Sts1 can overcome the loss of Rad23 and Rpn10 and represents a novel regulator of the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway

Yeast 26S proteasome nuclear import is coupled to nucleus-specific degradation of the karyopherin adaptor protein Sts1

In eukaryotes, the ubiquitin-proteasome system is an essential pathway for protein degradation and cellular homeostasis. 26S proteasomes concentrate in the nucleus of budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae due to the essential import adaptor protein Sts1 and the karyopherin-α protein Srp1. Here, we show that Sts1 facilitates proteasome nuclear import by recruiting proteasomes to the karyopherin-α/β heterodimer. Following nuclear transport, the karyopherin proteins are likely separated from Sts1 through interaction with RanGTP in the nucleus. RanGTP-induced release of Sts1 from the karyopherin proteins initiates Sts1 proteasomal degradation in vitro. