Interaction between repressor Opi1p and ER membrane protein Scs2p facilitates transit of phosphatidic acid from the ER to mitochondria and is essential for INO1 gene expression in the presence of choline

The stability of the Opi1p repressor for phospholipid biosynthetic gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is dependent on its interactions with Scs2p and Ino2p

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Opi1p negatively regulates phospholipid biosynthetic genes. Under derepressing conditions, Opi1p binds to the endoplasmic reticulum/nuclear membrane with the aid of the membrane protein Scs2p and phosphatidic acids under derepressing conditions. Under repressing conditions, it enters the nucleus to inhibit the positive transcription factors Ino2p and Ino4p. While the spatial regulation of Opi1p is understood, the regulation of its abundance remains unclear. We investigated the role of Scs2p and Ino2p in Opi1p stability by overexpressing these proteins in yeast cells. Opi1p was stable in the presence of Scs2p, but mutations in residues required for interaction with Scs2p caused Opi1p unstable. Even in the absence of Scs2p, Opi1p remained stable in the strain having a mutation to increase phosphatidic acid levels. Conversely, overproduction of Ino2p reduced Opi1p stability, whereas a mutant Ino2p that cannot interact with Opi1p did not. Additionally, Opi1p was stable in strains lacking Ino2p or with a mutated Ino2p-binding domain. These findings suggest that regulation, adding another layer to the regulation of phospholipid biosynthetic gene expression by Opi1p.

Behind the stoNE wall: A fervent activity for nuclear lipids

The four main types of biomolecules are nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. The knowledge about their respective interactions is as important as the individual understanding of each of them. However, while, for example, the interaction of proteins with the other three groups is extensively studied, that of nucleic acids and lipids is, in comparison, very poorly explored. An iconic paradigm of physical (and likely functional) proximity between DNA and lipids is the case of the genomic DNA in eukaryotes: enclosed within the nucleus by two concentric lipid bilayers, the wealth of implications of this interaction, for example in genome stability, remains underassessed. Nuclear lipid-related phenotypes have been observed for 50 years, yet in most cases kept as mere anecdotical descriptions. In this review, we will bring together the evidence connecting lipids with both the nuclear envelope and the nucleoplasm, and will make critical analyses of these descriptions. Our exploration establishes a scenario in which lipids irrefutably play a role in nuclear homeostasis.

The leucine zipper domain of the transcriptional repressor Opi1 underlies a signal transduction mechanism regulating lipid synthesis

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the transcriptional repressor Opi1 regulates the expression of genes involved in phospholipid synthesis responding to the abundance of the phospholipid precursor phosphatidic acid at the endoplasmic reticulum. We report here the identification of the conserved leucine zipper (LZ) domain of Opi1 as a hot spot for gain of function mutations and the characterization of the strongest variant identified, Opi1N150D. LZ modeling posits asparagine 150 embedded on the hydrophobic surface of the zipper and specifying dynamic parallel homodimerization by allowing electrostatic bonding across the hydrophobic dimerization interface. Opi1 variants carrying any of the other three ionic residues at amino acid 150 were also repressing. Genetic analyses showed that Opi1N150D variant is dominant, and its phenotype is attenuated when loss of function mutations identified in the other two conserved domains are present in cis. We build on the notion that membrane binding facilitates LZ dimerization to antagonize an intramolecular interaction of the zipper necessary for repression. Dissecting Opi1 protein in three polypeptides containing each conserved region, we performed in vitro analyses to explore interdomain interactions. An Opi11-190 probe interacted with Opi1291-404, the C terminus that bears the activator interacting domain (AID). LZ or AID loss of function mutations attenuated the interaction of the probes but was unaffected by the N150D mutation. We propose a model for Opi1 signal transduction whereby synergy between membrane-binding events and LZ dimerization antagonizes intramolecular LZ-AID interaction and transcriptional repression.

