1
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Sheng Y, Wang Y, Yang W, Wang XQ, Lu J, Pan B, Nan B, Liu Y, Ye F, Li C, Song J, Dou Y, Gao S, Liu Y. Semiconservative transmission of DNA N 6-adenine methylation in a unicellular eukaryote. Genome Res 2024; 34:740-756. [PMID: 38744529 PMCID: PMC11216311 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277843.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Although DNA N 6-adenine methylation (6mA) is best known in prokaryotes, its presence in eukaryotes has recently generated great interest. Biochemical and genetic evidence supports that AMT1, an MT-A70 family methyltransferase (MTase), is crucial for 6mA deposition in unicellular eukaryotes. Nonetheless, the 6mA transmission mechanism remains to be elucidated. Taking advantage of single-molecule real-time circular consensus sequencing (SMRT CCS), here we provide definitive evidence for semiconservative transmission of 6mA in Tetrahymena thermophila In wild-type (WT) cells, 6mA occurs at the self-complementary ApT dinucleotide, mostly in full methylation (full-6mApT); after DNA replication, hemi-methylation (hemi-6mApT) is transiently present on the parental strand, opposite to the daughter strand readily labeled by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). In ΔAMT1 cells, 6mA predominantly occurs as hemi-6mApT. Hemi-to-full conversion in WT cells is fast, robust, and processive, whereas de novo methylation in ΔAMT1 cells is slow and sporadic. In Tetrahymena, regularly spaced 6mA clusters coincide with the linker DNA of nucleosomes arrayed in the gene body. Importantly, in vitro methylation of human chromatin by the reconstituted AMT1 complex recapitulates preferential targeting of hemi-6mApT sites in linker DNA, supporting AMT1's intrinsic and autonomous role in maintenance methylation. We conclude that 6mA is transmitted by a semiconservative mechanism: full-6mApT is split by DNA replication into hemi-6mApT, which is restored to full-6mApT by AMT1-dependent maintenance methylation. Our study dissects AMT1-dependent maintenance methylation and AMT1-independent de novo methylation, reveals a 6mA transmission pathway with a striking similarity to 5-methylcytosine (5mC) transmission at the CpG dinucleotide, and establishes 6mA as a bona fide eukaryotic epigenetic mark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Sheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Xue Qing Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Jiuwei Lu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Bo Pan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Bei Nan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yongqiang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Fei Ye
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Chun Li
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Jikui Song
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Yali Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
| | - Shan Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China;
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA;
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Liu Y, Niu J, Ye F, Solberg T, Lu B, Wang C, Nowacki M, Gao S. Dynamic DNA N 6-adenine methylation (6mA) governs the encystment process, showcased in the unicellular eukaryote Pseudocohnilembus persalinus. Genome Res 2024; 34:256-271. [PMID: 38471739 PMCID: PMC10984389 DOI: 10.1101/gr.278796.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The formation of resting cysts commonly found in unicellular eukaryotes is a complex and highly regulated survival strategy against environmental stress that involves drastic physiological and biochemical changes. Although most studies have focused on the morphology and structure of cysts, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that control this process. Recent studies indicate that DNA N 6-adenine methylation (6mA) could be dynamically changing in response to external stimuli; however, its potential role in the regulation of cyst formation remains unknown. We used the ciliate Pseudocohnilembus persalinus, which can be easily induced to form cysts to investigate the dynamic pattern of 6mA in trophonts and cysts. Single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing reveals high levels of 6mA in trophonts that decrease in cysts, along with a conversion of symmetric 6mA to asymmetric 6mA. Further analysis shows that 6mA, a mark of active transcription, is involved in altering the expression of encystment-related genes through changes in 6mA levels and 6mA symmetric-to-asymmetric conversion. Most importantly, we show that reducing 6mA levels by knocking down the DNA 6mA methyltransferase PpAMT1 accelerates cyst formation. Taken together, we characterize the genome-wide 6mA landscape in P. persalinus and provide insights into the role of 6mA in gene regulation under environmental stress in eukaryotes. We propose that 6mA acts as a mark of active transcription to regulate the encystment process along with symmetric-to-asymmetric conversion, providing important information for understanding the molecular response to environmental cues from the perspective of 6mA modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Junhua Niu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Fei Ye
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Therese Solberg
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, 160-8582 Tokyo, Japan
- Human Biology Microbiome Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q), Keio University, 108-8345 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Borong Lu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Chundi Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Laboratory of Marine Protozoan Biodiversity and Evolution, Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Mariusz Nowacki
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Shan Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China;
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266237, China
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3
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Meng X, Dang HQ, Kapler GM. Developmentally Programmed Switches in DNA Replication: Gene Amplification and Genome-Wide Endoreplication in Tetrahymena. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020491. [PMID: 36838456 PMCID: PMC9967165 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Locus-specific gene amplification and genome-wide endoreplication generate the elevated copy number of ribosomal DNA (rDNA, 9000 C) and non-rDNA (90 C) chromosomes in the developing macronucleus of Tetrahymena thermophila. Subsequently, all macronuclear chromosomes replicate once per cell cycle during vegetative growth. Here, we describe an unanticipated, programmed switch in the regulation of replication initiation in the rDNA minichromosome. Early in development, the 21 kb rDNA minichromosome is preferentially amplified from 2 C to ~800 C from well-defined origins, concurrent with genome-wide endoreplication (2 C to 8-16 C) in starved mating Tetrahymena (endoreplication (ER) Phase 1). Upon refeeding, rDNA and non-rDNA chromosomes achieve their final copy number through resumption of just the endoreplication program (ER Phase 2). Unconventional rDNA replication intermediates are generated primarily during ER phase 2, consistent with delocalized replication initiation and possible formation of persistent RNA-DNA hybrids. Origin usage and replication fork elongation are affected in non-rDNA chromosomes as well. Despite the developmentally programmed 10-fold reduction in the ubiquitous eukaryotic initiator, the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC), active initiation sites are more closely spaced in ER phases 1 and 2 compared to vegetative growing cells. We propose that initiation site selection is relaxed in endoreplicating macronuclear chromosomes and may be less dependent on ORC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangzhou Meng
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Hung Quang Dang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
- Alstem Bioscience, Richmond, CA 94806, USA
| | - Geoffrey M. Kapler
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-979-574-3901
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Zhang L, Cervantes MD, Pan S, Lindsley J, Dabney A, Kapler GM. Transcriptome analysis of the binucleate ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila with asynchronous nuclear cell cycles. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:rs1. [PMID: 36475712 PMCID: PMC9930529 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-08-0326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tetrahymena thermophila harbors two functionally and physically distinct nuclei within a shared cytoplasm. During vegetative growth, the "cell cycles" of the diploid micronucleus and polyploid macronucleus are offset. Micronuclear S phase initiates just before cytokinesis and is completed in daughter cells before onset of macronuclear DNA replication. Mitotic micronuclear division occurs mid-cell cycle, while macronuclear amitosis is coupled to cell division. Here we report the first RNA-seq cell cycle analysis of a binucleated ciliated protozoan. RNA was isolated across 1.5 vegetative cell cycles, starting with a macronuclear G1 population synchronized by centrifugal elutriation. Using MetaCycle, 3244 of the 26,000+ predicted genes were shown to be cell cycle regulated. Proteins present in both nuclei exhibit a single mRNA peak that always precedes their macronuclear function. Nucleus-limited genes, including nucleoporins and importins, are expressed before their respective nucleus-specific role. Cyclin D and A/B gene family members exhibit different expression patterns that suggest nucleus-restricted roles. Periodically expressed genes cluster into seven cyclic patterns. Four clusters have known PANTHER gene ontology terms associated with G1/S and G2/M phase. We propose that these clusters encode known and novel factors that coordinate micro- and macronuclear-specific events such as mitosis, amitosis, DNA replication, and cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77840,Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - M. D. Cervantes
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77840
| | - S. Pan
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77840,Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - J. Lindsley
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77840
| | - A. Dabney
- Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843,*Address correspondence to: Geoffrey Kapler (); A. Dabney ()
| | - G. M. Kapler
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77840,*Address correspondence to: Geoffrey Kapler (); A. Dabney ()
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5
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Wei F, Pan B, Diao J, Wang Y, Sheng Y, Gao S. The micronuclear histone H3 clipping in the unicellular eukaryote Tetrahymena thermophila. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 4:584-594. [PMID: 37078088 PMCID: PMC10077241 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-022-00151-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Clipping of the histone H3 N-terminal tail has been implicated in multiple fundamental biological processes for a growing list of eukaryotes. H3 clipping, serving as an irreversible process to permanently remove some post-translational modifications (PTMs), may lead to noticeable changes in chromatin dynamics or gene expression. The eukaryotic model organism Tetrahymena thermophila is among the first few eukaryotes that exhibits H3 clipping activity, wherein the first six amino acids of H3 are cleaved off during vegetative growth. Clipping only occurs in the transcriptionally silent micronucleus of the binucleated T. thermophila, thus offering a unique opportunity to reveal the role of H3 clipping in epigenetic regulation. However, the physiological functions of the truncated H3 and its protease(s) for clipping remain elusive. Here, we review the major findings of H3 clipping in T. thermophila and highlight its association with histone modifications and cell cycle regulation. We also summarize the functions and mechanisms of H3 clipping in other eukaryotes, focusing on the high diversity in terms of protease families and cleavage sites. Finally, we predict several protease candidates in T. thermophila and provide insights for future studies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-022-00151-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Wei
