An unexpected link between the secretory path and the organization of the nucleus

Nuclear envelope expansion in budding yeast is independent of cell growth and does not determine nuclear volume

Most cells exhibit a constant ratio between nuclear and cell volume. The mechanism dictating this constant ratio and the nuclear component(s) that scale with cell size are not known. To address this, we examined the consequences to the size and shape of the budding yeast nucleus when cell expansion is inhibited by down-regulating components of the secretory pathway. We find that under conditions where cell size increase is restrained, the nucleus becomes bilobed, with the bulk of the DNA in one lobe and the nucleolus in the other. The formation of bilobed nuclei is dependent on fatty acid and phospholipid synthesis, suggesting that it is associated with nuclear membrane expansion. Bilobed nuclei appeared predominantly after spindle pole body separation, suggesting that nuclear envelope expansion follows cell-cycle cues rather than cell size. Importantly, cells with bilobed nuclei had the same nuclear:cell volume ratio as cells with round nuclei. Therefore, the bilobed nucleus could be a consequence of continued NE expansion as cells traverse the cell cycle without an accompanying increase in nuclear volume due to the inhibition of cell growth. Our data suggest that nuclear volume is not determined by nuclear envelope availability but by one or more nucleoplasmic factors.

Post-Golgi Sec proteins are required for autophagy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In eukaryotic cells, autophagy mediates the degradation of cytosolic contents in response to environmental change. Genetic analyses in fungi have identified over 30 autophagy-related (ATG) genes and provide substantial insight into the molecular mechanism of this process. However, one essential issue that has not been resolved is the origin of the lipids that form the autophagosome, the sequestering vesicle that is critical for autophagy. Here, we report that two post-Golgi proteins, Sec2 and Sec4, are required for autophagy. Sec4 is a Rab family GTPase, and Sec2 is its guanine nucleotide exchange factor. In sec2 and sec4 conditional mutant yeast, the anterograde movement of Atg9, a proposed membrane carrier, is impaired during starvation conditions. Similarly, in the sec2 mutant, Atg8 is inefficiently recruited to the phagophore assembly site, which is involved in autophagosome biogenesis, resulting in the generation of fewer autophagosomes. We propose that following autophagy induction the function of Sec2 and Sec4 are diverted to direct membrane flow to autophagosome formation.

Members of the RSC chromatin-remodeling complex are required for maintaining proper nuclear envelope structure and pore complex localization

Genome-wide screening approaches were employed to identify factors required for nuclear pore complex structure and distribution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Roles were found for multiple components of the RSC complex, revealing a functional connection between proper chromatin remodeling and nuclear envelope/nuclear pore complex structure.

The assembly, distribution, and functional integrity of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in the nuclear envelope (NE) are key determinants in the nuclear periphery architecture. However, the mechanisms controlling proper NPC and NE structure are not fully defined. We used two different genetic screening approaches to identify Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with defects in NPC localization. The first approach examined green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Nic96 in 531 strains from the yeast Tet-promoters Hughes Collection with individual essential genes expressed from a doxycycline-regulated promoter (TetO₇-orf). Under repressive conditions, depletion of the protein encoded by 44 TetO₇-orf strains resulted in mislocalized GFP-Nic96. These included STH1, RSC4, RSC8, RSC9, RSC58, ARP7, and ARP9, each encoding components of the RSC chromatin remodeling complex. Second, a temperature-sensitive sth1-F793S (npa18-1) mutant was identified in an independent genetic screen for NPC assembly (npa) mutants. NPC mislocalization in the RSC mutants required new protein synthesis and ongoing transcription, confirming that lack of global transcription did not underlie the phenotypes. Electron microscopy studies showed significantly altered NEs and nuclear morphology, with coincident cytoplasmic membrane sheet accumulation. Strikingly, increasing membrane fluidity with benzyl alcohol treatment prevented the sth1-F793S NE structural defects and NPC mislocalization. We speculate that NE structure is functionally linked to proper chromatin architecture.

