Expression of Drosophila lamin C is developmentally regulated: analogies with vertebrate A-type lamins

The balance between two isoforms of the Drosophila RNA-binding protein how controls tendon cell differentiation

In Drosophila, a tendon cell is selected from a group of equipotent precursors following its interaction with a muscle cell. This interaction results in elevated levels of the transcription factor Stripe in the future tendon cells. Here we show that the balance between two distinct forms of the RNA-binding protein How maintains low levels of Stripe at the precursor stage and high levels in the mature tendon. The long, nuclear-specific protein How(L) downregulates Stripe protein levels at the precursor stage by binding stripe mRNA and inhibiting its nuclear export. This inhibition is likely to be counteracted by the short How(S) protein, present in both nucleus and cytoplasm, which is upregulated in the muscle-bound tendon cell following EGF receptor activation.

Ectopic overexpression of Drosophila lamin C is stage-specific lethal

To gain insight into the function of the developmentally regulated A-type lamins we transformed Drosophila melanogaster with a construct containing the hsp70 promoter followed by the Drosophila lamin C (an analog of vertebrate A-type lamins) cDNA. Lamin C was expressed ectopically after heat shock of embryos and localized to the nucleus. No phenotypic change was observed after lamin C expression in embryos that normally do not contain lamin C. However, ectopic expression of lamin C during most larval (but not pupal) stages stalled growth, inhibited ecdysteroid signaling (in particular during the larval-prepupal transition), resulted in development of melanotic tumors, and finally caused death. During pupation in control animals, when massive apoptosis of larval tissues takes place, lamin C is proteolyzed into a fragment with a size similar to that predicted by caspase cleavage. The ectopically expressed lamin C is identically cleaved, resulting in a large increase of the steady-state level of the lamin C fragment. A null mutation of the dcp-1 gene, one of the two known Drosophila caspase genes, also results in development of melanotic tumors and larval death, suggesting that the ectopically expressed lamin C inhibits apoptosis through competitive inhibition of caspase activity.

Phosphorylation of the major Drosophila lamin in vivo: site identification during both M-phase (meiosis) and interphase by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Phosphorylation can have profound effects on the properties of nuclear lamins. For instance, phosphorylation of specific sites on mammalian lamins drastically alters their propensity to polymerize. Relatively little is known about the effects of phosphorylation during interphase and about phosphorylation of invertebrate nuclear lamins. Here, using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, we determined the phosphorylation sites of both interphase and M-phase isoforms of nuclear lamin Dm from Drosophila melanogaster. Interphase lamins are phosphorylated at three sites: two of these sites (Ser25 and a site located between residues 430 and 438) flank the alpha-helical rod domain, whereas the third site (Ser595) is located close to the C-terminus. The M-phase lamin isoform is phosphorylated predominantly at Ser45, a residue contained within a sequence matching the consensus site for phosphorylation by cdc2 kinase. Our study confirms the important role in vivo for cdc2 kinase in M-phase disassembly of nuclear lamins and provides the basis for understanding Drosophila lamin phosphorylation during interphase.

Interactions between coiled-coil proteins: Drosophila lamin Dm0 binds to the bicaudal-D protein

In a yeast two-hybrid screen we identified an interaction between Drosophila lamin Dm0, a structural nuclear protein, and BICD, a protein involved in oocyte development. The interaction can be reconstituted in vitro and takes place between segments of both proteins predicted to form coiled coils. The affinity for lamin Dm0 of the minimal binding site on BICD is modulated in a complex fashion by other BICD segments. A point mutation, F684I, that causes the dominant, bicaudal, Bic-D phenotype inhibits lamin binding in the context of the minimal lamin-binding site, but not in a larger BICD fragment. The minimal lamin-binding site of BICD binds to a few other coiled-coil proteins, but binding to these proteins is not influenced by the F684I point mutation, suggesting that the interaction with lamin may play a role in Bic-D function. Our structural studies demonstrated that BICD is 60-70% alpha-helical, is a dimer, and consists of two parts: a thin rod-shaped part of about 32 nm, and a thicker rod-shaped part of about 26 nm. Likely, the thinner rod-shaped part of full-length BICD consists of the N-terminal half of the protein, and the lamin-binding site is located within the thicker rod-shaped part.