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Bo Pan
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Jinghan Diao
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237 China
| | - Yalan Sheng
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Shan Gao
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237 China
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6
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Ahsan R, Blanche W, Katz LA. Macronuclear development in ciliates, with a focus on nuclear architecture. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2022; 69:e12898. [PMID: 35178799 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ciliates are defined by the presence of dimorphic nuclei as they have both a somatic macronucleus and germline micronucleus within each individual cell. The size and structure of both germline micronuclei and somatic macronuclei varies tremendously among ciliates. Except just after conjugation (i.e. the nuclear exchange in sexual cycle), the germline micronucleus is transcriptionally-inactive and contains canonical chromosomes that will be inherited between generations. In contrast, the transcriptionally-active macronucleus contains chromosomes that vary in size in different classes of ciliates, with some lineages having extensively-fragmented gene-sized somatic chromosomes while others contain longer multigene chromosomes. Here, we describe the variation in somatic macronuclear architecture in lineages sampled across the ciliate tree of life, specifically focusing on lineages with extensively fragmented chromosomes (e.g. the classes Phyllopharyngea and Spirotrichea). Further, we synthesize information from the literature on the development of ciliate macronuclei, focusing on changes in nuclear architecture throughout life cycles. These data highlight the tremendous diversity among ciliate nuclear cycles, extend our understanding of patterns of genome evolution, and provide insight into different germline and somatic nuclear features (e.g. nuclear structure and development) among eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragib Ahsan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, 01063, USA.,University of Massachusetts Amherst, Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA
| | - Wumei Blanche
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, 01063, USA
| | - Laura A Katz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, 01063, USA.,University of Massachusetts Amherst, Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA
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Using a Hand-Held Gene Gun for Genetic Transformation of Tetrahymena thermophila. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34542863 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1661-1_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Biolistic bombardment is widely used as a means of delivering vector-coated microparticles into microorganisms, cultured cells, and tissues. The first particle delivery system contained a helium propulsion unit (the gun) mounted in a vacuum-controlled chamber. In contrast, the hand-held gene gun does not operate within a chamber. It is completely hand-held, easy, and efficient to use, and it requires minimal space on the laboratory bench top. This chapter describes protocols for using a hand-held gene gun to deliver transformation vectors for overexpression of genes or gene replacement into the macronucleus of Tetrahymena thermophila. The protocols provide helpful information for preparing Tetrahymena for biolistic bombardment, preparation of vector-coated microcarriers, and basic gene gun operating procedures.
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8
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Liu Y, Nan B, Niu J, Kapler GM, Gao S. An Optimized and Versatile Counter-Flow Centrifugal Elutriation Workflow to Obtain Synchronized Eukaryotic Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:664418. [PMID: 33959616 PMCID: PMC8093812 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.664418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell synchronization is a powerful tool to understand cell cycle events and its regulatory mechanisms. Counter-flow centrifugal elutriation (CCE) is a more generally desirable method to synchronize cells because it does not significantly alter cell behavior and/or cell cycle progression, however, adjusting specific parameters in a cell type/equipment-dependent manner can be challenging. In this paper, we used the unicellular eukaryotic model organism, Tetrahymena thermophila as a testing system for optimizing CCE workflow. Firstly, flow cytometry conditions were identified that reduced nuclei adhesion and improved the assessment of cell cycle stage. We then systematically examined how to achieve the optimal conditions for three critical factors affecting the outcome of CCE, including loading flow rate, collection flow rate and collection volume. Using our optimized workflow, we obtained a large population of highly synchronous G1-phase Tetrahymena as measured by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation into nascent DNA strands, bulk DNA content changes by flow cytometry, and cell cycle progression by light microscopy. This detailed protocol can be easily adapted to synchronize other eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Liu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Bei Nan
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Junhua Niu
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Geoffrey M. Kapler
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Shan Gao
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
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The Compact Macronuclear Genome of the Ciliate Halteria grandinella: A Transcriptome-Like Genome with 23,000 Nanochromosomes. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.01964-20. [PMID: 33500338 PMCID: PMC7858049 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01964-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
How to achieve protein diversity by genome and transcriptome processing is essential for organismal complexity and adaptation. The present work identifies that the macronuclear genome of Halteria grandinella, a cosmopolitan unicellular eukaryote, is composed almost entirely of gene-sized nanochromosomes with extremely short nongenic regions. How to achieve protein diversity by genome and transcriptome processing is essential for organismal complexity and adaptation. The present work identifies that the macronuclear genome of Halteria grandinella, a cosmopolitan unicellular eukaryote, is composed almost entirely of gene-sized nanochromosomes with extremely short nongenic regions. This challenges our usual understanding of chromosomal structure and suggests the possibility of novel mechvanisms in transcriptional regulation. Comprehensive analysis of multiple data sets reveals that Halteria transcription dynamics are influenced by: (i) nonuniform nanochromosome copy numbers correlated with gene-expression level; (ii) dynamic alterations at both the DNA and RNA levels, including alternative internal eliminated sequence (IES) deletions during macronucleus formation and large-scale alternative splicing in transcript maturation; and (iii) extremely short 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) and universal TATA box-like motifs in the compact 5′ subtelomeric regions of most chromosomes. This study broadens the view of ciliate biology and the evolution of unicellular eukaryotes, and identifies Halteria as one of the most compact known eukaryotic genomes, indicating that complex cell structure does not require complex gene architecture.
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10
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Xu J, Zhao X, Mao F, Basrur V, Ueberheide B, Chait BT, Allis CD, Taverna SD, Gao S, Wang W, Liu Y. A Polycomb repressive complex is required for RNAi-mediated heterochromatin formation and dynamic distribution of nuclear bodies. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:5407-5425. [PMID: 33412588 PMCID: PMC8191774 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are widely utilized for transcriptional repression in eukaryotes. Here, we characterize, in the protist Tetrahymena thermophila, the EZL1 (E(z)-like 1) complex, with components conserved in metazoan Polycomb Repressive Complexes 1 and 2 (PRC1 and PRC2). The EZL1 complex is required for histone H3 K27 and K9 methylation, heterochromatin formation, transposable element control, and programmed genome rearrangement. The EZL1 complex interacts with EMA1, a helicase required for RNA interference (RNAi). This interaction is implicated in co-transcriptional recruitment of the EZL1 complex. Binding of H3K27 and H3K9 methylation by PDD1-another PcG protein interacting with the EZL1 complex-reinforces its chromatin association. The EZL1 complex is an integral part of Polycomb bodies, which exhibit dynamic distribution in Tetrahymena development: Their dispersion is driven by chromatin association, while their coalescence by PDD1, likely via phase separation. Our results provide a molecular mechanism connecting RNAi and Polycomb repression, which coordinately regulate nuclear bodies and reorganize the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fengbiao Mao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Venkatesha Basrur
- Proteomics Resource Facility, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Beatrix Ueberheide
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Brian T Chait
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry and Gaseous Ion Chemistry, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - C David Allis
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics, the Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sean D Taverna
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and the Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shan Gao
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Shan Gao.
| | - Wei Wang
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Wei Wang.
| | - Yifan Liu
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 323 865 3852;
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11
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The completed macronuclear genome of a model ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila and its application in genome scrambling and copy number analyses. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 63:1534-1542. [PMID: 32297047 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1689-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila has been a powerful model system for molecular and cellular biology. However, some investigations have been limited due to the incomplete closure and sequencing of the macronuclear genome assembly, which for many years has been stalled at 1,158 scaffolds, with large sections of unknown sequences (available in Tetrahymena Genome Database, TGD, http://ciliate.org/ ). Here we completed the first chromosome-level Tetrahymena macronuclear genome assembly, with approximately 300× long Single Molecule, Real-Time reads of the wild-type SB210 cells-the reference strain for the initial macronuclear genome sequencing project. All 181 chromosomes were capped with two telomeres and gaps were entirely closed. The completed genome shows significant improvements over the current assembly (TGD 2014) in both chromosome structure and sequence integrity. The majority of previously identified gene models shown in TGD were retained, with the addition of 36 new genes and 883 genes with modified gene models. The new genome and annotation were incorporated into TGD. This new genome allows for pursuit in some underexplored areas that were far more challenging previously; two of them, genome scrambling and chromosomal copy number, were investigated in this study. We expect that the completed macronuclear genome will facilitate many studies in Tetrahymena biology, as well as multiple lines of research in other eukaryotes.
