An oxysterol-derived positive signal for 3-hydroxy- 3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase degradation in yeast

Metabolic engineering strategies for de novo biosynthesis of sterols and steroids in yeast

Steroidal compounds are of great interest in the pharmaceutical field, with steroidal drugs as the second largest category of medicine in the world. Advances in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering have enabled de novo biosynthesis of sterols and steroids in yeast, which is a green and safe production route for these valuable steroidal compounds. In this review, we summarize the metabolic engineering strategies developed and employed for improving the de novo biosynthesis of sterols and steroids in yeast based on the regulation mechanisms, and introduce the recent progresses in de novo synthesis of some typical sterols and steroids in yeast. The remaining challenges and future perspectives are also discussed.

An autonomous, but INSIG-modulated, role for the sterol sensing domain in mallostery-regulated ERAD of yeast HMG-CoA reductase

HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) undergoes feedback-regulated degradation as part of sterol pathway control. Degradation of the yeast HMGR isozyme Hmg2 is controlled by the sterol pathway intermediate GGPP, which causes misfolding of Hmg2, leading to degradation by the HRD pathway; we call this process mallostery. We evaluated the role of the Hmg2 sterol sensing domain (SSD) in mallostery, as well as the involvement of the highly conserved INSIG proteins. We show that the Hmg2 SSD is critical for regulated degradation of Hmg2 and required for mallosteric misfolding of GGPP as studied by in vitro limited proteolysis. The Hmg2 SSD functions independently of conserved yeast INSIG proteins, but its function was modulated by INSIG, thus imposing a second layer of control on Hmg2 regulation. Mutant analyses indicated that SSD-mediated mallostery occurred prior to and independent of HRD-dependent ubiquitination. GGPP-dependent misfolding was still extant but occurred at a much slower rate in the absence of a functional SSD, indicating that the SSD facilitates a physiologically useful rate of GGPP response and implying that the SSD is not a binding site for GGPP. Nonfunctional SSD mutants allowed us to test the importance of Hmg2 quaternary structure in mallostery: a nonresponsive Hmg2 SSD mutant strongly suppressed regulation of a coexpressed, normal Hmg2. Finally, we have found that GGPP-regulated misfolding occurred in detergent-solubilized Hmg2, a feature that will allow next-level analysis of the mechanism of this novel tactic of ligand-regulated misfolding.

The wide-ranging phenotypes of ergosterol biosynthesis mutants, and implications for microbial cell factories

Yeast strains have been used extensively as robust microbial cell factories for the production of bulk and fine chemicals, including biofuels (bioethanol), complex pharmaceuticals (antimalarial drug artemisinin and opioid pain killers), flavours, and fragrances (vanillin, nootkatone, and resveratrol). In many cases, it is of benefit to suppress or modify ergosterol biosynthesis during strain engineering, for example, to increase thermotolerance or to increase metabolic flux through an alternate pathway. However, the impact of modifying ergosterol biosynthesis on engineered strains is discussed sparsely in literature, and little attention has been paid to the implications of these modifications on the general health and well-being of yeast. Importantly, yeast with modified sterol content exhibit a wide range of phenotypes, including altered organization and dynamics of plasma membrane, altered susceptibility to chemical treatment, increased tolerance to high temperatures, and reduced tolerance to other stresses such as high ethanol, salt, and solute concentrations. Here, we review the wide-ranging phenotypes of viable Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with altered sterol content and discuss the implications of these for yeast as microbial cell factories.

"Mallostery"-ligand-dependent protein misfolding enables physiological regulation by ERAD

HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) undergoes regulated degradation as part of feedback control of the sterol pathway. In yeast, the stability of the HMGR isozyme Hmg2 is controlled by the 20-carbon isoprenoid geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). Increasing GGPP levels cause more efficient degradation by the HMG-CoA reductase degradation (HRD) pathway, allowing for feedback regulation of HMGR. The HRD pathway is critical for the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) of misfolded ER proteins. Here, we have explored GGPP's role in HRD-dependent Hmg2 degradation. We found that GGPP potently regulates Hmg2 levels in vivo and causes reversible Hmg2 misfolding at nanomolar concentrations in vitro These GGPP-mediated effects were absent in several stabilized or nonregulated Hmg2 mutants. Consistent with its high potency, GGPP's effects were highly specific such that other structurally related molecules were ineffective in altering Hmg2 structure. For instance, two closely related GGPP analogues, 2F-GGPP and GGSPP, were completely inactive at all concentrations tested. Furthermore, GGSPP antagonized GGPP's effects in vivo and in vitro Chemical chaperones reversed GGPP's effects on Hmg2 structure and degradation, suggesting that GGPP causes selective Hmg2 misfolding. These results indicate that GGPP functions in a manner similar to an allosteric ligand, causing Hmg2 misfolding through interaction with a reversible, specific binding site. Consistent with this, the Hmg2 protein formed multimers, typical of allosteric proteins. We propose that this "allosteric misfolding," or mallostery, observed here for Hmg2 may be a widely used tactic of biological regulation with potential for development of therapeutic small molecules that induce selective misfolding.

Increased lanosterol turnover: a metabolic burden for daunorubicin-resistant leukemia cells

The cholesterol metabolism is essential for cancer cell proliferation. We found the expression of genes involved in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway up-regulated in the daunorubicin-resistant leukemia cell line CEM/R2, which is a daughter cell line to the leukemia cell line CCRF-CEM (CEM). Cellular (2)H2O labelling, mass spectrometry, and isotopomer analysis revealed an increase in lanosterol synthesis which was not accompanied by an increase in cholesterol flux or pool size in CEM/R2 cells. Exogenous addition of lanosterol had a negative effect on CEM/R2 and a positive effect on sensitive CEM cell viability. Treatment of CEM and CEM/R2 cells with cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors acting on the enzymes squalene epoxidase and lanosterol synthase, both also involved in the 24,25-epoxycholesterol shunt pathway, revealed a connection of this pathway to lanosterol turnover. Our data highlight that an increased lanosterol flux poses a metabolic weakness of resistant cells that potentially could be therapeutically exploited.