Chromatin binding and polymerization of the endogenous Xenopus egg lamins: the opposing effects of glycogen and ATP

We have previously identified and quantitated three B-type lamin isoforms present in the nuclei of mature Xenopus laevis oocytes, and in cell-free egg extracts. As Xenopus egg extracts are frequently used to analyze nuclear envelope assembly and lamina functions, we felt it was imperative that the polymerization and chromatin-binding properties of the endogenous B-type egg lamins be investigated. While we have demonstrated that soluble B-type lamins bind to chromatin, we have also observed that the polymerization of egg lamins does not require membranes or chromatin. Lamin assembly is enhanced by the addition of glycogen/glucose, or by the depletion of ATP from the extract. Moreover, the polymerization of egg cytosol lamins and their binding to demembranated sperm or chromatin assembled from naked lambda-DNA is inhibited by an ATP regeneration system. These ATP-dependent inhibitory activities can be overcome by the coaddition of glycogen to egg cytosol. We have observed that glycogen does not alter ATP levels during cytosol incubation, but rather, as glycogen-enhanced lamin polymerization is inhibited by okadaic acid, we conclude that glycogen activates protein phosphatases. Because protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is the only phosphatase known to be specifically regulated by glycogen our data indicate that PP1 is involved in lamin polymerization. Our results show that ATP and glycogen effect lamin polymerization and chromatin binding by separate and opposing mechanisms.

Assembly of Drosophila lamin Dm0 and C mutant proteins studied with the baculovirus system

Despite extensive knowledge of the in vitro polymerization properties of nuclear lamins, it is still not well understood how the nuclear lamina assembles in vivo. To learn more about the relationship between in vitro and in vivo polymerization of nuclear lamins, we expressed Drosophila lamin Dm0, mutant proteins, having well defined alterations of their in vitro polymerization properties, in Sf9 cells using the baculovirus system. All lamin Dm0 mutants assembled into fibrillar aggregates indistinguishable in morphology from those assembled by the wild-type protein. However, in contrast to wild-type lamin Dm0, mutant proteins were extracted with buffers of physiological ionic strength and pH containing Triton X-100. These results indicate that various types of lamin dimer-dimer interactions can be disrupted without affecting the morphology of the lamin Dm0 polymer. However, all types of dimer-dimer interactions tested appear to be important for full polymer stability. In addition, we analyzed the polymer formation of two Drosophila lamin C mutants and found that a segment in the carboxy-terminal tail domain is required for assembly of lamin C paracrystals at the nuclear lamina.

Functional analysis of the 5' promoter region of the rat lamin A gene

The A-type lamins are constituents of the nuclear lamina in differentiated cells and have been proposed to play an important role in nuclear organization. In this study, we isolated and characterized a genomic clone containing the putative promoter region of the rat lamin A gene. Sequence analysis of about 2 kb of this region combined with primer extension data revealed the presence of a TATA box at -33, a GC box at -101, and AP1 motifs at -7, -424, and -1677. Deletion analysis of the promoter fragments in three mammalian cell lines indicated that a 221-bp segment of the proximal promoter containing the GC box and AP1 motif at -7 was sufficient to give high levels of luciferase activity in reporter gene assays. Mutations in these two motifs resulted in considerable loss of reporter gene activity. Analysis by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) has provided evidence for specific binding of the AP1 and Sp1 family of transcription factors to the promoter, a conclusion supported by DNase I footprinting data. This characterization of the 5' promoter region of the lamin A gene should afford a basis for the further clarification of the mechanism of regulation of this important gene during growth and development.