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Ashraf K, Nabeel-Shah S, Garg J, Saettone A, Derynck J, Gingras AC, Lambert JP, Pearlman RE, Fillingham J. Proteomic Analysis of Histones H2A/H2B and Variant Hv1 in Tetrahymena thermophila Reveals an Ancient Network of Chaperones. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 36:1037-1055. [PMID: 30796450 PMCID: PMC6502085 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic information, which can be passed on independently of the DNA sequence, is stored in part in the form of histone posttranslational modifications and specific histone variants. Although complexes necessary for deposition have been identified for canonical and variant histones, information regarding the chromatin assembly pathways outside of the Opisthokonts remains limited. Tetrahymena thermophila, a ciliated protozoan, is particularly suitable to study and unravel the chromatin regulatory layers due to its unique physical separation of chromatin states in the form of two distinct nuclei present within the same cell. Using a functional proteomics pipeline, we carried out affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry of endogenously tagged T. thermophila histones H2A, H2B and variant Hv1.We identified a set of interacting proteins shared among the three analyzed histones that includes the FACT-complex, as well as H2A- or Hv1-specific chaperones. We find that putative subunits of T. thermophila versions of SWR- and INO80-complexes, as well as transcription-related histone chaperone Spt6Tt specifically copurify with Hv1. We also identified importin β6 and the T. thermophila ortholog of nucleoplasmin 1 (cNpl1Tt) as H2A–H2B interacting partners. Our results further implicate Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerases in histone metabolism. Molecular evolutionary analysis, reciprocal affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry experiments, and indirect immunofluorescence studies using endogenously tagged Spt16Tt (FACT-complex subunit), cNpl1Tt, and PARP6Tt underscore the validity of our approach and offer mechanistic insights. Our results reveal a highly conserved regulatory network for H2A (Hv1)–H2B concerning their nuclear import and assembly into chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanwal Ashraf
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Syed Nabeel-Shah
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jyoti Garg
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alejandro Saettone
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joanna Derynck
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Lambert
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Centre, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,CHU de Québec Research Center, CHUL, Québec, QC, Canada
| | | | - Jeffrey Fillingham
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Asymmetrical localization of Nup107-160 subcomplex components within the nuclear pore complex in fission yeast. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008061. [PMID: 31170156 PMCID: PMC6553703 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The nuclear pore complex (NPC) forms a gateway for nucleocytoplasmic transport. The outer ring protein complex of the NPC (the Nup107-160 subcomplex in humans) is a key component for building the NPC. Nup107-160 subcomplexes are believed to be symmetrically localized on the nuclear and cytoplasmic sides of the NPC. However, in S. pombe immunoelectron and fluorescence microscopic analyses revealed that the homologous components of the human Nup107-160 subcomplex had an asymmetrical localization: constituent proteins spNup132 and spNup107 were present only on the nuclear side (designated the spNup132 subcomplex), while spNup131, spNup120, spNup85, spNup96, spNup37, spEly5 and spSeh1 were localized only on the cytoplasmic side (designated the spNup120 subcomplex), suggesting the complex was split into two pieces at the interface between spNup96 and spNup107. This contrasts with the symmetrical localization reported in other organisms. Fusion of spNup96 (cytoplasmic localization) with spNup107 (nuclear localization) caused cytoplasmic relocalization of spNup107. In this strain, half of the spNup132 proteins, which interact with spNup107, changed their localization to the cytoplasmic side of the NPC, leading to defects in mitotic and meiotic progression similar to an spNup132 deletion strain. These observations suggest the asymmetrical localization of the outer ring spNup132 and spNup120 subcomplexes of the NPC is necessary for normal cell cycle progression in fission yeast. The nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) form gateways to transport intracellular molecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm across the nuclear envelope. The Nup107-160 subcomplex, that forms nuclear and cytoplasmic outer rings, is a key complex responsible for building the NPC by symmetrical localization on the nuclear and cytoplasmic sides of the nuclear pore. This structural characteristic was found in various organisms including humans and budding yeasts, and therefore believed to be common among “all” eukaryotes. However, in this paper, we revealed an asymmetrical localization of the homologous components of the human Nup107-160 subcomplex in fission yeast by immunoelectron and fluorescence microscopic analyses: in this organism, the Nup107-160 subcomplex is split into two pieces, and each of the split pieces is differentially distributed to the nuclear and cytoplasmic side of the NPC: one piece is only in the nuclear side while the other piece is only in the cytoplasmic side. This contrasts with the symmetrical localization reported in other organisms. In addition, we confirmed that the asymmetrical configuration of the outer ring structure is necessary for cell cycle progression in fission yeast. This study provides notions of diverse structures and functions of NPCs evolved in eukaryotes.
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Howard-Till R, Tian M, Loidl J. A specialized condensin complex participates in somatic nuclear maturation in Tetrahymena thermophila. Mol Biol Cell 2019; 30:1326-1338. [PMID: 30893010 PMCID: PMC6724606 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e18-08-0487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Condensins are highly conserved proteins that are important for chromosome maintenance in nearly all forms of life. Although many organisms employ two forms of the condensin complex, the condensin genes in Tetrahymena have expanded even further. Here we report a form of condensin that is specifically active during sexual reproduction. This complex, condensin D, is composed of the core condensin proteins, Smc2 and Smc4, and two unique subunits, the kleisin Cph5 and Cpd2. Cpd2 is also found in somatic nuclei in vegetative cells, but is dispensable for growth and nuclear division. Immunoprecipitation experiments show that condensin D interacts with a putative member of a chromatin-remodeling complex during development. Condensin D is required for sexual reproduction and for endoreplication and genome reduction of the progeny’s somatic nuclei. Altogether, Tetrahymena possesses at least four forms of condensin to fulfill the needs of maintaining chromosomes in two different nuclei containing the somatic and germline genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Howard-Till
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Miao Tian
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Josef Loidl
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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Zhao X, Xiong J, Mao F, Sheng Y, Chen X, Feng L, Dui W, Yang W, Kapusta A, Feschotte C, Coyne RS, Miao W, Gao S, Liu Y. RNAi-dependent Polycomb repression controls transposable elements in Tetrahymena. Genes Dev 2019; 33:348-364. [PMID: 30808657 PMCID: PMC6411011 DOI: 10.1101/gad.320796.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In this study, Zhao et al. show that in the protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, germline-specific internally eliminated sequences (IESs) become transcriptionally activated in mutants deficient in the RNAi-dependent Polycomb repression pathway. Their findings suggest that the interplay between RNAi and Polycomb repression is a widely conserved phenomenon whose ancestral role is epigenetic silencing of TEs. RNAi and Polycomb repression play evolutionarily conserved and often coordinated roles in transcriptional silencing. Here, we show that, in the protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila, germline-specific internally eliminated sequences (IESs)—many related to transposable elements (TEs)—become transcriptionally activated in mutants deficient in the RNAi-dependent Polycomb repression pathway. Germline TE mobilization also dramatically increases in these mutants. The transition from noncoding RNA (ncRNA) to mRNA production accompanies transcriptional activation of TE-related sequences and vice versa for transcriptional silencing. The balance between ncRNA and mRNA production is potentially affected by cotranscriptional processing as well as RNAi and Polycomb repression. We posit that interplay between RNAi and Polycomb repression is a widely conserved phenomenon, whose ancestral role is epigenetic silencing of TEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Zhao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jie Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Fengbiao Mao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Yalan Sheng
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.,Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Lifang Feng
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Wen Dui
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Wentao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Aurélie Kapusta
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA
| | - Cédric Feschotte
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| | - Robert S Coyne
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | - Wei Miao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Shan Gao
- Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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Iwamoto M, Fukuda Y, Osakada H, Mori C, Hiraoka Y, Haraguchi T. Identification of the evolutionarily conserved nuclear envelope proteins Lem2 and MicLem2 in Tetrahymena thermophila. Gene 2019; 721S:100006. [PMID: 32550543 PMCID: PMC7285967 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.100006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Lem2 family proteins, i.e. the LAP2-Emerin-MAN1 (LEM) domain-containing nuclear envelope proteins, are well-conserved from yeasts to humans, both of which belong to the Opisthokonta supergroup. However, whether their homologs are present in other eukaryotic phylogenies remains unclear. In this study, we identified two Lem2 homolog proteins, which we named as Lem2 and MicLem2, in a ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila belonging to the SAR supergroup. Lem2 was localized to the nuclear envelope of the macronucleus (MAC) and micronucleus (MIC), while MicLem2 was exclusively localized to the nuclear envelope of the MIC. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that Lem2 in T. thermophila was localized to both the inner and outer nuclear envelopes of the MAC and MIC, while MicLem2 was mostly localized to the nuclear pores of the MIC. Molecular domain analysis using GFP-fused protein showed that the N-terminal and luminal domains, including the transmembrane segments, are responsible for nuclear envelope localization. During sexual reproduction, enrichment of Lem2 occurred in the nuclear envelopes of the MAC and MIC to be degraded, while MicLem2 was enriched in the nuclear envelope of the MIC that escaped degradation. These findings suggest the unique characteristics of Tetrahymena Lem2 proteins. Our findings provide insight into the evolutionary divergence of nuclear envelope proteins. Conserved nuclear envelope proteins Lem2 and MicLem2 are identified in Tetrahymena. Lem2 is localized to the nuclear envelope of the macronucleus and the micronucleus. MicLem2 is localized to the nuclear pore complex of the micronucleus. In sexual reproduction, Lem2 is enriched to the nuclei assigned to degradation. MicLem2 is enriched to the micronuclei that are escaped from degradation.