Opi1-mediated transcriptional modulation orchestrates genotoxic stress response in budding yeast

In budding yeast, the transcriptional repressor Opi1 regulates phospholipid biosynthesis by repressing expression of genes containing inositol-sensitive upstream activation sequences. Upon genotoxic stress, cells activate the DNA damage response to coordinate a complex network of signaling pathways aimed at preserving genomic integrity. Here, we reveal that Opi1 is important to modulate transcription in response to genotoxic stress. We find that cells lacking Opi1 exhibit hypersensitivity to genotoxins, along with a delayed G1-to-S-phase transition and decreased gamma-H2A levels. Transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing reveals that Opi1 plays a central role in modulating essential biological processes during methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)-associated stress, including repression of phospholipid biosynthesis and transduction of mating signaling. Moreover, Opi1 induces sulfate assimilation and amino acid metabolic processes, such as arginine and histidine biosynthesis and glycine catabolism. Furthermore, we observe increased mitochondrial DNA instability in opi1Δ cells upon MMS treatment. Notably, we show that constitutive activation of the transcription factor Ino2-Ino4 is responsible for genotoxin sensitivity in Opi1-deficient cells, and the production of inositol pyrophosphates by Kcs1 counteracts Opi1 function specifically during MMS-induced stress. Overall, our findings highlight Opi1 as a critical sensor of genotoxic stress in budding yeast, orchestrating gene expression to facilitate appropriate stress responses.

Phosphatidic acid species 34:1 mediates expression of the myo-inositol 3-phosphate synthase gene INO1 for lipid synthesis in yeast

Depletion of exogenous inositol in yeast results in rising levels of phosphatidic acid (PA) and is correlated with increased expression of genes containing the inositol-dependent upstream activating sequence promoter element (UASINO). INO1, encoding myo-inositol 3-phosphate synthase, is the most highly regulated of the inositol-dependent upstream activating sequence-containing genes, but its mechanism of regulation is not clear. In the current study, we determined the relative timing and kinetics of appearance of individual molecular species of PA following removal of exogenous inositol in actively growing wild type, pah1Δ, and ole1ts strains. We report that the pah1Δ strain, lacking the PA phosphatase, exhibits a delay of about 60 min in comparison to wildtype before initiating derepression of INO1 expression. The ole1ts mutant on the other hand, defective in fatty acid desaturation, when grown at a semirestrictive temperature, exhibited reduced synthesis of PA species 34:1 and elevated synthesis of PA species 32:1. Importantly, we found these changes in the fatty acid composition in the PA pool of the ole1ts strain were associated with reduced expression of INO1, indicating that synthesis of PA 34:1 is involved in optimal expression of INO1 in the absence of inositol. Using deuterium-labeled glycerol in short-duration labeling assays, we found that changes associated with PA species 34:1 were uniquely correlated with increased expression of INO1 in all three strains. These data indicate that the signal for activation of INO1 transcription is not necessarily the overall level of PA but rather levels of a specific species of newly synthesized PA 34:1.

Adaptive Response of Saccharomyces Hosts to Totiviridae L-A dsRNA Viruses Is Achieved through Intrinsically Balanced Action of Targeted Transcription Factors

Totiviridae L-A virus is a widespread yeast dsRNA virus. The persistence of the L-A virus alone appears to be symptomless, but the concomitant presence of a satellite M virus provides a killer trait for the host cell. The presence of L-A dsRNA is common in laboratory, industrial, and wild yeasts, but little is known about the impact of the L-A virus on the host’s gene expression. In this work, based on high-throughput RNA sequencing data analysis, the impact of the L-A virus on whole-genome expression in three different Saccharomyces paradoxus and S. cerevisiae host strains was analyzed. In the presence of the L-A virus, moderate alterations in gene expression were detected, with the least impact on respiration-deficient cells. Remarkably, the transcriptional adaptation of essential genes was limited to genes involved in ribosome biogenesis. Transcriptional responses to L-A maintenance were, nevertheless, similar to those induced upon stress or nutrient availability. Based on these data, we further dissected yeast transcriptional regulators that, in turn, modulate the cellular L-A dsRNA levels. Our findings point to totivirus-driven fine-tuning of the transcriptional landscape in yeasts and uncover signaling pathways employed by dsRNA viruses to establish the stable, yet allegedly profitless, viral infection of fungi.