Disrupting vesicular trafficking at the endosome attenuates transcriptional activation by Gcn4

The late endosome (MVB) plays a key role in coordinating vesicular transport of proteins between the Golgi complex, vacuole/lysosome, and plasma membrane. We found that deleting multiple genes involved in vesicle fusion at the MVB (class C/D vps mutations) impairs transcriptional activation by Gcn4, a global regulator of amino acid biosynthetic genes, by decreasing the ability of chromatin-bound Gcn4 to stimulate preinitiation complex assembly at the promoter. The functions of hybrid activators with Gal4 or VP16 activation domains are diminished in class D mutants as well, suggesting a broader defect in activation. Class E vps mutations, which impair protein sorting at the MVB, also decrease activation by Gcn4, provided they elicit rapid proteolysis of MVB cargo proteins in the aberrant late endosome. By contrast, specifically impairing endocytic trafficking from the plasma membrane, or vesicular transport to the vacuole, has a smaller effect on Gcn4 function. Thus, it appears that decreasing cargo proteins in the MVB through impaired delivery or enhanced degradation, and not merely the failure to transport cargo properly to the vacuole or downregulate plasma membrane proteins by endocytosis, is required to attenuate substantially transcriptional activation by Gcn4.

Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of the Golgi phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase Pik1 is regulated by 14-3-3 proteins and coordinates Golgi function with cell growth

The yeast phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase Pik1p is essential for proliferation, and it controls Golgi homeostasis and transport of newly synthesized proteins from this compartment. At the Golgi, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate recruits multiple cytosolic effectors involved in formation of post-Golgi transport vesicles. A second pool of catalytically active Pik1p localizes to the nucleus. The physiological significance and regulation of this dual localization of the lipid kinase remains unknown. Here, we show that Pik1p binds to the redundant 14-3-3 proteins Bmh1p and Bmh2p. We provide evidence that nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Pik1p involves phosphorylation and that 14-3-3 proteins bind Pik1p in the cytoplasm. Nutrient deprivation results in relocation of Pik1p from the Golgi to the nucleus and increases the amount of Pik1p-14-3-3 complex, a process reversed upon restored nutrient supply. These data suggest a role of Pik1p nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in coordination of biosynthetic transport from the Golgi with nutrient signaling.

Hyperosmotic stress signaling to the nucleus disrupts the Ran gradient and the production of RanGTP

The RanGTP gradient depends on nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Ran and its nucleotide exchange in the nucleus. Here we show that hyperosmotic stress signaling induced by sorbitol disrupts the Ran protein gradient and reduces the production of RanGTP. Ran gradient disruption is rapid and is followed by early (10-20 min) and late (30-60 min) phases of recovery. Results from SB203580 and siRNA experiments suggest the stress kinase p38 is important for Ran gradient recovery. NTF2 and Mog1, which are transport factors that regulate the nuclear localization of Ran, showed kinetics of delocalization and recovery similar to Ran. Microinjection of a nuclear localization signal reporter protein revealed that sorbitol stress decreases the rate of nuclear import. Sorbitol stress also slowed RCC1 mobility in the nucleus, which is predicted to reduce RCC1 dissociation from chromatin and RanGTP production. This was tested using a FRET biosensor that registers nuclear RanGTP levels, which were reduced in response to sorbitol stress. Although sorbitol alters nucleotide levels, we show that inverting the GTP/GDP ratio in cells is not sufficient to disrupt the Ran gradient. Thus, the Ran system is a target of hyperosmotic stress signaling, and cells use protein localization-based mechanisms as part of a rapid stress response.