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Key Words
- BAF, barrier-to-autointegration factor
- DAPI, 4′,6‑diamidino‑2‑phenylindole
- DDW, double distilled water
- EDTA, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- ER, endoplasmic reticulum
- GA, glutaraldehyde
- HeH domain
- HeH, helix-extension-helix
- LAP2, lamina associated polypeptide 2
- LEM domain
- LEM, LAP2-Emerin-MAN1
- MAC, macronucleus
- MIC, micronucleus
- MSC domain
- MSC, Man1-Src1p-C-terminal
- Man1
- Man1-Src1p-C-terminal domain
- NE, nuclear envelope
- NLS, nuclear localization signal
- NPC, nuclear pore complex
- Nuclear dimorphism
- Nuclear envelope
- ONM and INM, outer and inner nuclear membranes
- PB, phosphate buffer
- PBS, phosphate buffered saline
- Protist
- RRM, RNA recognition motif
- TM, transmembrane
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Iwamoto
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Fukuda
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Osaki, 989-6711, Japan
| | - Hiroko Osakada
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Chie Mori
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hiraoka
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe 651-2492, Japan.,Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tokuko Haraguchi
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe 651-2492, Japan.,Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
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Ali EI, Loidl J, Howard-Till RA. A streamlined cohesin apparatus is sufficient for mitosis and meiosis in the protist Tetrahymena. Chromosoma 2018; 127:421-435. [PMID: 29948142 PMCID: PMC6208729 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-018-0673-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In order to understand its diverse functions, we have studied cohesin in the evolutionarily distant ciliate model organism Tetrahymena thermophila. In this binucleate cell, the heritable germline genome is maintained separately from the transcriptionally active somatic genome. In a previous study, we showed that a minimal cohesin complex in Tetrahymena consisted of homologs of Smc1, Smc3, and Rec8, which are present only in the germline nucleus, where they are needed for normal chromosome segregation as well as meiotic DNA repair. In this study, we confirm that a putative homolog of Scc3 is a member of this complex. In the absence of Scc3, Smc1 and Rec8 fail to localize to germline nuclei, Rec8 is hypo-phosphorylated, and cells show phenotypes similar to depletion of Smc1 and Rec8. We also identify a homolog of Scc2, which in other organisms is part of a heterodimeric complex (Scc2/Scc4) that helps load cohesin onto chromatin. In Tetrahymena, Scc2 interacts with Rec8 and Scc3, and its absence causes defects in mitotic and meiotic divisions. Scc2 is not required for chromosomal association of cohesin, but Rec8 is hypo-phosphorylated in its absence. Moreover, we did not identify a homolog of the cohesin loader Scc4, and no evidence was found of auxiliary factors, such as Eco1, Pds5, or WAPL. We propose that in Tetrahymena, a single, minimal cohesin complex performs all necessary functions for germline mitosis and meiosis, but is dispensable for transcription regulation and chromatin organization of the somatic genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emine I Ali
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Vienna Biocenter, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Josef Loidl
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Vienna Biocenter, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rachel A Howard-Till
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Vienna Biocenter, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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Iwamoto M, Mori C, Osakada H, Koujin T, Hiraoka Y, Haraguchi T. Nuclear localization signal targeting to macronucleus and micronucleus in binucleated ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. Genes Cells 2018; 23:568-579. [PMID: 29882620 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Ciliated protozoa possess two morphologically and functionally distinct nuclei: a macronucleus (MAC) and a micronucleus (MIC). The MAC is transcriptionally active and functions in all cellular events. The MIC is transcriptionally inactive during cell growth, but functions in meiotic events to produce progeny nuclei. Thus, these two nuclei must be distinguished by the nuclear proteins required for their distinct functions during cellular events such as cell proliferation and meiosis. To understand the mechanism of the nuclear transport specific to either MAC or MIC, we identified specific nuclear localization signals (NLSs) in two MAC- and MIC-specific nuclear proteins, macronuclear histone H1 and micronuclear linker histone-like protein (Mlh1), respectively. By expressing GFP-fused fragments of these proteins in Tetrahymena thermophila cells, two distinct regions in macronuclear histone H1 protein were assigned as independent MAC-specific NLSs and two distinct regions in Mlh1 protein were assigned as independent MIC-specific NLSs. These NLSs contain several essential lysine residues responsible for the MAC- and MIC-specific nuclear transport, but neither contains any consensus sequence with known monopartite or bipartite NLSs in other model organisms. Our findings contribute to understanding how specific nuclear targeting is achieved to perform distinct nuclear functions in binucleated ciliates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Iwamoto
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
| | - Chie Mori
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hiroko Osakada
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takako Koujin
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hiraoka
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan.,Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Tokuko Haraguchi
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe, Japan.,Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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Saettone A, Garg J, Lambert JP, Nabeel-Shah S, Ponce M, Burtch A, Thuppu Mudalige C, Gingras AC, Pearlman RE, Fillingham J. The bromodomain-containing protein Ibd1 links multiple chromatin-related protein complexes to highly expressed genes in Tetrahymena thermophila. Epigenetics Chromatin 2018. [PMID: 29523178 PMCID: PMC5844071 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-018-0180-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The chromatin remodelers of the SWI/SNF family are critical transcriptional regulators. Recognition of lysine acetylation through a bromodomain (BRD) component is key to SWI/SNF function; in most eukaryotes, this function is attributed to SNF2/Brg1. Results Using affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry (AP–MS) we identified members of a SWI/SNF complex (SWI/SNFTt) in Tetrahymena thermophila. SWI/SNFTt is composed of 11 proteins, Snf5Tt, Swi1Tt, Swi3Tt, Snf12Tt, Brg1Tt, two proteins with potential chromatin-interacting domains and four proteins without orthologs to SWI/SNF proteins in yeast or mammals. SWI/SNFTt subunits localize exclusively to the transcriptionally active macronucleus during growth and development, consistent with a role in transcription. While Tetrahymena Brg1 does not contain a BRD, our AP–MS results identified a BRD-containing SWI/SNFTt component, Ibd1 that associates with SWI/SNFTt during growth but not development. AP–MS analysis of epitope-tagged Ibd1 revealed it to be a subunit of several additional protein complexes, including putative SWRTt, and SAGATt complexes as well as a putative H3K4-specific histone methyl transferase complex. Recombinant Ibd1 recognizes acetyl-lysine marks on histones correlated with active transcription. Consistent with our AP–MS and histone array data suggesting a role in regulation of gene expression, ChIP-Seq analysis of Ibd1 indicated that it primarily binds near promoters and within gene bodies of highly expressed genes during growth. Conclusions Our results suggest that through recognizing specific histones marks, Ibd1 targets active chromatin regions of highly expressed genes in Tetrahymena where it subsequently might coordinate the recruitment of several chromatin-remodeling complexes to regulate the transcriptional landscape of vegetatively growing Tetrahymena cells. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13072-018-0180-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Saettone
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Jyoti Garg
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Lambert
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, M5G 1X5, Canada.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Center, CHUL, 2705 Boulevard Laurier, Quebec, G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Syed Nabeel-Shah
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Marcelo Ponce
- SciNet HPC Consortium, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Suite 1140, Toronto, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Alyson Burtch
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Cristina Thuppu Mudalige
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, M5G 1X5, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Ronald E Pearlman
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Fillingham
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada.