Common and variant properties of intermediate filament proteins from lower chordates and vertebrates; two proteins from the tunicate Styela and the identification of a type III homologue

The chordates combine the vertebrates and the invertebrate phyla of the cephalo- and urochordates (tunicates). Two cytoplasmic intermediate filament (IF) proteins of the urochordate Styela plicata are characterized by cDNA cloning, gene organization, tissue specific expression patterns in the adult animal and the self assembly properties of the recombinant proteins. In line with metazoan phylogeny St-A and St-B have the short length version of the coil 1b domain found in all vertebrate and cephalochordate IF proteins while protostomic IF proteins have the longer length version with an extra 42 residues. St-A is the first IF protein from a lower chordate which can be unambiguously related to a particular vertebrate IF subfamily. St-A shares 46% sequence identity with desmin, displays the N-terminal motif necessary for filament assembly of type III proteins and forms normal homopolymeric 10 nm filaments in vitro. St-A but not St-B is present in smooth muscle cells of the body wall musculature. St-A and St-B are found as separate networks in some interior epithelia. St-B shares 30 to 35% identity with keratin 8, St-A and desmin and does not form IF under in vitro assembly conditions. Its relation to a particular vertebrate IF type or to the eight currently known IF proteins from the cephalochordate Branchiostoma remains unresolved. The striking relation between St-A and desmin predicts that the common progenitor of the urochordate (tunicate) and the cephalochordate/vertebrate lineages already possessed a type III homologue. Unlike in vertebrates intron patterns cannot be used to classify the tunicate IF genes. Although St-A is a type III homologue its gene shows an intron position which in vertebrates is restricted to keratin type II genes.

Nuclear lamins: their structure, assembly, and interactions

Nuclear lamins are intermediate filament-type proteins that are the major building blocks of the nuclear lamina, a fibrous proteinaceous meshwork underlying the inner nuclear membrane. Lamins can also be localized in the nuclear interior, in a diffuse or spotted pattern. Nuclei assembled in vitro in the absence of lamins are fragile, indicating that lamins mechanically stabilize the cell nucleus. Available evidence also indicates a role for lamins in DNA replication, chromatin organization, spatial arrangement of nuclear pore complexes, nuclear growth, and anchorage of nuclear envelope proteins. In this review we summarize the current state of knowledge on the structure, assembly, and possible functional roles of nuclear lamins, emphasizing the information concerning the ability of nuclear lamins to self-assemble into distinct oligomers and polymers.

Tout-velu is a Drosophila homologue of the putative tumour suppressor EXT-1 and is needed for Hh diffusion

Hedgehog (Hh) proteins act through both short-range and long-range signalling to pattern tissues during invertebrate and vertebrate development. The mechanisms allowing Hedgehog to diffuse over a long distance and to exert its long-range effects are not understood. Here we identify a new Drosophila gene, named tout-velu, that is required for diffusion of Hedgehog. Characterization of tout-velu shows that it encodes an integral membrane protein that belongs to the EXT gene family. Members of this family are involved in the human multiple exostoses syndrome, which affects bone morphogenesis. Our results, together with the previous characterization of the role of Indian Hedgehog in bone morphogenesis, lead us to propose that the multiple exostoses syndrome is associated with abnormal diffusion of Hedgehog proteins. These results show the existence of a new conserved mechanism required for diffusion of Hedgehog.

Interactions among Drosophila nuclear envelope proteins lamin, otefin, and YA

The nuclear envelope plays many roles, including organizing nuclear structure and regulating nuclear events. Molecular associations of nuclear envelope proteins may contribute to the implementation of these functions. Lamin, otefin, and YA are the three Drosophila nuclear envelope proteins known in early embryos. We used the yeast two-hybrid system to explore the interactions between pairs of these proteins. The ubiquitous major lamina protein, lamin Dm, interacts with both otefin, a peripheral protein of the inner nuclear membrane, and YA, an essential, developmentally regulated protein of the nuclear lamina. In agreement with this interaction, lamin and otefin can be coimmunoprecipitated from the vesicle fraction of Drosophila embryos and colocalize in nuclear envelopes of Drosophila larval salivary gland nuclei. The two-hybrid system was further used to map the domains of interaction among lamin, otefin, and YA. Lamin's rod domain interacts with the complete otefin protein, with otefin's hydrophilic NH2-terminal domain, and with two different fragments derived from this domain. Analogous probing of the interaction between lamin and YA showed that the lamin rod and tail plus part of its head domain are needed for interaction with full-length YA in the two-hybrid system. YA's COOH-terminal region is necessary and sufficient for interaction with lamin. Our results suggest that interactions with lamin might mediate or stabilize the localization of otefin and YA in the nuclear lamina. They also suggest that the need for both otefin and lamin in mediating association of vesicles with chromatin might reflect the function of a protein complex that includes these two proteins.