Insulin-induced gene protein (INSIG)-dependent sterol regulation of Hmg2 endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) in yeast

Insulin-induced gene proteins (INSIGs) function in control of cellular cholesterol. Mammalian INSIGs exert control by directly interacting with proteins containing sterol-sensing domains (SSDs) when sterol levels are elevated. Mammalian 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase (HMGR) undergoes sterol-dependent, endoplasmic-reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) that is mediated by INSIG interaction with the HMGR SSD. The yeast HMGR isozyme Hmg2 also undergoes feedback-regulated ERAD in response to the early pathway-derived isoprene gernanylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). Hmg2 has an SSD, and its degradation is controlled by the INSIG homologue Nsg1. However, yeast Nsg1 promotes Hmg2 stabilization by inhibiting GGPP-stimulated ERAD. We have proposed that the seemingly disparate INSIG functions can be unified by viewing INSIGs as sterol-dependent chaperones of SSD clients. Accordingly, we tested the role of sterols in the Nsg1 regulation of Hmg2. We found that both Nsg1-mediated stabilization of Hmg2 and the Nsg1-Hmg2 interaction required the early sterol lanosterol. Lowering lanosterol in the cell allowed GGPP-stimulated Hmg2 ERAD. Thus, Hmg2-regulated degradation is controlled by a two-signal logic; GGPP promotes degradation, and lanosterol inhibits degradation. These data reveal that the sterol dependence of INSIG-client interaction has been preserved for over 1 billion years. We propose that the INSIGs are a class of sterol-dependent chaperones that bind to SSD clients, thus harnessing ER quality control in the homeostasis of sterols.

Metabolically regulated endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase: evidence for requirement of a geranylgeranylated protein

In mammalian cells, the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), which catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the mevalonate pathway, is ubiquitylated and degraded by the 26 S proteasome when mevalonate-derived metabolites accumulate, representing a case of metabolically regulated endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD). Here, we studied which mevalonate-derived metabolites signal for HMGR degradation and the ERAD step(s) in which these metabolites are required. In HMGR-deficient UT-2 cells that stably express HMGal, a chimeric protein between β-galactosidase and the membrane region of HMGR, which is necessary and sufficient for the regulated ERAD, we tested inhibitors specific to different steps in the mevalonate pathway. We found that metabolites downstream of farnesyl pyrophosphate but upstream to lanosterol were highly effective in initiating ubiquitylation, dislocation, and degradation of HMGal. Similar results were observed for endogenous HMGR in cells that express this protein. Ubiquitylation, dislocation, and proteasomal degradation of HMGal were severely hampered when production of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate was inhibited. Importantly, inhibition of protein geranylgeranylation markedly attenuated ubiquitylation and dislocation, implicating for the first time a geranylgeranylated protein(s) in the metabolically regulated ERAD of HMGR.

Regulation of HMG-CoA reductase in mammals and yeast

HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR), a highly conserved, membrane-bound enzyme, catalyzes a rate-limiting step in sterol and isoprenoid biosynthesis and is the primary target of hypocholesterolemic drug therapy. HMGR activity is tightly regulated to ensure maintenance of lipid homeostasis, disruption of which is a major cause of human morbidity and mortality. HMGR regulation takes place at the levels of transcription, translation, post-translational modification and degradation. In this review, we discuss regulation of mammalian, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe HMGR and highlight recent advances in the field. We find that the general features of HMGR regulation, including a requirement for the HMGR-binding protein Insig, are remarkably conserved between mammals and ascomycetous fungi, including S. cerevisiae and S. pombe. However the specific details by which this regulation occurs differ in surprising ways, revealing the broad evolutionary themes underlying both HMGR regulation and Insig function.

The sterol-sensing domain (SSD) directly mediates signal-regulated endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase isozyme Hmg2

The sterol-sensing domain (SSD) is a conserved motif in membrane proteins responsible for sterol regulation. Mammalian proteins SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP) and HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) both possess SSDs required for feedback regulation of sterol-related genes and sterol synthetic rate. Although these two SSD proteins clearly sense sterols, the range of signals detected by this eukaryotic motif is not clear. The yeast HMG-CoA reductase isozyme Hmg2, like its mammalian counterpart, undergoes endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation that is subject to feedback control by the sterol pathway. The primary degradation signal for yeast Hmg2 degradation is the 20-carbon isoprene geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, rather than a sterol. Nevertheless, the Hmg2 protein possesses an SSD, leading us to test its role in feedback control of Hmg2 stability. We mutated highly conserved SSD residues of Hmg2 and evaluated regulated degradation. Our results indicated that the SSD was required for sterol pathway signals to stimulate Hmg2 ER-associated degradation and was employed for detection of both geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate and a secondary oxysterol signal. Our data further indicate that the SSD allows a signal-dependent structural change in Hmg2 that promotes entry into the ER degradation pathway. Thus, the eukaryotic SSD is capable of significant plasticity in signal recognition or response. We propose that the harnessing of cellular quality control pathways to bring about feedback regulation of normal proteins is a unifying theme for the action of all SSDs.

Chemical combinations elucidate pathway interactions and regulation relevant to Hepatitis C replication

SREBP-2, oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) or lanosterol demethylase were identified as novel sterol pathway-associated targets that, when probed with chemical agents, can inhibit hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication.

Using a combination chemical genetics approach, combinations of chemicals targeting sterol pathway enzymes downstream of and including OSC or protein geranylgeranyl transferase I (PGGT) produce robust and selective synergistic inhibition of HCV replication. Inhibition of enzymes upstream of OSC elicit proviral responses that are dominant to the effects of inhibiting all downstream targets.

Inhibition of the sterol pathway without inhibition of regulatory feedback mechanisms ultimately results in an increase in HCV replication because of a compensatory upregulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) expression. Increases in HMGCR expression without inhibition of HMGCR enzymatic activity ultimately stimulate HCV replication through increasing the cellular pool of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP).