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Howard-Till R, Loidl J. Condensins promote chromosome individualization and segregation during mitosis, meiosis, and amitosis in Tetrahymena thermophila. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 29:466-478. [PMID: 29237819 PMCID: PMC6014175 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e17-07-0451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Condensin is a protein complex with diverse functions in chromatin packaging and chromosome condensation and segregation. We studied condensin in the evolutionarily distant protist model Tetrahymena, which features noncanonical nuclear organization and divisions. In Tetrahymena, the germline and soma are partitioned into two different nuclei within a single cell. Consistent with their functional specializations in sexual reproduction and gene expression, condensins of the germline nucleus and the polyploid somatic nucleus are composed of different subunits. Mitosis and meiosis of the germline nucleus and amitotic division of the somatic nucleus are all dependent on condensins. In condensin-depleted cells, a chromosome condensation defect was most striking at meiotic metaphase, when Tetrahymena chromosomes are normally most densely packaged. Live imaging of meiotic divisions in condensin-depleted cells showed repeated nuclear stretching and contraction as the chromosomes failed to separate. Condensin depletion also fundamentally altered chromosome arrangement in the polyploid somatic nucleus: multiple copies of homologous chromosomes tended to cluster, consistent with a previous model of condensin suppressing default somatic pairing. We propose that failure to form discrete chromosome territories is the common cause of the defects observed in the absence of condensins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Howard-Till
- Department of Chromosome Biology, University of Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Josef Loidl
- Department of Chromosome Biology, University of Vienna, 1190 Vienna, Austria
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21
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Feng L, Wang G, Hamilton EP, Xiong J, Yan G, Chen K, Chen X, Dui W, Plemens A, Khadr L, Dhanekula A, Juma M, Dang HQ, Kapler GM, Orias E, Miao W, Liu Y. A germline-limited piggyBac transposase gene is required for precise excision in Tetrahymena genome rearrangement. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:9481-9502. [PMID: 28934495 PMCID: PMC5766162 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmentally programmed genome rearrangement accompanies differentiation of the silent germline micronucleus into the transcriptionally active somatic macronucleus in the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila. Internal eliminated sequences (IES) are excised, followed by rejoining of MAC-destined sequences, while fragmentation occurs at conserved chromosome breakage sequences, generating macronuclear chromosomes. Some macronuclear chromosomes, referred to as non-maintained chromosomes (NMC), are lost soon after differentiation. Large NMC contain genes implicated in development-specific roles. One such gene encodes the domesticated piggyBac transposase TPB6, required for heterochromatin-dependent precise excision of IES residing within exons of functionally important genes. These conserved exonic IES determine alternative transcription products in the developing macronucleus; some even contain free-standing genes. Examples of precise loss of some exonic IES in the micronucleus and retention of others in the macronucleus of related species suggest an evolutionary analogy to introns. Our results reveal that germline-limited sequences can encode genes with specific expression patterns and development-related functions, which may be a recurring theme in eukaryotic organisms experiencing programmed genome rearrangement during germline to soma differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifang Feng
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.,School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Guangying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Eileen P Hamilton
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Jie Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Guanxiong Yan
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Wen Dui
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Amber Plemens
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lara Khadr
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Arjune Dhanekula
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mina Juma
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hung Quang Dang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Geoffrey M Kapler
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Eduardo Orias
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Wei Miao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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22
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Tsypin LM, Turkewitz AP. The Co-regulation Data Harvester: automating gene annotation starting from a transcriptome database. SOFTWAREX 2017; 6:165-171. [PMID: 29104906 PMCID: PMC5663188 DOI: 10.1016/j.softx.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Identifying co-regulated genes provides a useful approach for defining pathway-specific machinery in an organism. To be efficient, this approach relies on thorough genome annotation, a process much slower than genome sequencing per se. Tetrahymena thermophila, a unicellular eukaryote, has been a useful model organism and has a fully sequenced but sparsely annotated genome. One important resource for studying this organism has been an online transcriptomic database. We have developed an automated approach to gene annotation in the context of transcriptome data in T. thermophila, called the Co-regulation Data Harvester (CDH). Beginning with a gene of interest, the CDH identifies co-regulated genes by accessing the Tetrahymena transcriptome database. It then identifies their closely related genes (orthologs) in other organisms by using reciprocal BLAST searches. Finally, it collates the annotations of those orthologs' functions, which provides the user with information to help predict the cellular role of the initial query. The CDH, which is freely available, represents a powerful new tool for analyzing cell biological pathways in Tetrahymena. Moreover, to the extent that genes and pathways are conserved between organisms, the inferences obtained via the CDH should be relevant, and can be explored, in many other systems.
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23
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Iwamoto M, Osakada H, Mori C, Fukuda Y, Nagao K, Obuse C, Hiraoka Y, Haraguchi T. Compositionally distinct nuclear pore complexes of functionally distinct dimorphic nuclei in the ciliate Tetrahymena. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:1822-1834. [PMID: 28386019 PMCID: PMC5450191 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.199398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear pore complex (NPC), a gateway for nucleocytoplasmic trafficking, is composed of ∼30 different proteins called nucleoporins. It remains unknown whether the NPCs within a species are homogeneous or vary depending on the cell type or physiological condition. Here, we present evidence for compositionally distinct NPCs that form within a single cell in a binucleated ciliate. In Tetrahymena thermophila, each cell contains both a transcriptionally active macronucleus (MAC) and a germline micronucleus (MIC). By combining in silico analysis, mass spectrometry analysis for immuno-isolated proteins and subcellular localization analysis of GFP-fused proteins, we identified numerous novel components of MAC and MIC NPCs. Core members of the Nup107-Nup160 scaffold complex were enriched in MIC NPCs. Strikingly, two paralogs of Nup214 and of Nup153 localized exclusively to either the MAC or MIC NPCs. Furthermore, the transmembrane components Pom121 and Pom82 localize exclusively to MAC and MIC NPCs, respectively. Our results argue that functional nuclear dimorphism in ciliates is likely to depend on the compositional and structural specificity of NPCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Iwamoto
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Hiroko Osakada
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Chie Mori
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Fukuda
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Tohoku University, Osaki, Miyagi 989-6711, Japan
| | - Koji Nagao
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Chikashi Obuse
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hiraoka
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan.,Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan.,Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Tokuko Haraguchi
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan .,Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan.,Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka 560-0043, Japan
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24
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Xiong J, Gao S, Dui W, Yang W, Chen X, Taverna SD, Pearlman RE, Ashlock W, Miao W, Liu Y. Dissecting relative contributions of cis- and trans-determinants to nucleosome distribution by comparing Tetrahymena macronuclear and micronuclear chromatin. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:10091-10105. [PMID: 27488188 PMCID: PMC5137421 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The ciliate protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila contains two types of structurally and functionally differentiated nuclei: the transcriptionally active somatic macronucleus (MAC) and the transcriptionally silent germ-line micronucleus (MIC). Here, we demonstrate that MAC features well-positioned nucleosomes downstream of transcription start sites and flanking splice sites. Transcription-associated trans-determinants promote nucleosome positioning in MAC. By contrast, nucleosomes in MIC are dramatically delocalized. Nucleosome occupancy in MAC and MIC are nonetheless highly correlated with each other, as well as with in vitro reconstitution and predictions based upon DNA sequence features, revealing unexpectedly strong contributions from cis-determinants. In particular, well-positioned nucleosomes are often matched with GC content oscillations. As many nucleosomes are coordinately accommodated by both cis- and trans-determinants, we propose that their distribution is shaped by the impact of these nucleosomes on the mutational and transcriptional landscape, and driven by evolutionary selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xiong
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China,These authors contributed equally to this work as first authors
| | - Shan Gao
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266003, China,These authors contributed equally to this work as first authors
| | - Wen Dui
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Wentao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Sean D. Taverna
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and The Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ronald E. Pearlman
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Wendy Ashlock
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Wei Miao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China,Correspondence may also be addressed to Wei Miao.
| | - Yifan Liu
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 734 6154239;
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25
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Chen X, Gao S, Liu Y, Wang Y, Wang Y, Song W. Enzymatic and chemical mapping of nucleosome distribution in purified micro- and macronuclei of the ciliated model organism, Tetrahymena thermophila. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2016; 59:909-19. [DOI: 10.1007/s11427-016-5102-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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26
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Kobayashi S, Iwamoto M, Haraguchi T. Live correlative light-electron microscopy to observe molecular dynamics in high resolution. Microscopy (Oxf) 2016; 65:296-308. [DOI: 10.1093/jmicro/dfw024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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27
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Iwamoto M, Hiraoka Y, Haraguchi T. Uniquely designed nuclear structures of lower eukaryotes. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2016; 40:66-73. [PMID: 26963276 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2016.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The nuclear structures of lower eukaryotes, specifically protists, often vary from those of yeasts and metazoans. Several studies have demonstrated the unique and fascinating features of these nuclear structures, such as a histone-independent condensed chromatin in dinoflagellates and two structurally distinct nuclear pore complexes in ciliates. Despite their unique molecular/structural features, functions required for formation of their cognate molecules/structures are highly conserved. This provides important information about the structure-function relationship of the nuclear structures. In this review, we highlight characteristic nuclear structures found in lower eukaryotes, and discuss their attractiveness as potential biological systems for studying nuclear structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Iwamoto
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hiraoka
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Tokuko Haraguchi
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan.