ER-PM membrane contact site regulation by yeast ORPs and membrane stress pathways

In yeast, at least seven proteins (Ice2p, Ist2p, Scs2/22p, Tcb1-Tcb3p) affect cortical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) tethering and contact with the plasma membrane (PM). In Δ-super-tether (Δ-s-tether) cells that lack these tethers, cortical ER-PM association is all but gone. Yeast OSBP homologue (Osh) proteins are also implicated in membrane contact site (MCS) assembly, perhaps as subunits for multicomponent tethers, though their function at MCSs involves intermembrane lipid transfer. Paradoxically, when analyzed by fluorescence and electron microscopy, the elimination of the OSH gene family does not reduce cortical ER-PM association but dramatically increases it. In response to the inactivation of all Osh proteins, the yeast E-Syt (extended-synaptotagmin) homologue Tcb3p is post-transcriptionally upregulated thereby generating additional Tcb3p-dependent ER-PM MCSs for recruiting more cortical ER to the PM. Although the elimination of OSH genes and the deletion of ER-PM tether genes have divergent effects on cortical ER-PM association, both elicit the Environmental Stress Response (ESR). Through comparisons of transcriptomic profiles of cells lacking OSH genes or ER-PM tethers, changes in ESR expression are partially manifested through the induction of the HOG (high-osmolarity glycerol) PM stress pathway or the ER-specific UPR (unfolded protein response) pathway, respectively. Defects in either UPR or HOG pathways also increase ER-PM MCSs, and expression of extra “artificial ER-PM membrane staples” rescues growth of UPR mutants challenged with lethal ER stress. Transcriptome analysis of OSH and Δ-s-tether mutants also revealed dysregulation of inositol-dependent phospholipid gene expression, and the combined lethality of osh4Δ and Δ-s-tether mutations is suppressed by overexpression of the phosphatidic acid biosynthetic gene, DGK1. These findings establish that the Tcb3p tether is induced by ER and PM stresses and ER-PM MCSs augment responses to membrane stresses, which are integrated through the broader ESR pathway.

Membrane contact sites (MCSs) between the two largest cellular membranes, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM), are regulatory interfaces for lipid synthesis and bidirectional transport. The yeast Osh protein family, which represents the seven yeast oxysterol-binding protein related proteins (ORPs), is implicated in MCS regulation and lipid transfer between membranes. Ironically, we find that when all Osh proteins eliminated, ER-PM association is not reduced but significantly increases. We hypothesized this increase is due to compensatory increases in levels of tether proteins that physically link the ER and PM. In fact, in response to inactivating Osh protein expression, amounts of the tether protein Tcb3 increase and more ER-PM MCSs are produced. By testing the genomic transcriptional responses to the elimination of OSH and ER-PM tether genes, we find these mutants disrupt phospholipid regulation and they elicit the Environmental Stress Response (ESR) pathway, which integrates many different responses needed for recovery after cellular stress. OSH and ER-PM tether genes affect specific stress response pathways that impact the PM and ER, respectively. Combining OSH and tether mutations results in cell lethality, but these cells survive by increased expression of a key phospholipid biosynthetic gene. Based on these results, we propose that OSH and ER-PM tether genes affect phospholipid regulation and protect the PM and ER through membrane stress responses integrated through the ESR pathway.

Streptomyces apricus sp. nov., isolated from soil

A novel Streptomyces strain, SUN51T, was isolated from soils sampled in Wisconsin, USA, as part of a Streptomyces biogeography survey. Genome sequencing revealed that this strain had less than 90 % average nucleotide identity (ANI) to type species of Streptomyces : SUN51T was most closely related to Streptomyces dioscori A217T (99.5 % 16S rRNA gene identity, 89.4 % ANI). Genome size was estimated at 8.81 Mb, and the genome DNA G+C content was 72 mol%. The strain possessed the cellular fatty acids anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, 16 : 1 ω7c, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C14 : 0 and C16 : 0. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9 H4, MK-9 H6 and MK-9 H8. Strain SUN51T contained the polar lipids phosphatidic acid, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl glycerol and diphosphatidyl glycerol. The cell wall contained ll-diaminopimelic acid. The strain could grow on a broad range of carbon sources and tolerate temperatures of up to 40 °C. The results of the polyphasic study confirmed that this isolate represents a novel species of the genus Streptomyces , for which the name Streptomyces apricus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of this species is SUN51T (=NRRL B-65543T=JCM 33736T).