Surviving the breakup: the DNA damage checkpoint

In response to even a single chromosomal double-strand DNA break, cells enact the DNA damage checkpoint. This checkpoint triggers cell cycle arrest, providing time for the cell to repair damaged chromosomes before entering mitosis. This mechanism helps prevent the segregation of damaged or mutated chromosomes and thus promotes genomic stability. Recent work has elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying several critical steps in checkpoint activation, notably the recruitment of the upstream checkpoint kinases of the ATM and ATR families to different damaged DNA structures and the molecular events through which these kinases activate their effectors. Chromatin modification has emerged as one important component of checkpoint activation and maintenance. Following DNA repair, the checkpoint pathway is inactivated in a process termed recovery. A related but genetically distinct process, adaptation, controls cell cycle re-entry in the face of unrepairable damage.

Synthesis and function of membrane phosphoinositides in budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae

It is now well appreciated that derivatives of phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) are key regulators of many cellular processes in eukaryotes. Of particular interest are phosphoinositides (mono- and polyphosphorylated adducts to the inositol ring in PtdIns), which are located at the cytoplasmic face of cellular membranes. Phosphoinositides serve both a structural and a signaling role via their recruitment of proteins that contain phosphoinositide-binding domains. Phosphoinositides also have a role as precursors of several types of second messengers for certain intracellular signaling pathways. Realization of the importance of phosphoinositides has brought increased attention to characterization of the enzymes that regulate their synthesis, interconversion, and turnover. Here we review the current state of our knowledge about the properties and regulation of the ATP-dependent lipid kinases responsible for synthesis of phosphoinositides and also the additional temporal and spatial controls exerted by the phosphatases and a phospholipase that act on phosphoinositides in yeast.

NPFXD-mediated endocytosis is required for polarity and function of a yeast cell wall stress sensor

The actin-associated protein Sla1p, through its SHD1 domain, acts as an adaptor for the NPFX(1,2)D endocytic targeting signal in yeast. Here we report that Wsc1p, a cell wall stress sensor, depends on this signal-adaptor pair for endocytosis. Mutation of NPFDD in Wsc1p or expression of Sla1p lacking SHD1 blocked Wsc1p internalization. By live cell imaging, endocytically defective Wsc1p was not concentrated at sites of endocytosis. Polarized distribution of Wsc1p to regions of cell growth was lost in the absence of endocytosis. Mutations in genes necessary for endosome to Golgi traffic caused redistribution of Wsc1p from the cell surface to internal compartments, indicative of recycling. Inhibition of Wsc1p endocytosis caused defects in polarized deposition of the cell wall and increased sensitivity to perturbation of cell wall synthesis. Our results reveal that the NPFX(1,2)D-Sla1p system is responsible for directing Wsc1p into an endocytosis and recycling pathway necessary to maintain yeast cell wall polarity. The dynamic localization of Wsc1p, a sensor of the extracellular wall in yeast, resembles polarized distribution of certain extracellular matrix-sensing integrins through endocytic recycling.

Yeast phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase, Pik1, has essential roles at the Golgi and in the nucleus

Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase, Pik1, is essential for viability. GFP-Pik1 localized to cytoplasmic puncta and the nucleus. The puncta colocalized with Sec7-DsRed, a marker of trans-Golgi cisternae. Kap95 (importin-beta) was necessary for nuclear entry, but not Kap60 (importin-alpha), and exportin Msn5 was required for nuclear exit. Frq1 (frequenin orthologue) also is essential for viability and binds near the NH2 terminus of Pik1. Frq1-GFP localized to Golgi puncta, and Pik1 lacking its Frq1-binding site (or Pik1 overexpressed in frq1Delta cells) did not decorate the Golgi, but nuclear localization was unperturbed. Pik1(Delta10-192), which lacks its nuclear export sequence, displayed prominent nuclear accumulation and did not rescue inviability of pik1Delta cells. A Pik1-CCAAX chimera was excluded from the nucleus and also did not rescue inviability of pik1Delta cells. However, coexpression of Pik1(Delta10-192) and Pik1-CCAAX in pik1Delta cells restored viability. Catalytically inactive derivatives of these compartment-restricted Pik1 constructs indicated that PtdIns4P must be generated both in the nucleus and at the Golgi for normal cell function.