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28
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Abstract
The intra-S phase checkpoint kinase of metazoa and yeast, ATR/MEC1, protects chromosomes from DNA damage and replication stress by phosphorylating subunits of the replicative helicase, MCM2-7. Here we describe an unprecedented ATR-dependent pathway in Tetrahymena thermophila in which the essential pre-replicative complex proteins, Orc1p, Orc2p and Mcm6p are degraded in hydroxyurea-treated S phase cells. Chromosomes undergo global changes during HU-arrest, including phosphorylation of histone H2A.X, deacetylation of histone H3, and an apparent diminution in DNA content that can be blocked by the deacetylase inhibitor sodium butyrate. Most remarkably, the cell cycle rapidly resumes upon hydroxyurea removal, and the entire genome is replicated prior to replenishment of ORC and MCMs. While stalled replication forks are elongated under these conditions, DNA fiber imaging revealed that most replicating molecules are produced by new initiation events. Furthermore, the sole origin in the ribosomal DNA minichromosome is inactive and replication appears to initiate near the rRNA promoter. The collective data raise the possibility that replication initiation occurs by an ORC-independent mechanism during the recovery from HU-induced replication stress. DNA damage and replication stress activate cell cycle checkpoint responses that protect the integrity of eukaryotic chromosomes. A well-conserved response involves the reversible phosphorylation of the replicative helicase, MCM2-7, which together with the origin recognition complex (ORC) dictates when and where replication initiates in chromosomes. The central role of ORC and MCMs in DNA replication is illustrated by the fact that small changes in abundance of these pre-replicative complex (pre-RC) components are poorly tolerated from yeast to humans. Here we describe an unprecedented replication stress checkpoint response in the early branching eukaryote, Tetrahymena thermophila, that is triggered by the depletion of dNTP pools with hydroxyurea (HU). Instead of transiently phosphorylating MCM subunits, ORC and MCM proteins are physically degraded in HU-treated Tetrahymena. Unexpectedly, upon HU removal the genome is completely and effortlessly replicated prior to replenishment of ORC and MCM components. Using DNA fiber imaging and 2D gel electrophoresis, we show that ORC-dependent mechanisms are bypassed during the recovery phase to produce bidirectional replication forks throughout the genome. Our findings suggest that Tetrahymena enlists an alternative mechanism for replication initiation, and that the underlying process can operate on a genome-wide scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Y. Sandoval
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Po-Hsuen Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xiangzhou Meng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey M. Kapler
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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29
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Iwamoto M, Koujin T, Osakada H, Mori C, Kojidani T, Matsuda A, Asakawa H, Hiraoka Y, Haraguchi T. Biased assembly of the nuclear pore complex is required for somatic and germline nuclear differentiation in Tetrahymena. J Cell Sci 2015; 128:1812-23. [PMID: 25788697 PMCID: PMC4432229 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.167353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ciliates have two functionally distinct nuclei, a somatic macronucleus (MAC) and a germline micronucleus (MIC) that develop from daughter nuclei of the last postzygotic division (PZD) during the sexual process of conjugation. Understanding this nuclear dimorphism is a central issue in ciliate biology. We show, by live-cell imaging of Tetrahymena, that biased assembly of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) occurs immediately after the last PZD, which generates anterior-posterior polarized nuclei: MAC-specific NPCs assemble in anterior presumptive MACs but not in posterior presumptive MICs. MAC-specific NPC assembly in the anterior nuclei occurs much earlier than transport of Twi1p, which is required for MAC genome rearrangement. Correlative light-electron microscopy shows that addition of new nuclear envelope (NE) precursors occurs through the formation of domains of redundant NE, where the outer double membrane contains the newly assembled NPCs. Nocodazole inhibition of the second PZD results in assembly of MAC-specific NPCs in the division-failed zygotic nuclei, leading to failure of MIC differentiation. Our findings demonstrate that NPC type switching has a crucial role in the establishment of nuclear differentiation in ciliates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Iwamoto
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Takako Koujin
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Hiroko Osakada
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Chie Mori
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kojidani
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan Japan Women's University, Tokyo 112-8681, Japan
| | - Atsushi Matsuda
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Asakawa
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hiraoka
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Tokuko Haraguchi
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe 651-2492, Japan Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka 560-0043, Japan
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30
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Lee PH, Meng X, Kapler GM. Developmental regulation of the Tetrahymena thermophila origin recognition complex. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1004875. [PMID: 25569357 PMCID: PMC4287346 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Tetrahymena thermophila DNA replication machinery faces unique demands due to the compartmentalization of two functionally distinct nuclei within a single cytoplasm, and complex developmental program. Here we present evidence for programmed changes in ORC and MCM abundance that are not consistent with conventional models for DNA replication. As a starting point, we show that ORC dosage is critical during the vegetative cell cycle and development. A moderate reduction in Orc1p induces genome instability in the diploid micronucleus, aberrant division of the polyploid macronucleus, and failure to generate a robust intra-S phase checkpoint response. In contrast to yeast ORC2 mutants, replication initiation is unaffected; instead, replication forks elongation is perturbed, as Mcm6p levels decline in parallel with Orc1p. Experimentally induced down-regulation of ORC and MCMs also impairs endoreplication and gene amplification, consistent with essential roles during development. Unexpectedly Orc1p and Mcm6p levels fluctuate dramatically in developing wild type conjugants, increasing for early cycles of conventional micronuclear DNA replication and macronuclear anlagen replication (endoreplication phase I, rDNA gene amplification). This increase does not reflect the DNA replication load, as much less DNA is synthesized during this developmental window compared to vegetative S phase. Furthermore, although Orc1p levels transiently increase prior to endoreplication phase II, Orc1p and Mcm6p levels decline when the replication load increases and unconventional DNA replication intermediates are produced. We propose that replication initiation is re-programmed to meet different requirements or challenges during the successive stages of Tetrahymena development. The Origin Recognition Complex is required for site-specific replication initiation in eukaryotic chromosomes. Null mutations are lethal in yeast and metazoa, and hypomorphs induce genome instability, a hallmark of cancer. We exploited the unique biology of Tetrahymena to explore ORC's role in conventional and alternative replication programs. Modest experimental down-regulation of ORC1 induces genome instability in vegetative growing Tetrahymena, and diminishes the capacity to support developmentally regulated endoreplication and gene amplification, consistent with essential roles in all of these processes. ORC mutants fail to activate the ATR checkpoint response, and are compromised in their ability to elongate existing replication forks. Remarkably, ORC and MCM levels fluctuate in unexpected ways during wild type development. Most notably, programmed changes in ORC abundance do not reflect the impending DNA replication load. Relative to the vegetative cell cycle, ORC and MCM levels increase dramatically and are highest early in development, when the replication load is lowest. Conversely, ORC levels are lowest during genome-wide macronuclear endoreplication, when the replication load increases. Endocycling cells generate unconventional replication intermediates that distinguish them from vegetative ORC1 knockdown mutants. The collective data suggest that the dependence on ORC may be relaxed during late stages of macronuclear development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Hsuen Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xiangzhou Meng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Geoffrey M. Kapler
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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31
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Shodhan A, Lukaszewicz A, Novatchkova M, Loidl J. Msh4 and Msh5 function in SC-independent chiasma formation during the streamlined meiosis of Tetrahymena. Genetics 2014; 198:983-93. [PMID: 25217051 PMCID: PMC4224184 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.114.169698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
ZMM proteins have been defined in budding yeast as factors that are collectively involved in the formation of interfering crossovers (COs) and synaptonemal complexes (SCs), and they are a hallmark of the predominant meiotic recombination pathway of most organisms. In addition to this so-called class I CO pathway, a minority of crossovers are formed by a class II pathway, which involves the Mus81-Mms4 endonuclease complex. This is the only CO pathway in the SC-less meiosis of the fission yeast. ZMM proteins (including SC components) were always found to be co-occurring and hence have been regarded as functionally linked. Like the fission yeast, the protist Tetrahymena thermophila does not possess a SC, and its COs are dependent on Mus81-Mms4. Here we show that the ZMM proteins Msh4 and Msh5 are required for normal chiasma formation, and we propose that they have a pro-CO function outside a canonical class I pathway in Tetrahymena. Thus, the two-pathway model is not tenable as a general rule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anura Shodhan