Phosphorylation-dependent mitotic SUMOylation drives nuclear envelope-chromatin interactions

In eukaryotes, chromatin binding to the inner nuclear membrane (INM) and nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) contributes to spatial organization of the genome and epigenetic programs important for gene expression. In mitosis, chromatin–nuclear envelope (NE) interactions are lost and then formed again as sister chromosomes segregate to postmitotic nuclei. Investigating these processes in S. cerevisiae, we identified temporally and spatially controlled phosphorylation-dependent SUMOylation events that positively regulate postmetaphase chromatin association with the NE. Our work establishes a phosphorylation-mediated targeting mechanism of the SUMO ligase Siz2 to the INM during mitosis, where Siz2 binds to and SUMOylates the VAP protein Scs2. The recruitment of Siz2 through Scs2 is further responsible for a wave of SUMOylation along the INM that supports the assembly and anchorage of subtelomeric chromatin at the INM and localization of an active gene (INO1) to NPCs during the later stages of mitosis and into G1-phase.

Shortening of membrane lipid acyl chains compensates for phosphatidylcholine deficiency in choline-auxotroph yeast

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is an abundant membrane lipid component in most eukaryotes, including yeast, and has been assigned multiple functions in addition to acting as building block of the lipid bilayer. Here, by isolating S. cerevisiae suppressor mutants that exhibit robust growth in the absence of PC, we show that PC essentiality is subject to cellular evolvability in yeast. The requirement for PC is suppressed by monosomy of chromosome XV or by a point mutation in the ACC1 gene encoding acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Although these two genetic adaptations rewire lipid biosynthesis in different ways, both decrease Acc1 activity, thereby reducing average acyl chain length. Consistently, soraphen A, a specific inhibitor of Acc1, rescues a yeast mutant with deficient PC synthesis. In the aneuploid suppressor, feedback inhibition of Acc1 through acyl-CoA produced by fatty acid synthase (FAS) results from upregulation of lipid synthesis. The results show that budding yeast regulates acyl chain length by fine-tuning the activities of Acc1 and FAS and indicate that PC evolved by benefitting the maintenance of membrane fluidity.

Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1), Protein Kinase A (PKA) and Cytosolic pH Regulate a Transcriptional Circuit for Lipid Droplet Formation

Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous organelles that fulfill essential roles in response to metabolic cues. The identification of several neutral lipid synthesizing and regulatory protein complexes have propelled significant advance on the mechanisms of LD biogenesis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, our understanding of signaling networks, especially transcriptional mechanisms, regulating membrane biogenesis is very limited. Here, we show that the nutrient-sensing Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1) regulates LD formation at a transcriptional level, by targeting DGA1 expression, in a Sit4-, Mks1-, and Sfp1-dependent manner. We show that cytosolic pH (pHc), co-regulated by the plasma membrane H+-ATPase Pma1 and the vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase), acts as a second messenger, upstream of protein kinase A (PKA), to adjust the localization and activity of the major transcription factor repressor Opi1, which in turn controls the metabolic switch between phospholipid metabolism and lipid storage. Together, this work delineates hitherto unknown molecular mechanisms that couple nutrient availability and pHc to LD formation through a transcriptional circuit regulated by major signaling transduction pathways.

Nanoscale architecture of a VAP-A-OSBP tethering complex at membrane contact sites

Membrane contact sites (MCS) are subcellular regions where two organelles appose their membranes to exchange small molecules, including lipids. Structural information on how proteins form MCS is scarce. We designed an in vitro MCS with two membranes and a pair of tethering proteins suitable for cryo-tomography analysis. It includes VAP-A, an ER transmembrane protein interacting with a myriad of cytosolic proteins, and oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP), a lipid transfer protein that transports cholesterol from the ER to the trans Golgi network. We show that VAP-A is a highly flexible protein, allowing formation of MCS of variable intermembrane distance. The tethering part of OSBP contains a central, dimeric, and helical T-shape region. We propose that the molecular flexibility of VAP-A enables the recruitment of partners of different sizes within MCS of adjustable thickness, whereas the T geometry of the OSBP dimer facilitates the movement of the two lipid-transfer domains between membranes.