In vivo association of lamins with nucleic acids in Drosophila melanogaster

A 32P-labeling strategy was developed to study the interaction(s) in tissue culture cells between proteins and nucleic acids. Interphase and mitotic nuclear lamins were studied in Drosophila Kc cells. After bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and in vivo photo-crosslinking with 366 nm light, it was found that interphase lamins were associated with nucleic acid. Interactions with DNA as well as RNA were detected. In contrast, interaction of nucleic acids with mitotic lamin was not observed. Photo-crosslinking in the presence of antibiotics distamycin and/or chromomycin suggested that interphase lamins interacted with both A-T-rich DNA and G-C-rich DNA; interactions with G-C-rich DNA predominated. These results have implications for understanding the interphase organization of the higher eukaryotic cell nucleus as well as the transition of cells from interphase to mitosis. A model of nuclear organization, consistent with our results, is proposed.

Insertional mutation of the Drosophila nuclear lamin Dm0 gene results in defective nuclear envelopes, clustering of nuclear pore complexes, and accumulation of annulate lamellae

Nuclear lamins are thought to play an important role in disassembly and reassembly of the nucleus during mitosis. Here, we describe a Drosophila lamin Dm0 mutant resulting from a P element insertion into the first intron of the Dm0 gene. Homozygous mutant animals showed a severe phenotype including retardation in development, reduced viability, sterility, and impaired locomotion. Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analysis revealed that reduced lamin Dm0 expression caused an enrichment of nuclear pore complexes in cytoplasmic annulate lamellae and in nuclear envelope clusters. In several cells, particularly the densely packed somata of the central nervous system, defective nuclear envelopes were observed in addition. All aspects of the mutant phenotype were rescued upon P element-mediated germline transformation with a lamin Dm0 transgene. These data constitute the first genetic proof that lamins are essential for the structural organization of the cell nucleus.

Formation of the male pronuclear lamina in Drosophila melanogaster

Upon fertilization, a sperm nucleus reorganizes to become a male pronucleus. This reorganization includes breakdown and reformation of the nuclear envelope of the male pronucleus. In this study, we used a maternally encoded nuclear lamina protein, YA, in parallel with another lamina protein, lamin Dm, as probes to study the formation of the male pronuclear lamina in Drosophila melanogaster. Ectopically expressed YA is present in the nuclear envelopes of spermatocytes, but not in mature sperm, similar to endogenous lamin Dm. This suggests that the nuclear envelope of Drosophila sperm differs from that of somatic cells. Upon fertilization, YA and lamin Dm are recruited to the periphery of the male-derived nucleus before or during the early stages of migration by the male pronucleus. Using a paternal effect mutation, snky, we found that recruitment of lamina proteins to the male pronucleus requires, and probably accompanies, reorganization of the sperm nucleus. In order to identify factors that affect the recruitment of nuclear lamina proteins to the male pronucleus, we examined the subcellular localization of YA and lamin Dm in mutant embryos defective for the function of either the male pronucleus (mh, K81, and pal or both pronuclei (gnu, png, and plu). None of these mutations affect the recruitment of YA or lamin Dm to the male pronuclear envelope, suggesting that the mutations affect processes independent of, or after, reorganization of the nuclear envelope. Double mutant analyses between Ya and gnu suggest that YA plays a role in the nuclear envelope permissive for rounds of DNA replication.