Chemical inhibitors that ultimately prevent SREBP-2 activation, inhibit PGGT or encourage the production of polar sterols have great potential as HCV therapeutics if associated toxicities can be reduced.

Chemical inhibition of enzymes in either the cholesterol or the fatty acid biosynthetic pathways has been shown to impact viral replication, both positively and negatively (Su et al, 2002; Ye et al, 2003; Kapadia and Chisari, 2005; Sagan et al, 2006; Amemiya et al, 2008). FBL2 has been identified as a 50 kDa geranylgeranylated host protein that is necessary for localization of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication complex to the membranous web through its close association with the HCV protein NS5A and is critical for HCV replication (Wang et al, 2005). Inhibition of the protein geranylgeranyl transferase I (PGGT), an enzyme that transfers geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) to cellular proteins such as FBL2 for the purpose of membrane anchoring, negatively impacts HCV replication (Ye et al, 2003). Conversely, chemical agents that increase intracellular GGPP concentrations promote viral replication (Kapadia and Chisari, 2005). Statin compounds that inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), the rate-limiting enzyme in the sterol pathway (Goldstein and Brown, 1990), have been suggested to inhibit HCV replication through ultimately reducing the cellular pool of GGPP (Ye et al, 2003; Kapadia and Chisari, 2005; Ikeda et al, 2006). However, inhibition of the sterol pathway with statin drugs has not yielded consistent results in patients. The use of statins for the treatment of HCV is likely to be complicated by the reported compensatory increase in HMGCR expression in vitro and in vivo (Stone et al, 1989; Cohen et al, 1993) in response to treatment. Enzymes in the sterol pathway are regulated on a transcriptional level by sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), specifically SREBP-2 (Hua et al, 1993; Brown and Goldstein, 1997). When cholesterol stores in cells are depleted, SREBP-2 activates transcription of genes in the sterol pathway such as HMGCR, HMG-CoA synthase, farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) synthase, squalene synthase (SQLS) and the LDL receptor (Smith et al, 1988, 1990; Sakai et al, 1996; Brown and Goldstein, 1999; Horton et al, 2002). The requirement of additional downstream sterol pathway metabolites for HCV replication has not been completely elucidated.

To further understand the impact of the sterol pathway and its regulation on HCV replication, we conducted a high-throughput combination chemical genetic screen using 16 chemical probes that are known to modulate the activity of target enzymes relating to the sterol biosynthesis pathway (Figure 1). Using this approach, we identified several novel antiviral targets including SREBP-2 as well as targets downstream of HMGCR in the sterol pathway such as oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) and lanosterol demethylase. Many of our chemical probes, specifically SR-12813, farnesol and squalestatin, strongly promoted replicon replication. The actions of both farnesol and squalestatin ultimately result in an increase in the cellular pool of GGPP, which is known to increase HCV replication (Ye et al, 2003; Kapadia and Chisari, 2005; Wang et al, 2005).

Chemical combinations targeting enzymes upstream of squalene epoxidase (SQLE) at the top of the sterol pathway (Figure 4A) elicited Bateson-type epistatic responses (Boone et al, 2007), where the upstream agent's response predominates over the effects of inhibiting all downstream targets. This was especially notable for combinations including simvastatin and either U18666A or squalestatin, and for squalestatin in combination with Ro48-8071. Treatment with squalestatin prevents the SQLS substrate, farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) from being further metabolized by the sterol pathway. As FPP concentrations increase, the metabolite can be shunted away from the sterol pathway toward farnesylation and GGPP synthetic pathways, resulting in an increase in host protein geranylgeranylation, including FBL2, and consequently replicon replication. This increase in replicon replication explains the source of the observed epistasis over Ro48-8071 treatment.

Combinations between probes targeting enzymes downstream of and including OSC produced robust synergies with each other or with a PGGT inhibitor. Figure 4B highlights examples of antiviral synergy resulting from treatment of cells with an OSC inhibitor in combination with an inhibitor of either an enzyme upstream or downstream of OSC. A combination of terconazole and U18666A is synergistic without similar combination effects in the host proliferation screen. Likewise, clomiphene was also synergistic when added to replicon cells in combination with U18666A. One of the greatest synergies observed downstream in the sterol pathway is a combination of amorolfine and AY 9944, suggesting that there is value in developing combinations of drugs that target enzymes in the sterol pathway, which are downstream of HMGCR.

Interactions with the protein prenylation pathway also showed strong mechanistic patterns (Figure 4C). GGTI-286 is a peptidomimetic compound resembling the CAAX domain of a protein to be geranylgeranylated and is a competitive inhibitor of protein geranylgeranylation. Simvastatin impedes the antiviral effect of GGTI-286 at low concentrations but that antagonism is balanced by comparable synergy at higher concentrations. At the low simvastatin concentrations, a compensatory increase in HMGCR expression leads to increased cellular levels of GGPP, which are likely to result in an increase in PGGT enzymatic turnover and decreased GGTI-286 efficacy. The antiviral synergy observed at the higher inhibitor concentrations is likely nonspecific as synergy was also observed in a host viability assay. Further downstream, however, a competitive interaction was observed between GGTI-286 and squalestatin, where the opposing effect of one compound obscures the other compound's effect. This competitive relationship between GGTI and SQLE explains the epistatic response observed between those two agents. For inhibitors of targets downstream of OSC, such as amorolfine, there are strong antiviral synergies with GGTI-286. Notably, combinations with OSC inhibitors and GGTI-286 were selective, in that comparable synergy was not found in a host viability assay. This selectivity suggests that jointly targeting OSC and PGGT is a promising avenue for future HCV therapy development.