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE: Structure, Function, and Dynamics of the Nuclear Periphery

The nuclear envelope (NE) is a highly specialized membrane that delineates the eukaryotic cell nucleus. It is composed of the inner and outer nuclear membranes, nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and, in metazoa, the lamina. The NE not only regulates the trafficking of macromolecules between nucleoplasm and cytosol but also provides anchoring sites for chromatin and the cytoskeleton. Through these interactions, the NE helps position the nucleus within the cell and chromosomes within the nucleus, thereby regulating the expression of certain genes. The NE is not static, rather it is continuously remodeled during cell division. The most dramatic example of NE reorganization occurs during mitosis in metazoa when the NE undergoes a complete cycle of disassembly and reformation. Despite the importance of the NE for eukaryotic cell life, relatively little is known about its biogenesis or many of its functions. We thus are far from understanding the molecular etiology of a diverse group of NE-associated diseases.

Nuclear pore complex function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is influenced by glycosylation of the transmembrane nucleoporin Pom152p

The regulated transport of proteins across the nuclear envelope occurs through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), which are composed of >30 different protein subunits termed nucleoporins. While some nucleoporins are glycosylated, little about the role of glycosylation in NPC activity is understood. We have identified loss-of-function alleles of ALG12, encoding a mannosyltransferase, as suppressors of a temperature-sensitive mutation in the gene encoding the FXFG-nucleoporin NUP1. We observe that nup1Delta cells import nucleophilic proteins more efficiently when ALG12 is absent, suggesting that glycosylation may influence nuclear transport. Conditional nup1 and nup82 mutations are partially suppressed by the glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin, while nic96 and nup116 alleles are hypersensitive to tunicamycin treatment, further implicating glycosylation in NPC function. Because Pom152p is a glycosylated, transmembrane nucleoporin, we examined genetic interactions between pom152 mutants and nup1Delta. A nup1 deletion is lethal in combination with pom152Delta, as well as with truncations of the N-terminal and transmembrane regions of Pom152p. However, truncations of the N-glycosylated, lumenal domain of Pom152p and pom152 mutants lacking N-linked glycosylation sites are viable in combination with nup1Delta, suppress nup1Delta temperature sensitivity, and partially suppress the nuclear protein import defects associated with the deletion of NUP1. These data provide compelling evidence for a role for glycosylation in influencing NPC function.

Cell wall integrity signaling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The yeast cell wall is a highly dynamic structure that is responsible for protecting the cell from rapid changes in external osmotic potential. The wall is also critical for cell expansion during growth and morphogenesis. This review discusses recent advances in understanding the various signal transduction pathways that allow cells to monitor the state of the cell wall and respond to environmental challenges to this structure. The cell wall integrity signaling pathway controlled by the small G-protein Rho1 is principally responsible for orchestrating changes to the cell wall periodically through the cell cycle and in response to various forms of cell wall stress. This signaling pathway acts through direct control of wall biosynthetic enzymes, transcriptional regulation of cell wall-related genes, and polarization of the actin cytoskeleton. However, additional signaling pathways interface both with the cell wall integrity signaling pathway and with the actin cytoskeleton to coordinate polarized secretion with cell wall expansion. These include Ca(2+) signaling, phosphatidylinositide signaling at the plasma membrane, sphingoid base signaling through the Pkh1 and -2 protein kinases, Tor kinase signaling, and pathways controlled by the Rho3, Rho4, and Cdc42 G-proteins.

Isolation and characterization of new Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants perturbed in nuclear pore complex assembly

BACKGROUND

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are essential for facilitated, directional nuclear transport; however, the mechanism by which ~30 different nucleoporins (nups) are assembled into NPCs is unknown. We combined a genetic strategy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with Green Fluorescence Protein (GFP) technology to identify mutants in NPC structure, assembly, and localization. To identify such mutants, a bank of temperature sensitive strains was generated and examined by fluorescence microscopy for mislocalization of GFP-tagged nups at the non-permissive temperature.