Phosphatidate-mediated regulation of lipid synthesis at the nuclear/endoplasmic reticulum membrane

In yeast and higher eukaryotes, phospholipids and triacylglycerol are derived from phosphatidate at the nuclear/endoplasmic reticulum membrane. In de novo biosynthetic pathways, phosphatidate is channeled into membrane phospholipids via its conversion to CDP-diacylglycerol. Its dephosphorylation to diacylglycerol is required for the synthesis of triacylglycerol as well as for the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine via the Kennedy pathway. In addition to the role of phosphatidate as a precursor, it is a regulatory molecule in the transcriptional control of phospholipid synthesis genes via the Henry regulatory circuit. Pah1 phosphatidate phosphatase and Dgk1 diacylglycerol kinase are key players that function counteractively in the control of the phosphatidate level at the nuclear/endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Loss of Pah1 phosphatidate phosphatase activity not only affects triacylglycerol synthesis but also disturbs the balance of the phosphatidate level, resulting in the alteration of lipid synthesis and related cellular defects. The pah1Δ phenotypes requiring Dgk1 diacylglycerol kinase exemplify the importance of the phosphatidate level in the misregulation of cellular processes. The catalytic function of Pah1 requires its translocation from the cytoplasm to the nuclear/endoplasmic reticulum membrane, which is regulated through its phosphorylation in the cytoplasm by multiple protein kinases as well as through its dephosphorylation by the membrane-associated Nem1-Spo7 protein phosphatase complex. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Endoplasmic reticulum platforms for lipid dynamics edited by Shamshad Cockcroft and Christopher Stefan.

The Many Faces of Amphipathic Helices

Amphipathic helices (AHs), a secondary feature found in many proteins, are defined by their structure and by the segregation of hydrophobic and polar residues between two faces of the helix. This segregation allows AHs to adsorb at polar⁻apolar interfaces such as the lipid surfaces of cellular organelles. Using various examples, we discuss here how variations within this general scheme impart membrane-interacting AHs with different interfacial properties. Among the key parameters are: (i) the size of hydrophobic residues and their density per helical turn; (ii) the nature, the charge, and the distribution of polar residues; and (iii) the length of the AH. Depending on how these parameters are tuned, AHs can deform lipid bilayers, sense membrane curvature, recognize specific lipids, coat lipid droplets, or protect membranes from stress. Via these diverse mechanisms, AHs play important roles in many cellular processes.

The molecular recognition of phosphatidic acid by an amphipathic helix in Opi1

Phosphatidic acid (PA) lipids have a dual role as building blocks for membrane biogenesis and as active signaling molecules. This study establishes the molecular details of selective PA recognition by the transcriptional regulator Opi1 from baker’s yeast.

A key event in cellular physiology is the decision between membrane biogenesis and fat storage. Phosphatidic acid (PA) is an important intermediate at the branch point of these pathways and is continuously monitored by the transcriptional repressor Opi1 to orchestrate lipid metabolism. In this study, we report on the mechanism of membrane recognition by Opi1 and identify an amphipathic helix (AH) for selective binding of PA over phosphatidylserine (PS). The insertion of the AH into the membrane core renders Opi1 sensitive to the lipid acyl chain composition and provides a means to adjust membrane biogenesis. By rational design of the AH, we tune the membrane-binding properties of Opi1 and control its responsiveness in vivo. Using extensive molecular dynamics simulations, we identify two PA-selective three-finger grips that tightly bind the PA phosphate headgroup while interacting less intimately with PS. This work establishes lipid headgroup selectivity as a new feature in the family of AH-containing membrane property sensors.

The assembly of lipid droplets and their roles in challenged cells

Cytoplasmic lipid droplets are important organelles in nearly every eukaryotic and some prokaryotic cells. Storing and providing energy is their main function, but they do not work in isolation. They respond to stimuli initiated either on the cell surface or in the cytoplasm as conditions change. Cellular stresses such as starvation and invasion are internal insults that evoke changes in droplet metabolism and dynamics. This review will first outline lipid droplet assembly and then discuss how droplets respond to stress and in particular nutrient starvation. Finally, the role of droplets in viral and microbial invasion will be presented, where an unresolved issue is whether changes in droplet abundance promote the invader, defend the host, to try to do both. The challenges of stress and infection are often accompanied by changes in physical contacts between droplets and other organelles. How these changes may result in improving cellular physiology, an ongoing focus in the field, is discussed.

Orchestrating phospholipid biosynthesis: Phosphatidic acid conducts and Opi1p performs

Phosphatidic acid (PA) and the conserved integral ER membrane protein Scs2p regulate localization of the transcriptional repressor Opi1p, which controls expression of phospholipid biosynthesis genes, but the mechanisms conducting Opi1p localization are not fully understood. A new study suggests the existence of a distinct pool of PA in the ER that is required for regulation of Opi1p localization and thus phospholipid metabolism in yeast.