This study provides a comprehensive and unique perspective into the impact of sterol pathway regulation on HCV replication and provides compelling insight into the use of chemical combinations to maximize antiviral effects while minimizing proviral consequences. Our results suggest that HCV therapeutics developed against sterol pathway targets must consider the impact on underlying sterol pathway regulation. We found combinations of inhibitors of the lower part of the sterol pathway that are effective and synergistic with each other when tested in combination. Furthermore, the combination effects observed with simvastatin suggest that, though statins inhibit HMGCR activity, the resulting regulatory consequences of such inhibition ultimately lead to undesirable epistatic effects. Inhibitors that prevent SREBP-2 activation, inhibit PGGT or encourage the production of polar sterols have great potential as HCV therapeutics if associated toxicities can be reduced.

The search for effective Hepatitis C antiviral therapies has recently focused on host sterol metabolism and protein prenylation pathways that indirectly affect viral replication. However, inhibition of the sterol pathway with statin drugs has not yielded consistent results in patients. Here, we present a combination chemical genetic study to explore how the sterol and protein prenylation pathways work together to affect hepatitis C viral replication in a replicon assay. In addition to finding novel targets affecting viral replication, our data suggest that the viral replication is strongly affected by sterol pathway regulation. There is a marked transition from antagonistic to synergistic antiviral effects as the combination targets shift downstream along the sterol pathway. We also show how pathway regulation frustrates potential hepatitis C therapies based on the sterol pathway, and reveal novel synergies that selectively inhibit hepatitis C replication over host toxicity. In particular, combinations targeting the downstream sterol pathway enzymes produced robust and selective synergistic inhibition of hepatitis C replication. Our findings show how combination chemical genetics can reveal critical pathway connections relevant to viral replication, and can identify potential treatments with an increased therapeutic window.

Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate is a potent regulator of HRD-dependent 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase degradation in yeast

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase (HMGR), the rate-limiting enzymes of sterol synthesis, undergoes feedback-regulated endoplasmic reticulum degradation in both mammals and yeast. The yeast Hmg2p isozyme is subject to ubiquitin-mediated endoplasmic reticulum degradation by the HRD pathway. We had previously shown that alterations in cellular levels of the 15-carbon sterol pathway intermediate farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) cause increased Hmg2p ubiquitination and degradation. We now present evidence that the FPP-derived, 20-carbon molecule geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) is a potent endogenous regulator of Hmg2p degradation. This work was launched by the unexpected observation that GGPP addition directly to living yeast cultures caused high potency and specific stimulation of Hmg2p degradation. This effect of GGPP was not recapitulated by FPP, GGOH, or related isoprenoids. GGPP-caused Hmg2p degradation met all the criteria for the previously characterized endogenous signal. The action of added GGPP did not require production of endogenous sterol molecules, indicating that it did not act by causing the build-up of an endogenous pathway signal. Manipulation of endogenous GGPP by several means showed that naturally made GGPP controls Hmg2p stability. Analysis of the action of GGPP indicated that the molecule works upstream of retrotranslocation and can directly alter the structure of Hmg2p. We propose that GGPP is the FPP-derived regulator of Hmg2p ubiquitination. Intriguingly, the sterol-dependent degradation of mammalian HMGR is similarly stimulated by the addition of GGOH to intact cells, implying that a dependence on 20-carbon geranylgeranyl signals may be a common conserved feature of HMGR regulation that may lead to highly specific therapeutic approaches for modulation of HMGR.

Misfolded membrane proteins are specifically recognized by the transmembrane domain of the Hrd1p ubiquitin ligase

Quality control pathways such as ER-associated degradation (ERAD) employ a small number of factors to specifically recognize a wide variety of protein substrates. Delineating the mechanisms of substrate selection is a principle goal in studying quality control. The Hrd1p ubiquitin ligase mediates ERAD of numerous misfolded proteins including soluble, lumenal ERAD-L and membrane-anchored ERAD-M substrates. We tested if the Hrd1p multispanning membrane domain was involved in ERAD-M specificity. In this work, we have identified site-directed membrane domain mutants of Hrd1p impaired only for ERAD-M and normal for ERAD-L. Furthermore, other Hrd1p variants were specifically deficient for degradation of individual ERAD-M substrates. Thus, the Hrd1p transmembrane region bears determinants of high specificity in the ERAD-M pathway. From in vitro and interaction studies, we suggest a model in which the Hrd1p membrane domain employs intramembrane residues to evaluate substrate misfolding, leading to selective ubiquitination of appropriate ERAD-M clients.

Regulation of sterol synthesis in eukaryotes

Cholesterol is an essential component of mammalian cell membranes and is required for proper membrane permeability, fluidity, organelle identity, and protein function. Cells maintain sterol homeostasis by multiple feedback controls that act through transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. The membrane-bound transcription factor sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) is the principal regulator of both sterol synthesis and uptake. In mammalian cells, the ER membrane protein Insig has emerged as a key component of homeostatic regulation by controlling both the activity of SREBP and the sterol-dependent degradation of the biosynthetic enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. In this review, we focus on recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the regulation of sterol synthesis. A comparative analysis of SREBP and HMG-CoA reductase regulation in mammals, yeast, and flies points toward an equilibrium model for how lipid signals regulate the activity of sterol-sensing proteins and their downstream effectors.

Chemical combination effects predict connectivity in biological systems

Chemical synergies can be novel probes of biological systems.

Simulated response shapes depend on target connectivity in a pathway.

Experiments with yeast and cancer cells confirm simulated effects.

Profiles across many combinations yield target location information.

Living organisms are built of interacting components, whose function and dysfunction can be described through dynamic network models (Davidson et al, 2002). Systems Biology involves the iterative construction of such models (Ideker et al, 2001), and may eventually improve the understanding of diseases using in silico simulations. Such simulations may eventually permit drugs to be prioritized for clinical trials, reducing potential risks and increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes. Given the complexity of biological systems, constructing realistic models will require large and diverse sets of connectivity data.

Chemical combinations provide a new window into biological connectivity. Information gleaned from targeted combinations, such as paired mutations (Tong et al, 2004), has proven to be especially useful for revealing functional interactions between components. We have been screening chemical combinations for therapeutic synergies (Borisy et al, 2003; Zimmermann et al, 2007), collecting full-dose matrices where combinations are tested in all possible pairings of serially diluted single agent doses (Figure 1). Such screens yield a variety of response surfaces with distinct shapes for combinations that work through different known mechanisms, suggesting that combination effects may contain information on the nature of functional connections between drug targets.

Simulations of biological pathways predict synergistic responses to inhibitors that depend on target connectivity. We explored theoretical predictions by simulating a metabolic pathway with pairs of inhibitors aimed at different targets with varying doses. We found that the shape of each combination response depended on how the inhibitor pair's targets were connected in the pathway (Figure 2). The predicted response shapes were robust to plausible variations in the simulated pathway that did not affect the network topology (e.g., kinetic assumptions, parameter values, and nonlinear response functions), but were very sensitive to topological alterations in the modelled network (e.g., feedback regulation or changing the type of junction at a branch point). These findings suggest that connectivity of the inhibitor targets has a major influence on combination response morphology.

The predicted shapes were experimentally confirmed in yeast combination experiments. The proliferation experiment used drugs focused on the sterol biosynthesis pathway, which is mostly linear between the targets covered in this study, and is known to be regulated by negative feedback (Gardner et al, 2001). The combinations between sterol inhibitors confirmed expectations from our simulations, showing dose-additive responses for pairs targeting the same enzyme and strong synergies across enzymes of the shape predicted in our simulations for linear pathways under negative feedback. Combinations across pathways showed much more variable responses with a trend towards less synergy on average.

Further experimental support was obtained from human cells. A combination screen of 90 annotated drugs in a human tumour cell line (HCT116) proliferation assay produced strong synergies for combinations within pathways and more variable effects between targeted functions. Synergy profiles (sets of all synergy scores involving each drug) also showed a greater degree of similarity for pairs of drugs with related targets. Finally, the most extreme outliers were dominated by inhibitors of kinases that are especially critical for HCT116 proliferation (Awwad et al, 2003), with effects that are consistent across mechanistic replicates, showing that chemical combinations can highlight biologically relevant cellular processes.

This study demonstrates the potential of chemical combinations for exploring functional connectivity in biological systems. This information complements genetic studies by providing more details through variable dosing, by directly targeting single domains of multi-domain proteins, and by probing cell types that are not amenable to mutagenesis. Responses from large chemical combination screens can be used to identify molecular targets through chemical–genetic profiling (Macdonald et al, 2006), or to directly constrain network models by means of a prediction-validation procedure (Ideker et al, 2001). This initial exploration can be extended to cover a wider range of response shapes and network topologies, as well as to combinations of three or more chemical agents. Moreover, this approach may even be applicable to non-biological systems where responses to targeted perturbations can be measured.

Efforts to construct therapeutically useful models of biological systems require large and diverse sets of data on functional connections between their components. Here we show that cellular responses to combinations of chemicals reveal how their biological targets are connected. Simulations of pathways with pairs of inhibitors at varying doses predict distinct response surface shapes that are reproduced in a yeast experiment, with further support from a larger screen using human tumour cells. The response morphology yields detailed connectivity constraints between nearby targets, and synergy profiles across many combinations show relatedness between targets in the whole network. Constraints from chemical combinations complement genetic studies, because they probe different cellular components and can be applied to disease models that are not amenable to mutagenesis. Chemical probes also offer increased flexibility, as they can be continuously dosed, temporally controlled, and readily combined. After extending this initial study to cover a wider range of combination effects and pathway topologies, chemical combinations may be used to refine network models or to identify novel targets. This response surface methodology may even apply to non-biological systems where responses to targeted perturbations can be measured.

Nonvesicular sterol movement from plasma membrane to ER requires oxysterol-binding protein-related proteins and phosphoinositides

Sterols are moved between cellular membranes by nonvesicular pathways whose functions are poorly understood. In yeast, one such pathway transfers sterols from the plasma membrane (PM) to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We show that this transport requires oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP)–related proteins (ORPs), which are a large family of conserved lipid-binding proteins. We demonstrate that a representative member of this family, Osh4p/Kes1p, specifically facilitates the nonvesicular transfer of cholesterol and ergosterol between membranes in vitro. In addition, Osh4p transfers sterols more rapidly between membranes containing phosphoinositides (PIPs), suggesting that PIPs regulate sterol transport by ORPs. We confirmed this by showing that PM to ER sterol transport slows dramatically in mutants with conditional defects in PIP biosynthesis. Our findings argue that ORPs move sterols among cellular compartments and that sterol transport and intracellular distribution are regulated by PIPs.

A Novel Inhibitor of Oxidosqualene:Lanosterol Cyclase Inhibits Very Low–Density Lipoprotein Apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100) Production and Enhances Low-Density Lipoprotein ApoB100 Catabolism Through Marked Reduction in Hepatic Cholesterol Content

OBJECTIVE

Inhibition of 2,3-oxidosqualene:lanosterol cyclase (OSC), an enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway, has the unique ability to inhibit cholesterol synthesis while simultaneously enhancing oxysterol synthesis. Our objectives were to determine, in vivo, if a novel OSC inhibitor reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and to define the mechanism(s) involved.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Miniature pigs received the OSC inhibitor RO0717625 or placebo and a diet containing fat (34% of energy) and 400 mg per day of cholesterol. Treatment decreased plasma total cholesterol (-20%) and LDL cholesterol (-29%). Apolipoprotein B (apoB) kinetic parameters were determined. Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) apoB pool size decreased 22% because of inhibition of VLDL production (-43%). LDL apoB pool size decreased 22% because of a 1.5-fold increase in fractional catabolic rate (FCR). The increased FCR was associated with a 2-fold increase in hepatic LDL receptor mRNA. Hepatic total and microsomal cholesterol were reduced by 16% and 27%, respectively. Plasma lathosterol concentrations decreased 57%, reflecting inhibition of hepatic cholesterol synthesis. Treatment reduced plasma plant sterols and decreased postprandial cholesterol transport in chylomicrons.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel OSC inhibitor, RO0717625, decreased VLDL and LDL apoB100 through decreased VLDL production and enhanced LDL clearance. Thus, OSC represents a potential therapeutic target for dyslipidemia.