RESULTS

A total of 121 mutant strains were isolated, with most showing GFP-Nic96 and Nup170-GFP mislocalized to discrete, cytoplasmic foci. By electron microscopy, several mutants also displayed an expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Complementation analysis identified several mutant groups with defects in components required for ER/Golgi trafficking (sec13, sec23, sec27, and bet3). By directed testing, we found that mutant alleles of all COPII components resulted in altered GFP-Nup localization. Finally, at least nine unknown complementation groups were identified that lack secretion defects.

CONCLUSION

The isolation of sec mutants in the screen could reflect a direct role for vesicle fusion or the COPII coat during NPC assembly; however, only those sec mutants that altered ER structure affected Nup localization. This suggests that the GFP-Nup mislocalization phenotypes observed in these mutants were the indirect result of overproliferation of the ER and connected outer nuclear envelope. The identification of potentially novel mutants with no secretory defects suggests the distinct GFP-Nup localization defects in other mutants in the collection will provide insights into NPC structure and assembly.

Inhibition of nuclear import and alteration of nuclear pore complex composition by rhinovirus

Nucleocytoplasmic trafficking pathways and the status of nuclear pore complex (NPC) components were examined in cells infected with rhinovirus type 14. A variety of shuttling and nonshuttling nuclear proteins, using multiple nuclear import pathways, accumulated in the cytoplasm of cells infected with rhinovirus. An in vitro nuclear import assay with semipermeabilized infected cells confirmed that nuclear import was inhibited and that docking of nuclear import receptor-cargo complexes at the cytoplasmic face of the NPC was prevented in rhinovirus-infected cells. The relocation of cellular proteins and inhibition of nuclear import correlated with the degradation of two NPC components, Nup153 and p62. The degradation of Nup153 and p62 was not due to induction of apoptosis, because p62 was not proteolyzed in apoptotic HeLa cells, and Nup153 was cleaved to produce a 130-kDa cleavage product that was not observed in cells infected with poliovirus or rhinovirus. The finding that both poliovirus and rhinovirus cause inhibition of nuclear import and degradation of NPC components suggests that this may be a common feature of the replicative cycle of picornaviruses. Inhibition of nuclear import is predicted to result in the cytoplasmic accumulation of a large number of nuclear proteins that could have functions in viral translation, RNA synthesis, packaging, or assembly. Additionally, inhibition of nuclear import also presents a novel strategy whereby cytoplasmic RNA viruses can evade host immune defenses by preventing signal transduction into the nucleus.

Three proteins required for early steps in the protein secretory pathway also affect nuclear envelope structure and cell cycle progression in fission yeast

The Ran GTPase is an essential protein that has multiple functions in eukaryotic cells. Fission yeast cells in which Ran is misregulated arrest after mitosis with condensed, unreplicated chromosomes and abnormal nuclear envelopes. The fission yeast sns mutants arrest with a similar cell cycle block and interact genetically with the Ran system. sns-A10, sns-B2 and sns-B9 have mutations in the fission yeast homologues of S. cerevisiae Sar1p, Sec31p and Sec53p, respectively, which are required for the early steps of the protein secretory pathway. The three sns mutants accumulate a normally secreted protein in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), have an increased amount of ER membrane, and the ER/nuclear envelope lumen is dilated. Neither a post-ER block in the secretory pathway, nor ER proliferation caused by overexpression of an integral ER membrane protein, results in a cell cycle-specific defect. Therefore, the arrest seen in sns-A10, sns-B2 and sns-B9 is most likely due to nuclear envelope defects that render the cells unable to re-establish the interphase organization of the nucleus after mitosis. As a consequence, these mutants are unable to decondense their chromosomes or to initiate of the next round of DNA replication.

Autophagosome requires specific early Sec proteins for its formation and NSF/SNARE for vacuolar fusion

Double membrane structure, autophagosome, is formed de novo in the process of autophagy in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and many Apg proteins participate in this process. To further understand autophagy, we analyzed the involvement of factors engaged in the secretory pathway. First, we showed that Sec18p (N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein, NSF) and Vti1p (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment protein, SNARE), and soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein receptor are required for fusion of the autophagosome to the vacuole but are not involved in autophagosome formation. Second, Sec12p was shown to be essential for autophagy but not for the cytoplasm to vacuole-targeting (Cvt) (pathway, which shares mostly the same machinery with autophagy. Subcellular fractionation and electron microscopic analyses showed that Cvt vesicles, but not autophagosomes, can be formed in sec12 cells. Three other coatmer protein (COPII) mutants, sec16, sec23, and sec24, were also defective in autophagy. The blockage of autophagy in these mutants was not dependent on transport from endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi, because mutations in two other COPII genes, SEC13 and SEC31, did not affect autophagy. These results demonstrate the requirement for subgroup of COPII proteins in autophagy. This evidence demonstrating the involvement of Sec proteins in the mechanism of autophagosome formation is crucial for understanding membrane flow during the process.

Interorganellar signal transduction: the arrest of secretion response

Signals from the secretory pathway caused by "traffic jams" are transduced by the WSC1, WSC2/PKC1 signaling pathway and result in nuclear reorganization and ribosomal gene repression.

New roles for the Snp1 and Exo84 proteins in yeast pre-mRNA splicing

The mammalian 70K protein, a component of the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein involved in pre-mRNA splicing, interacts with a number of proteins important for regulating constitutive and alternative splicing. Similar proteins that interact with the yeast homolog of the 70K protein, Snp1p, have yet to be identified. We used the two-hybrid system to find four U1-Snp1 associating (Usa) proteins. Two of these proteins physically associate with Snp1p as assayed by coimmunoprecipitation. One is Prp8p, a known, essential spliceosomal component. This interaction suggests some novel functions for Snp1p and the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein late in spliceosome development. The other, Exo84p, is a conserved subunit of the exocyst, an eight-protein complex functioning in secretion. We show here that Exo84p is also involved in pre-mRNA splicing. A temperature-sensitive exo84 mutation caused increased ratios of pre-mRNA to mRNA for the Rpl30 and actin transcripts in cells incubated at the non-permissive temperature. The mutation also led to a defect in splicing and prespliceosome formation in vitro; an indication that Exo84p has a direct role in splicing. The results elucidate a surprising link between splicing and secretion.

Proteomic analysis of nucleoporin interacting proteins

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear pore complex is a supramolecular assembly of 30 nucleoporins that cooperatively facilitate nucleocytoplasmic transport. Thirteen nucleoporins that contain FG peptide repeats (FG Nups) are proposed to function as stepping stones in karyopherin-mediated transport pathways. Here, protein interactions that occur at individual FG Nups were sampled using immobilized nucleoporins and yeast extracts. We find that many proteins bind to FG Nups in highly reproducible patterns. Among 135 proteins identified by mass spectrometry, most were karyopherins and nucleoporins. The PSFG nucleoporin Nup42p and the GLFG nucleoporins Nup49p, Nup57p, Nup100p, and Nup116p exhibited generic interactions with karyopherins; each bound 6--10 different karyopherin betas, including importins as well as exportins. Unexpectedly, the same Nups also captured the hexameric Nup84p complex and Nup2p. In contrast, the FXFG nucleoporins Nup1p, Nup2p, and Nup60p were more selective and captured mostly the Kap95p.Kap60p heterodimer. When the concentration of Gsp1p-GTP was elevated in the extracts to mimic the nucleoplasmic environment, the patterns of interacting proteins changed; exportins exhibited enhanced binding to FG Nups, and importins exhibited reduced binding. The results demonstrate a global role for Gsp1p-GTP on karyopherin-nucleoporin interactions and provide a rudimentary map of the routes that karyopherins take as they cross the nuclear pore complex.

