia of opposite sex, (+) and (-), leading to the development of specialized structures and to an enhanced accumulation of beta-carotene. Industry obtains beta-carotene by co-cultivating appropriate strains of Blakeslea ("mated cultures"). Gene transcription in single and mated cultures was assayed by cDNA-AFLP, a technique to observe the differential expression of subsets of mRNA fragments. Overexpression in mated cultures is about ten times more frequent than underexpression. We obtained and sequenced fragments of 97 candidate genes that appeared to be overexpressed during mating and confirmed four of them by reverse transcription and real-time PCR. Comparisons with gene sequences from other organisms suggest functions in carotene biosynthesis (4 genes), energy metabolism (8), cell wall synthesis (1), transfer of acetyl groups (1), and regulatory processes (10). Sodium acetate inhibited sexual overexpression in about two-thirds of the candidate genes and acted as a signal with broad effects on the metabolism and the morphology of mated cultures. Our work offers new materials for the study of carotene biosynthesis and its regulation and for the improvement of carotene production with Mucorales.

The regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in mammalian cells

The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) are activated by diverse mechanisms. These include ligation of receptor tyrosine kinases such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and cell adhesion receptors such as the integrins. In general, ligand binding of these receptors leads to GTP loading and activation of the small GTPase Ras, which recruits Raf to the membrane where it is activated. Raf subsequently phosphorylates the dual specificity MAP/ERK kinase (MEK1/2) which in turn phosphorylates and thereby activates ERK. ERK is a promiscuous kinase and can phosphorylate more than 100 different substrates. Therefore activation of ERK can affect a broad array of cellular functions including proliferation, survival, apoptosis, motility, transcription, metabolism and differentiation. ERK activity is controlled by many distinct mechanisms. Scaffold proteins control when and where ERK is activated while anchoring proteins can restrain ERK localization to specific subcellular compartments. Meanwhile, phosphatases dephosphorylate and inactivate ERK thereby shutting off the pathway. Finally, several feedback mechanisms have been identified downstream of ERK activation. Here we will focus on the diverse mechanisms of ERK regulation in mammalian cells.

Palmitoylation and localisation of RAS isoforms are modulated by the hypervariable linker domain

RAS isoforms have been proposed to exhibit differing biological outputs due to differences in their relative occupancy of cellular organelles and signalling microdomains. The membrane binding and targeting motifs of RAS are encoded by the C-terminal hypervariable region (HVR), and the precise localisation depends upon interactions between the HVR and the host membrane. Classic studies revealed that all RAS proteins rely on farnesylation and either palmitoylation or a polybasic stretch for stable binding to membranes. We now show that, for N-RAS and Ki-RAS4A, mono-palmitoylation and farnesylation are not sufficient for specifying stable cell-surface localisation. A third motif that is present within the linker domain of all palmitoylated RAS HVRs is necessary for stabilising localisation to the plasma membrane. This motif comprises acidic residues that stabilise palmitoylation and basic amino acids that are likely to interact electrostatically with acidic phospholipids enriched at the cell surface. Importantly, altered localisation is achieved without changes in palmitoylation status. Our data provide a mechanism for distinct HVR membrane interactions controlling subcellular distribution. In the context of the full-length RAS proteins, this is likely to be of crucial importance for controlling signalling output and engagement with different pools of effectors.

Ras GTPase-activating protein regulation of actin cytoskeleton and hyphal polarity in Aspergillus nidulans

Aspergillus nidulans gapA1, a mutation leading to compact, fluffy colonies and delayed polarity establishment, maps to a gene encoding a Ras GTPase-activating protein. Domain organization and phylogenetic analyses strongly indicate that GapA regulates one or more "true" Ras proteins. A gapADelta strain is viable. gapA colonies are more compact than gapA1 colonies and show reduced conidiation. gapADelta strains have abnormal conidiophores, characterized by the absence of one of the two layers of sterigmata seen in the wild type. gapA transcript levels are very low in conidia but increase during germination and reach their maximum at a time coincident with germ tube emergence. Elevated levels persist in hyphae. In germinating conidiospores, gapADelta disrupts the normal coupling of isotropic growth, polarity establishment, and mitosis, resulting in a highly heterogeneous cell population, including malformed germlings and a class of giant cells with no germ tubes and a multitude of nuclei. Unlike wild-type conidia, gapADelta conidia germinate without a carbon source. Giant multinucleated spores and carbon source-independent germination have been reported in strains carrying a rasA dominant active allele, indicating that GapA downregulates RasA. gapADelta cells show a polarity maintenance defect characterized by apical swelling and subapical branching. The strongly polarized wild-type F-actin distribution is lost in gapADelta cells. As GapA-green fluorescent protein shows cortical localization with strong predominance at the hyphal tips, we propose that GapA-mediated downregulation of Ras signaling at the plasma membrane of these tips is involved in the polarization of the actin cytoskeleton that is required for hyphal growth and, possibly, for asexual morphogenesis.