Bioactive small molecules reveal antagonism between the integrated stress response and sterol-regulated gene expression

Phosphorylation of translation initiation factor 2alpha (eIF2alpha) coordinates a translational and transcriptional program known as the integrated stress response (ISR), which adapts cells to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. A screen for small molecule activators of the ISR identified two related compounds that also activated sterol-regulated genes by blocking cholesterol biosynthesis at the level of CYP51. Ketoconazole, a known CYP51 inhibitor, had similar effects, establishing that perturbed flux of precursors to cholesterol activates the ISR. Surprisingly, compound-mediated activation of sterol-regulated genes was enhanced in cells with an ISR-blocking mutation in the regulatory phosphorylation site of eIF2alpha. Furthermore, induction of the ISR by an artificial drug-activated eIF2alpha kinase reduced the level of active sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) and sterol-regulated mRNAs. These findings suggest a mechanism by which interactions between sterol metabolism, the ISR, and the SREBP pathway affect lipid metabolism during ER stress.

Microbial Isoprenoid Production: An Example of Green Chemistry through Metabolic Engineering

Saving energy, cost efficiency, producing less waste, improving the biodegradability of products, potential for producing novel and complex molecules with improved properties, and reducing the dependency on fossil fuels as raw materials are the main advantages of using biotechnological processes to produce chemicals. Such processes are often referred to as green chemistry or white biotechnology. Metabolic engineering, which permits the rational design of cell factories using directed genetic modifications, is an indispensable strategy for expanding green chemistry. In this chapter, the benefits of using metabolic engineering approaches for the development of green chemistry are illustrated by the recent advances in microbial production of isoprenoids, a diverse and important group of natural compounds with numerous existing and potential commercial applications. Accumulated knowledge on the metabolic pathways leading to the synthesis of the principal precursors of isoprenoids is reviewed, and recent investigations into isoprenoid production using engineered cell factories are described.

SREBP pathway responds to sterols and functions as an oxygen sensor in fission yeast

Cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis in mammals are controlled by SREBPs, a family of membrane bound transcription factors. Our studies identified homologs of SREBP, its binding partner SCAP, and the ER retention protein Insig in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, named sre1+, scp1+, and ins1+. Like SREBP, Sre1 is cleaved and activated in response to sterol depletion in a Scp1-dependent manner. Microarray analysis revealed that Sre1 activates sterol biosynthetic enzymes as in mammals, and, surprisingly, Sre1 also stimulates transcription of genes required for adaptation to hypoxia. Furthermore, Sre1 rapidly activates these target genes in response to low oxygen and is itself required for anaerobic growth. Based on these findings, we propose and test a model in which Sre1 and Scp1 monitor oxygen-dependent sterol synthesis as an indirect measure of oxygen supply and mediate a hypoxic response in fission yeast.

Mechanisms underlying the impaired regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase in aged rat liver

As the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia is one of the most studied age-related metabolic alterations. In the liver, cholesterol homeostasis is strictly regulated through the modulation of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), the key enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis. With ageing, hepatic HMG-CoA reductase becomes completely activated and cholesterol content increases in the blood. The research reported in this paper uses the regulatory enzymes of reductase (i.e., the AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK) and the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)), the HMG-CoA reductase thermodependent activity and the "in vitro" enzyme degradation to elucidate the role played by the HMG-CoA reductase regulation and its membrane interaction. Related experiments were performed on 3 and 24 months "ad libitum" (AL) fed rats and 24 months caloric-restricted rats. The results show no changes in the PP2A level and the activation state of AMP dependent kinase in aged "ad libitum" fed rats. By contrast, the activation state of the kinase is enhanced in the aged caloric-restricted animals. With respect to the adult, the thermodependent activity of reductase remains unchanged, while the degradation rate of the HMG-CoA reductase is slower and independent on proteasome. These findings support the hypothesis that a different arrangement of the HMG-CoA reductase membrane domain in aged rats is a cause of reductase deregulation.

Lipid-mediated, reversible misfolding of a sterol-sensing domain protein

Cellular quality control requires recognition of common features of misfolding, and so is not typically associated with the specific targeting of individual proteins. However, physiologically regulated degradation of yeast HMG-CoA reductase (Hmg2p) occurs by the HRD endoplasmic reticulum quality control pathway, implying that Hmg2p undergoes a regulated transition to a quality control substrate in response to a sterol pathway molecule. Using in vitro structural assays, we now show that the pathway derivative farnesol causes Hmg2p to undergo a change to a less folded structure. The effect is reversible, biologically relevant by numerous criteria, highly specific for farnesol structure, and requires an intact Hmg2p sterol-sensing domain. This represents a distinct lipid-sensing function for this highly conserved motif that suggests novel approaches to cholesterol management. More generally, our observation of reversible small-molecule-mediated misfolding may herald numerous examples of regulated quality control to be discovered in biology or applied in the clinic.

Oxysterol binding proteins: in more than one place at one time?

Oxysterols are potent signalling lipids that directly bind liver X receptors (LXRs) and a subset of oxysterol binding protein (OSBP) related proteins (ORPs). It is relatively well established that the oxysterol-regulated function of LXRs is to control the expression of genes involved in reverse cholesterol transport, catabolism of cholesterol, and lipogenesis. In contrast, the mechanisms by which oxysterols and ORPs affect cellular lipid metabolism have remained poorly understood. In this review, we summarize the information available on function of the ORPs and compare the two families of proteins binding oxysterol to demonstrate the different responses that similar lipids can elicit within cells. The other focus is on the membrane targeting determinants and the protein interaction partners of ORPs, which provide interesting clues to the mode(s) of ORP action. Specifically, we suggest a model in which a general property of ORPs is to function at membrane contact sites, specialized zones of communication between two different organelles.

Regulation and degradation of HMGCo-A reductase

The enzyme, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) controls the biosynthesis of cholesterol. Hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis are critical health risk factors. One way of controlling these risk factors is to manipulate regulation as well as degradation of HMGR. At present, a class of compounds called statins, which are HMGR inhibitors, are used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. However, statins suffer major setbacks as their use produces more adverse reactions than the desirable one of inhibiting the enzyme. Genetically engineered forms of HMGR are also studied in primitive life forms like bacteria, but detailed investigation of this enzyme in human systems is certainly required. Extensive studies have been made on the regulatory aspects of this enzyme, but no breakthrough is conspicuous in the clinical background to find an alternative treatment for hypercholesterolemia. The immediate need is to find an alternate way of regulating degradation of the enzyme. This review presents the importance of regulation and degradation of the HMGR enzyme in different systems to gain possible insight into alternative schemes for regulating this enzyme and, if these exist, the feasibility of extending them same to studies in mammalian systems. A high degree of similarity exists between mammalian and yeast HMGR. Detailed studies reported on the regulation and degradation of the yeast enzyme also throw more light on the mammalian system, leading to a better understanding of ways of controlling hypercholesterolemia.

Oxysterol binding protein and its homologues: new regulatory factors involved in lipid metabolism

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Oxysterol binding protein was discovered in the 1980s as a cytosolic high-affinity receptor for oxysterols, but its function has remained enigmatic. Families of genes/proteins with sequence homology to oxysterol binding protein have been identified in eukaryotes from yeast to man, indicating that these proteins, denoted as oxysterol binding protein-related proteins (ORPs), serve a fundamental purpose conserved in evolution. This review discusses recent findings that provide important clues to the mode of action of these proteins.

RECENT FINDINGS

The long variant of ORP1 is induced upon differentiation of monocytes to macrophages and has capacity to enhance the trans-activation potential of liver X receptors, indicating a function in macrophage lipid metabolism. Important clues to ORP function were provided by the finding that most family members carry an endoplasmic reticulum targeting motif, while the amino-terminal regions of the proteins have targeting specificities for other organelles. Extensive splice variation occurs within the gene family, suggesting that a large number of distinct protein products are encoded. Further implications were obtained for a possible role of a family member in tumor cell metastasis.

SUMMARY

ORPs constitute a novel family of proteins implicated in cellular lipid metabolism and different aspects of cell regulation. The function of several family members is connected with cellular sterol metabolism, and there is evidence for a role of oxysterol binding protein in lipid transport from the endoplasmic reticulum. Recently, a model on the function of these proteins at membrane contact sites, specialized zones of communication between two different organelles, has been presented.

On the origins of triterpenoid skeletal diversity

The triterpenoids are a large group of natural products derived from C(30) precursors. Nearly 200 different triterpene skeletons are known from natural sources or enzymatic reactions that are structurally consistent with being cyclization products of squalene, oxidosqualene, or bis-oxidosqualene. This review categorizes each of these structures and provides mechanisms for their formation.

Human HRD1 Is an E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Involved in Degradation of Proteins from the Endoplasmic Reticulum

The ubiquitin system plays an important role in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation of proteins that are misfolded, that fail to associate with their oligomerization partners, or whose levels are metabolically regulated. E3 ubiquitin ligases are key enzymes in the ubiquitination process as they recognize the substrate and facilitate coupling of multiple ubiquitin units to the protein that is to be degraded. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae ER-resident E3 ligase Hrd1p/Der3p functions in the metabolically regulated degradation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and additionally facilitates the degradation of a number of misfolded proteins from the ER. In this study we characterized the structure and function of the putative human orthologue of yeast Hrd1p/Der3p, designated human HRD1. We show that human HRD1 is a non-glycosylated, stable ER protein with a cytosolic RING-H2 finger domain. In the presence of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBC7, the RING-H2 finger has in vitro ubiquitination activity for Lys(48)-specific polyubiquitin linkage, suggesting that human HRD1 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in protein degradation. Human HRD1 appears to be involved in the basal degradation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase but not in the degradation that is regulated by sterols. Additionally we show that human HRD1 is involved in the elimination of two model ER-associated degradation substrates, TCR-alpha and CD3-delta.

Proteolysis and sterol regulation

The mammalian cell continuously adjusts its sterol content by regulating levels of key sterol synthetic enzymes and levels of LDL receptors that mediate uptake of cholesterol-laden particles. Control is brought about by sterol-regulated transcription of relevant genes and by regulated degradation of the committed step enzyme HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR). Current work has revealed that proteolysis is at the heart of each of these mechanistically distinct axes. Transcriptional control is effected by regulated cleavage of the membrane-bound transcription factor sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP), and HMGR degradation is brought about by ubiquitin-mediated degradation. In each case, ongoing cell biological processes are being harnessed to bring about regulation. The secretory pathway plays a central role in allowing sterol-mediated control of transcription. The constitutively active endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control apparatus is employed to bring about regulated destruction of HMGR. This review describes the methods and results of various studies to understand the mechanisms and molecules involved in these distinct but interrelated aspects of sterol regulation and the intriguing similarities that appear to exist at the levels of protein sequence and cell biology.

Chromatographic behavior of oxygenated derivatives of cholesterol

Oxygenated derivatives of cholesterol have important functions in many biochemical processes. These oxysterols are difficult to study because of their low physiological concentrations, the facile formation of cholesterol autoxidation artifacts, and lack of information on their chromatographic behavior. Focusing on metabolites and autoxidation products of cholesterol, we have documented the chromatographic mobilities of 35 oxysterols under a variety of conditions: eight solvent systems for thin-layer chromatography on silica gel, several mobile phases for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and two types of stationary phase for capillary gas chromatography (GC) using trimethylsilyl derivatives. Notable differences in selectivity could be obtained by modifying the stationary or mobile phases. Separations of oxysterol pairs isomeric at side-chain carbons or C-7 were achieved on normal-phase, reversed-phase, chiral, or silver-ion HPLC columns. Chromatographic behavior is also described for side-chain hexadeuterated and heptafluorinated oxysterols, which are useful as standards in isotope dilution analyses and autoxidation studies, respectively. The overall results are relevant to many problems of oxysterol analysis, including the initial separation of oxysterols from cholesterol, determination of highly polar and nonpolar oxysterols, separation of isomeric pairs, selection of derivatization conditions for GC analysis, and quantitation of the extent of cholesterol autoxidation.

ER-associated degradation in protein quality control and cellular regulation

The ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway directs ubiquitin-mediated degradation of a variety of ER-associated misfolded and normal proteins. Recent studies have delineated the molecular machinery responsible for protein ubiquitination and highlighted mechanistic questions surrounding the recognition, extraction and proteasomal destruction of the diverse array of ERAD substrates. Consideration of separate lines of work on this versatile pathway now indicate that despite its central role as an avenue of cellular quality control, ERAD is also harnessed for feedback regulation of sterol synthesis, and most likely numerous other cellular processes. These studies give ERAD a larger role in cellular function, and imply that cellular quality-control pathways could be widely employed in both natural and pharmaceutical control of individual proteins.

SREBP-2 and NF-Y are involved in the transcriptional regulation of squalene epoxidase

The expression of squalene epoxidase (SE) is highly regulated transcriptionally by cholesterol. To elucidate these molecular mechanisms, we isolated the human and rat genomic clones. The entire human SE gene was about 24 kb long and organized into 11 exons with 10 introns. Unidirectional deletion analysis of the human 5(')-flanking region indicated that the sequence between -264 and -230 bp conferred cholesterol sensitivity on a reporter gene. This region contained a potential copy of consensus sterol regulatory element (SRE) sequence (CCACGCAAC) previously identified in the promoter of cholesterogenic and its related genes. The transcriptional activation observed under overexpression of sterol regulatory element binding protein-2 (SREBP-2) supported the functional role of the SRE sequence. Another deletion analysis showed that the sequence -207 to -192 bp was also active and it contained nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) binding site. Both sites might play critical roles in sterol mediated regulation of SE gene.

The hypocholesterolemic agent LY295427 reverses suppression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein processing mediated by oxysterols

The sterol LY295427 reduces plasma cholesterol levels in animals by increasing the expression of hepatic low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors. Here we trace the hypocholesterolemic activity of LY295427 to an ability to reverse oxysterol-mediated suppression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) processing. Micromolar concentrations of LY295427 induced the metabolism of LDL in oxysterol-treated cultured cells and inhibited the stimulation of cholesteryl ester synthesis mediated by oxysterols. cDNA microarray and RNA blotting experiments revealed that LY295427 increased levels of the LDL receptor mRNA and those of other SREBP target genes. The compound stimulated the accumulation of SREBPs in the nuclei of cells grown in the presence of oxysterols within 4-6 h of addition to the medium. Induction required components of the normal SREBP-processing pathway, including the SREBP cleavage-activating protein and the Site 1 protease. LY295427 overcame the suppression of SREBP processing mediated by several oxysterols but not by LDL-derived cholesterol. We conclude that LY295427 achieves a therapeutically desirable end point by an unique mechanism of action.

In vivo action of the HRD ubiquitin ligase complex: mechanisms of endoplasmic reticulum quality control and sterol regulation

Ubiquitination is used to target both normal proteins for specific regulated degradation and misfolded proteins for purposes of quality control destruction. Ubiquitin ligases, or E3 proteins, promote ubiquitination by effecting the specific transfer of ubiquitin from the correct ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, or E2 protein, to the target substrate. Substrate specificity is usually determined by specific sequence determinants, or degrons, in the target substrate that are recognized by the ubiquitin ligase. In quality control, however, a potentially vast collection of proteins with characteristic hallmarks of misfolding or misassembly are targeted with high specificity despite the lack of any sequence similarity between substrates. In order to understand the mechanisms of quality control ubiquitination, we have focused our attention on the first characterized quality control ubiquitin ligase, the HRD complex, which is responsible for the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) of numerous ER-resident proteins. Using an in vivo cross-linking assay, we directly examined the association of the separate HRD complex components with various ERAD substrates. We have discovered that the HRD ubiquitin ligase complex associates with both ERAD substrates and stable proteins, but only mediates ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme association with ERAD substrates. Our studies with the sterol pathway-regulated ERAD substrate Hmg2p, an isozyme of the yeast cholesterol biosynthetic enzyme HMG-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), indicated that the HRD complex discerns between a degradation-competent "misfolded" state and a stable, tightly folded state. Thus, it appears that the physiologically regulated, HRD-dependent degradation of HMGR is effected by a programmed structural transition from a stable protein to a quality control substrate.

Dual targeting of Osh1p, a yeast homologue of oxysterol-binding protein, to both the Golgi and the nucleus-vacuole junction

Oxysterol binding protein (OSBP) is the only protein known to bind specifically to the group of oxysterols with potent effects on cholesterol homeostasis. Although the function of OSBP is currently unknown, an important role is implicated by the existence of multiple homologues in all eukaryotes so far examined. OSBP and a subset of homologues contain pleckstrin homology (PH) domains. Such domains are responsible for the targeting of a wide range of proteins to the plasma membrane. In contrast, OSBP is a peripheral protein of Golgi membranes, and its PH domain targets to the trans-Golgi network of mammalian cells. In this article, we have characterized Osh1p, Osh2p, and Osh3p, the three homologues of OSBP in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that contain PH domains. Examination of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion to Osh1p revealed a striking dual localization with the protein present on both the late Golgi, and in the recently described nucleus-vacuole (NV) junction. Deletion mapping revealed that the PH domain of Osh1p specified targeting to the late Golgi, and an ankyrin repeat domain targeting to the NV junction, the first such targeting domain identified for this structure. GFP fusions to Osh2p and Osh3p showed intracellular distributions distinct from that of Osh1p, and their PH domains appear to contribute to their differing localizations.