The arrest of secretion response in yeast: signaling from the secretory path to the nucleus via Wsc proteins and Pkc1p

The arrest of secretion response (ASR) in sec mutants reversibly inhibits nuclear import and relocates nuclear proteins to the cytoplasm. sec mutants also relocate nucleoporins; however, endocytic and Golgi-to-vacuole transport mutants do not cause relocation. The ASR requires Wsc membrane proteins that are trapped along the secretory path, rather than those which are at the plasma membrane. The activity of the downstream kinase, Pkc1p, is also required; however, the Pkc1p MAP kinase cascade is not. sec mutants initiate compensatory transcriptional changes distinct from those of the unfolded protein response.

Perturbation of the nucleus: a novel Hog1p-independent, Pkc1p-dependent consequence of hypertonic shock in yeast

Hypertonic shock of Saccharomyces cerevisiae activates the Hog1p MAP kinase cascade. In contrast, protein kinase C (Pkc1p) and the "cell integrity" MAP kinase cascade are critical for the response to hypotonic shock. We observed that hypertonic shock transiently relocated many, but not all, nuclear and nucleolar proteins to the cytoplasm. We hypothesized that the relocation of nuclear proteins was due to activation of the Hog1p kinase cascade, yet, surprisingly, Hog1p was not required for these effects. In contrast, Pkc1p kinase activity was required, although the Pkc1p MAP kinase cascade and several factors known to lie upstream and downstream of Pkc1p were not. Moreover, sudden induction of a hyperactive form of Pkc1p was sufficient to relocate nuclear proteins. Taken together, these observations show that the scope of involvement of Pkc1p in the organization of the nucleus considerably exceeds what has been characterized previously. The relocation of nuclear proteins is likely to account for the profound inhibition of RNA synthesis that was observed during hypertonic shock.

Effects of poliovirus infection on nucleo-cytoplasmic trafficking and nuclear pore complex composition

Infection of eukaryotic cells with lytic RNA viruses results in extensive interactions of viral gene products with macromolecular pathways of the host, ultimately leading to death of the infected cells. We show here that infection of cells with poliovirus results in the cytoplasmic accumulation of a variety of shuttling and non-shuttling nuclear proteins that use multiple nuclear import pathways. In vitro nuclear import assays using semi-permeabilized infected cells confirmed that nuclear import was blocked and demonstrated that docking of nuclear import receptor-cargo complexes at the cytoplasmic face of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) was prevented. Analysis of components of the NPC revealed that two proteins, Nup153 and p62, were proteolyzed during poliovirus infection. These results suggest that the cytoplasmic relocalization of numerous cellular proteins is caused by the inhibition of multiple nuclear import pathways via alterations in NPC composition in poliovirus-infected cells. Blocking of nuclear import points to a novel strategy by which cytoplasmic RNA viruses can evade host immune defenses, by preventing signal transduction to the nucleus.

Review: dynamic stability of the interphase nucleus in health and disease

Ongoing export of newly synthesized RNAs, as well as control of transcriptional activity, involves dynamic nucleocytoplasmic transport of proteins. Some proteins that shuttle reside primarily in the nucleus while others are concentrated in the cytoplasm. Moreover, some proteins shuttle continuously, while others shuttle only once. A third group is stimulated to relocate either into or out of the nucleus as a result of interruption of shuttling. In addition to these protein-specific events, several physiological stimuli have global effects on nucleocytoplasmic transport. In related events, selected proteins move between distinct sites in the nucleoplasm, others enter and leave the nucleolus, and still others transit between the nuclear envelope and cytoplasmic membranes. These multiple dynamic distributions provide numerous opportunities for precise communication between spatially distant sites in the cell.