A Drosophila Tpr protein homolog is localized both in the extrachromosomal channel network and to nuclear pore complexes

Here we report structural, molecular, and biochemical characterizations of Bx34, a Drosophila melanogaster nuclear coiled-coil protein which is localized to extrachromosomal and extranucleolar spaces in the nuclear interior and which is homologous to the mammalian nuclear pore complex protein Tpr. In the nuclear interior, Bx34 is excluded from chromosomes and the nucleolus and generally localizes to regions between these structures and the nuclear periphery. This distribution matches the ‘extrachromosomal channel network’ described previously. In the nuclear periphery, Bx34 localizes on or near nuclear pore complexes. Biochemically, Bx34 isolates exclusively with the nuclear matrix fraction. The Bx34 cDNA sequence predicts a large protein (262 kDa) with two distinct structural domains. The Bx34 N-terminal 70% (180 kDa) is predicted to form an extended region of coiled-coil, while the C-terminal 30% (82 kDa) is predicted to be unstructured and acidic. Bx34 shows moderate sequence identity over its entire length to the mammalian nuclear pore complex protein ‘Tpr’ (28% amino acid identity and 50% similarity). Furthermore, several of the sequence motifs and biochemical similarities between Bx34 and Tpr are sufficiently striking that it is likely that Bx34 and Tpr are functionally related. The Bx34 gene exists in a single copy in region 48C of chromosome 2R. The localization of coiled-coil Bx34 to both the nuclear interior and nuclear pore complexes and its sequence similarity to a known nuclear pore complex protein leads to speculations about a role for Bx34 in nucleo-cytoplasmic transport which we can test using molecular genetic approaches.

The developmentally regulated Drosophila embryonic nuclear lamina protein ‘Young Arrest’ (fs(1)Ya) is capable of associating with chromatin

The Drosophila fs(1)Ya protein (YA) is an essential component of the early embryonic nuclear lamina. Mutant zygotes lacking functional YA arrest in the first division cycles following fertilization, hence having a ‘Young Arrest’ of their development. The nuclear lamina is thought to act as the structural backbone for the nucleus and to provide anchoring sites for interphase chromosomes. Here, we demonstrate in vitro that YA is not required for the de novo formation of nuclear structures. Since YA's sequence predicts potential DNA binding motifs, this protein may instead function to connect the lamina and chromosomes, and thus aid in organizing the nucleus. We ectopically expressed YA in polytene cells and demonstrated its association with polytene chromosomes, preferentially at interbands. Furthermore, our in vitro studies indicate that embryonic YA protein is capable of associating with decondensed chromatin. These observations suggest that YA may be required for the interaction between chromatin and the nuclear envelope during early embryogenesis.

Molecular and cellular characterization of CRP1, a Drosophila chromatin decondensation protein

CRP1, a Drosophila nuclear protein that can catalyze decondensation of demembranated Xenopus sperm chromatin was cloned and its primary structure was deduced from cDNA sequence. Alignment of deduced amino acid sequence with published sequences of other proteins revealed strong homologies to Xenopus nucleoplasmin and NO38. CRP1 is encoded by one or several closely related genes found at a single locus, position 99A on the right arm of chromosome 3. CRP1 mRNA is expressed throughout Drosophila development; it is highest during oogenesis and early embryogenesis. mRNA levels correlate closely with levels of protein expression measured previously. Results of chemical crosslinking indicate that CRP1 is either tetrameric or pentameric; similar ambiguity was revealed by direct visualization using scanning transmission electron microscopy. Consistent with previously published results, parallel crosslinking studies of Xenopus nucleoplasmin suggested a pentameric structure. Scanning transmission electron microscopic examination after negative staining revealed that CRP1 and Xenopus nucleoplasmin are morphologically similar. CRP1 is able to substitute for nucleoplasmin in Xenopus egg extract-mediated sperm chromatin decondensation. In vitro, CRP1-induced decondensation is accompanied by direct binding of CRP1 to chromatin.

Activation of the lamin A gene during rat liver development

We have studied the regulation of expression of the A-type lamins, which are constituents of the nuclear lamina. During rat liver development, high levels of lamin A and C mRNAs were observed in 15-day fetal liver but were barely detectable in the adult. The chromatin conformation of the lamin A gene was sensitive to DNase I in 15-day fetal liver but became mostly insensitive in the adult. Lamin A and C proteins could be detected in fetal liver and persisted in the adult. Our evidence suggests that the lamin A gene is actively transcribed early in liver differentiation and its activity declines considerably in adult liver.