Ras proteins: paradigms for compartmentalised and isoform-specific signalling

Ras GTPases mediate a wide variety of cellular processes by converting a multitude of extracellular stimuli into specific biological responses including proliferation, differentiation and survival. In mammalian cells, three ras genes encode four Ras isoforms (H-Ras, K-Ras4A, K-Ras4B and N-Ras) that are highly homologous but functionally distinct. Differences between the isoforms, including their post-translational modifications and intracellular sorting, mean that Ras has emerged as an important model system of compartmentalised signalling and membrane biology. Ras isoforms in different subcellular locations are proposed to recruit distinct upstream and downstream accessory proteins and activate multiple signalling pathways. Here, we summarise data relating to isoform-specific signalling, its role in disease and the mechanisms promoting compartmentalised signalling. Further understanding of this field will reveal the role of Ras signalling in development, cellular homeostasis and cancer and may suggest new therapeutic approaches.

A Ras1-Cdc24 signal transduction pathway mediates thermotolerance in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Pathogenic microorganisms must precisely regulate morphogenesis to survive and proliferate within an infected host. This regulation is often controlled by conserved signal transduction pathways that direct morphological changes in varied species. One such pathway, whose components include Ras proteins and the PAK kinase Ste20, allows the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans to grow at high temperature. Previously, we found that Ras1 signalling is required for differentiation, thermotolerance and pathogenesis in C. neoformans. We show here that the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Cdc24 is a Ras1 effector in C. neoformans to mediate the ability of this fungus to grow at high temperature and to cause disease. In addition, we provide evidence that the Ras1-Cdc24 signalling cascade functions specifically through one of the three Cdc42/Rac1 homologues in C. neoformans. In conclusion, our studies illustrate how components of conserved signalling cascades can be specialized for different downstream functions, such as pathogenesis.

Ras oncogenes and their downstream targets

RAS proteins are small GTPases, which serve as master regulators of a myriad of signaling cascades involved in highly diverse cellular processes. RAS oncogenes have been originally discovered as retroviral oncogenes, and ever since constitutively activating RAS mutations have been identified in human tumors, they are in the focus of intense research. In this review, we summarize the biochemical properties of RAS proteins, trace down the evolution of RAS signaling and present an overview of the spatio-temporal activation of major RAS isoforms. We further discuss RAS effector pathways, their role in normal and transformed cell physiology and summarize ongoing attempts to interfere with aberrant RAS signaling. Finally, we comment on the role of micro RNAs in modulating RAS expression, contribution of RAS to stem cell function and on high-throughput analyses of RAS signaling networks.

Spatial segregation of Ras signaling: new evidence from fission yeast

The Ras GTPases act as binary switches for signal transduction pathways that are important for growth regulation and tumorigenesis. Despite the biochemical simplicity of this switch, Ras proteins control multiple pathways, and the functions of the four mammalian Ras proteins are not overlapping. This raises an important question--how does a Ras protein selectively regulate a particular activity? One recently emerging model suggests that a single Ras protein can control different functions by acting in distinct cellular compartments. A critical test of this model is to identify pathways that are selectively controlled by Ras when it is localized to a particular compartment. A recent study has examined Ras signaling in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which expresses only one Ras protein that controls two separate evolutionarily conserved pathways. This study demonstrates that whereas Ras localized to the plasma membrane selectively regulates a MAP kinase pathway to mediate mating pheromone signaling, Ras localized to the endomembrane activates a Cdc42 pathway to mediate cell polarity and protein trafficking. This study has provided unambiguous evidence for compartmentalized signaling of Ras.