- Department of Chromosome Biology and Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Center for Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Agnieszka Lukaszewicz
- Department of Chromosome Biology and Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Center for Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria Novatchkova
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, A-130 Vienna, Austria IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Josef Loidl
- Department of Chromosome Biology and Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Center for Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
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32
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Tetrahymena Pot2 is a developmentally regulated paralog of Pot1 that localizes to chromosome breakage sites but not to telomeres. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2014; 13:1519-29. [PMID: 25303953 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00204-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Tetrahymena telomeres are protected by a protein complex composed of Pot1, Tpt1, Pat1, and Pat2. Pot1 binds the 3' overhang and serves multiple roles in telomere maintenance. Here we describe Pot2, a paralog of Pot1 which has evolved a novel function during Tetrahymena sexual reproduction. Pot2 is unnecessary for telomere maintenance during vegetative growth, as the telomere structure is unaffected by POT2 macronuclear gene disruption. Pot2 is expressed only in mated cells, where it accumulates in developing macronuclei around the time of two chromosome processing events: internal eliminated sequence (IES) excision and chromosome breakage. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) demonstrated Pot2 localization to regions of chromosome breakage but not to telomeres or IESs. Pot2 association with chromosome breakage sites (CBSs) occurs slightly before chromosome breakage. Pot2 did not bind CBSs or telomeric DNA in vitro, suggesting that it is recruited to CBSs by another factor. The telomere proteins Pot1, Pat1, and Tpt1 and the IES binding factor Pdd1 fail to colocalize with Pot2. Thus, Pot2 is the first protein found to associate specifically with CBSs. The selective association of Pot2 versus Pdd1 with CBSs or IESs indicates a mechanistic difference between the chromosome processing events at these two sites. Moreover, ChIP revealed that histone marks characteristic of IES processing, H3K9me3 and H3K27me3, are absent from CBSs. Thus, the mechanisms of chromosome breakage and IES excision must be fundamentally different. Our results lead to a model where Pot2 directs chromosome breakage by recruiting telomerase and/or the endonuclease responsible for DNA cleavage to CBSs.
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33
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Doerder FP. Abandoning sex: multiple origins of asexuality in the ciliate Tetrahymena. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:112. [PMID: 24885485 PMCID: PMC4045964 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND By segregating somatic and germinal functions into large, compound macronuclei and small diploid micronuclei, respectively, ciliates can explore sexuality in ways other eukaryotes cannot. Sex, for instance, is not for reproduction but for nuclear replacement in the two cells temporarily joined in conjugation. With equal contributions from both conjugants, there is no cost of sex which theory predicts should favor asexuality. Yet ciliate asexuality is rare. The exceptional Tetrahymena has abandoned sex through loss of the micronucleus; its amicronucleates are abundant in nature where they reproduce by binary fission but never form conjugating pairs. A possible reason for their abundance is that the Tetrahymena macronucleus does not accumulate mutations as proposed by Muller's ratchet. As such, Tetrahymena amicronucleates have the potential to be very old. This study used cytochrome oxidase-1 barcodes to determine the phylogenetic origin and relative age of amicronucleates isolated from nature. RESULTS Amicronucleates constituted 25% of Tetrahymena-like wild isolates. Of the 244 amicronucleates examined for cox1 barcodes, 237 belonged to Tetrahymena, seven to other genera. Sixty percent originated from 12 named species or barcoded strains, including the model Tetrahymena thermophila, while the remaining 40% represent 19 putative new species, eight of which have micronucleate counterparts and 11 of which are known only as amicronucleates. In some instances, cox1 haplotypes were shared among micronucleate and amicronucleates collected from the same source. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most amicronucleates belong to the "borealis" clade in which mating type is determined by gene rearrangement. Some amicronucleate species were clustered on the SSU phylogenetic tree and had longer branch lengths, indicating more ancient origin. CONCLUSIONS Naturally occurring Tetrahymena amicronucleates have multiple origins, arising from numerous species. Likely many more new species remain to be discovered. Shared haplotypes indicate that some are of contemporary origin, while phylogeny indicates that others may be millions of years old. The apparent success of amicronucleate Tetrahymena may be because macronuclear assortment and recombination allow them to avoid Muller's ratchet, incorporate beneficial mutations, and evolve independently of sex. The inability of amicronucleates to mate may be the result of error(s) in mating type gene rearrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Paul Doerder
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA.
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Chen PF, Singhal S, Bushyhead D, Broder-Fingert S, Wolfe J. Colchicine-induced degeneration of the micronucleus during conjugation in Tetrahymena. Biol Open 2014; 3:353-61. [PMID: 24728958 PMCID: PMC4021357 DOI: 10.1242/bio.20147708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most dramatic examples of nuclear morphogenesis occurs during conjugation in Tetrahymena when the micronucleus elongates to a size longer than the cell itself. After contraction to a spherical shape, the nucleus moves directly to chromosome separation in the first meiotic division. Here we investigate the consequences of interrupting the elongation process. Colchicine, a microtubule inhibitor, caused retraction of elongated structures. With time, cells began to lose their micronuclei, and by five hours more than half of the paired cells had at least one cell missing a micronucleus. After reversing the colchicine block, existing micronuclei did not undergo elongation again, nor did meiosis occur. These observations indicate that micronuclear elongation is critical to subsequent meiotic division. Further, nuclear elimination occurs, which could be due to meiotic failure or possibly a problem downstream from meiosis. An analysis of the process of colchicine-induced micronuclear degeneration indicated that it was regulated by a caspase-dependent mechanism, characteristic of apoptosis, and then resorbed by a lysosome-dependent autophagic mechanism. Amicronucleate cells failed to grow when returned to nutrient medium, likely because of a lesion in the post-conjugation reconstruction of a functioning oral apparatus. The ease by which a large number of nuclei are induced to "self-destruct" may make this system useful in investigating the link between colchicine treatment and nuclear death in Tetrahymena, and in investigating how nuclear death could be regulated in living cells more generally. Finally, we note that this phenomenon might relate to the evolution of amicronucleate species of Tetrahymena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pin-Fang Chen
- Present address: Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Sita Singhal
- Present address: Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Daniel Bushyhead
- Present address: School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sarabeth Broder-Fingert
- Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jason Wolfe
- Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA Present address: Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA. Present address: Internal Medicine Residency Program, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA. Present address: School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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Iwamoto M, Asakawa H, Ohtsuki C, Osakada H, Koujin T, Hiraoka Y, Haraguchi T. Monoclonal antibodies recognize gly-leu-phe-gly repeat of nucleoporin nup98 of tetrahymena, yeasts, and humans. Monoclon Antib Immunodiagn Immunother 2013; 32:81-90. [PMID: 23607342 DOI: 10.1089/mab.2012.0118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleoporin Nup98, an essential component of the nuclear pore complex, has multifunctional roles in nuclear functions including transcriptional regulation and nucleocytoplasmic transport. These functions mostly depend on a Gly-Leu-Phe-Gly (GLFG) sequence appearing repetitively in the N-terminal region of Nup98. As the GLFG sequence is well conserved among Nup98s from a wide variety of species including humans, yeasts, and ciliates such as Tetrahymena thermophila, a specific antibody that recognizes the GLFG sequence is expected to detect various Nup98s from a wide-range of species. To generate monoclonal antibodies specific to the GLFG repeat of Nup98, we used two synthetic polypeptides derived from the macronuclear Nup98 of T. thermophila as an antigen. We obtained two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), 13C2 and 21A10, that recognize Nup98s in indirect immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis of T. thermophila. Peptide array analysis of these monoclonal antibodies located the position of their epitopes at or near GLFG residues: the epitope recognized by the 13C2 MAb is FGxxN (x being any amino acid), and the epitope recognized by the 21A10 MAb is GLF. As expected by their epitopes, these monoclonal antibodies also recognize Nup98 homologs expressed by human cells and the yeasts Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, indicating that 13C2 and 21A10 MAbs recognize Nup98 epitopes common to phylogenetically distinct organisms. Thus, these MAbs are useful in studying a wide variety of biological phenomena that involve Nup98, ranging from ciliate nuclear dimorphism to NUP98-related human leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Iwamoto
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Kobe, Japan
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Lukaszewicz A, Howard-Till RA, Loidl J. Mus81 nuclease and Sgs1 helicase are essential for meiotic recombination in a protist lacking a synaptonemal complex. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:9296-309. [PMID: 23935123 PMCID: PMC3814389 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Revised: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mus81 resolvase and Sgs1 helicase have well-established roles in mitotic DNA repair. Moreover, Mus81 is part of a minor crossover (CO) pathway in the meiosis of budding yeast, plants and vertebrates. The major pathway depends on meiosis-specific synaptonemal complex (SC) formation, ZMM proteins and the MutLγ complex for CO-directed resolution of joint molecule (JM)-recombination intermediates. Sgs1 has also been implicated in this pathway, although it may mainly promote the non-CO outcome of meiotic repair. We show in Tetrahymena, that homologous chromosomes fail to separate and JMs accumulate in the absence of Mus81 or Sgs1, whereas deletion of the MutLγ-component Mlh1 does not affect meiotic divisions. Thus, our results are consistent with Mus81 being part of an essential, if not the predominant, CO pathway in Tetrahymena. Sgs1 may exert functions similar to those in other eukaryotes. However, we propose an additional role in supporting homologous CO formation by promoting homologous over intersister interactions. Tetrahymena shares the predominance of the Mus81 CO pathway with the fission yeast. We propose that in these two organisms, which independently lost the SC during evolution, the basal set of mitotic repair proteins is sufficient for executing meiotic recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Josef Loidl
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Center for Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
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Garg J, Lambert JP, Karsou A, Marquez S, Nabeel-Shah S, Bertucci V, Retnasothie DV, Radovani E, Pawson T, Gingras AC, Pearlman RE, Fillingham JS. Conserved Asf1-importin β physical interaction in growth and sexual development in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. J Proteomics 2013; 94:311-26. [PMID: 24120531 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2013.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Revised: 09/07/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED How the eukaryotic cell specifies distinct chromatin domains is a central problem in molecular biology. The ciliate protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila features a separation of structurally and functionally distinct germ-line and somatic chromatin into two distinct nuclei, the micronucleus (MIC) and macronucleus (MAC) respectively. To address questions about how distinct chromatin states are assembled in the MAC and MIC, we have initiated studies to define protein-protein interactions for T. thermophila chromatin-related proteins. Affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry analysis of the conserved Asf1 histone chaperone in T. thermophila revealed that it forms a complex with an importin β, ImpB6. Furthermore, these proteins co-localized to both the MAC and MIC in growth and development. We suggest that newly synthesized histones H3 and H4 in T. thermophila are transported via Asf1-ImpB6 in an evolutionarily conserved pathway to both nuclei where they then enter nucleus-specific chromatin assembly pathways. These studies set the stage for further use of functional proteomics to elucidate details of the characterization and functional analysis of the unique chromatin domains in T. thermophila. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE Asf1 is an evolutionarily conserved chaperone of H3 and H4 histones that functions in replication dependent and independent chromatin assembly. Although Asf1 has been well studied in humans and yeast (members of the Opisthokonta lineage of eukaryotes), questions remain concerning its mechanism of function. To obtain additional insight into the Asf1 function we have initiated a proteomic analysis in the ciliate protozoan T. thermophila, a member of the Alveolata lineage of eukaryotes. Our results suggest that an evolutionarily conserved function of Asf1 is mediating the nuclear transport of newly synthesized histones H3 and H4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Garg
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto M3J 1P3, Canada
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Gao S, Xiong J, Zhang C, Berquist BR, Yang R, Zhao M, Molascon AJ, Kwiatkowski SY, Yuan D, Qin Z, Wen J, Kapler GM, Andrews PC, Miao W, Liu Y. Impaired replication elongation in Tetrahymena mutants deficient in histone H3 Lys 27 monomethylation. Genes Dev 2013; 27:1662-79. [PMID: 23884606 DOI: 10.1101/gad.218966.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Replication of nuclear DNA occurs in the context of chromatin and is influenced by histone modifications. In the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, we identified TXR1, encoding a histone methyltransferase. TXR1 deletion resulted in severe DNA replication stress, manifested by the accumulation of ssDNA, production of aberrant replication intermediates, and activation of robust DNA damage responses. Paired-end Illumina sequencing of ssDNA revealed intergenic regions, including replication origins, as hot spots for replication stress in ΔTXR1 cells. ΔTXR1 cells showed a deficiency in histone H3 Lys 27 monomethylation (H3K27me1), while ΔEZL2 cells, deleting a Drosophila E(z) homolog, were deficient in H3K27 di- and trimethylation, with no detectable replication stress. A point mutation in histone H3 at Lys 27 (H3 K27Q) mirrored the phenotype of ΔTXR1, corroborating H3K27me1 as a key player in DNA replication. Additionally, we demonstrated interactions between TXR1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). These findings support a conserved pathway through which H3K27me1 facilitates replication elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Gao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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Cervantes MD, Hamilton EP, Xiong J, Lawson MJ, Yuan D, Hadjithomas M, Miao W, Orias E. Selecting one of several mating types through gene segment joining and deletion in Tetrahymena thermophila. PLoS Biol 2013; 11:e1001518. [PMID: 23555191 PMCID: PMC3608545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In Tetrahymena, a multi-sexed single-celled organism, the sex of the progeny is randomly determined by site-specific recombination events that assemble one complete gene pair and delete all others. The unicellular eukaryote Tetrahymena thermophila has seven mating types. Cells can mate only when they recognize cells of a different mating type as non-self. As a ciliate, Tetrahymena separates its germline and soma into two nuclei. During growth the somatic nucleus is responsible for all gene transcription while the germline nucleus remains silent. During mating, a new somatic nucleus is differentiated from a germline nucleus and mating type is decided by a stochastic process. We report here that the somatic mating type locus contains a pair of genes arranged head-to-head. Each gene encodes a mating type-specific segment and a transmembrane domain that is shared by all mating types. Somatic gene knockouts showed both genes are required for efficient non-self recognition and successful mating, as assessed by pair formation and progeny production. The germline mating type locus consists of a tandem array of incomplete gene pairs representing each potential mating type. During mating, a complete new gene pair is assembled at the somatic mating type locus; the incomplete genes of one gene pair are completed by joining to gene segments at each end of germline array. All other germline gene pairs are deleted in the process. These programmed DNA rearrangements make this a fascinating system of mating type determination. Tetrahymena thermophila is a single-celled organism with seven sexes. After two cells of different sexes mate, the progeny cells can be of any one of the seven sexes. In this article we show how this sex decision is made. Every cell has two genomes, each contained within a separate nucleus. The germline genome is analogous to that in our ovaries or testes, containing all the genetic information for the sexual progeny; the somatic or working genome controls the operation of the cell (including its sex). We show that the germline genome contains a tandem array of similarly organized but incomplete gene pairs, one for each sex. Sex is chosen after fertilization when a new somatic genome is generated by rearrangement of a copy of the germline genome. One complete sex gene pair is assembled when the cell joins DNA segments at opposite ends of the array to each end of one incomplete gene pair; this gene pair is thus completed and becomes fully functional, while the remaining sex gene pairs are excised and lost. The process involves programmed, site-specific genome rearrangements, and the physically independent rearrangements that occur at opposite ends of the selected gene pair happen with high reliability and precision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella D. Cervantes
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Eileen P. Hamilton
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Jie Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Michael J. Lawson
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Dongxia Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Wei Miao
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- * E-mail: (WM); (EO)
| | - Eduardo Orias
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (WM); (EO)
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Abstract
There is growing evidence to support the notion that small RNAs derived from noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are mobile carriers of epigenetic information in diverse eukaryotic systems. However, challenges remain in defining what messages are being sent and how. In the August 1, 2012, issue of Genes & Development, Schoeberl and colleagues (pp. 1729-1742) reported a detailed analysis of the turnover of small RNAs during the sexual reproduction of the ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena. The results revealed surprisingly complicated roles played by small RNAs in shaping the communication between the germline and the soma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Gao
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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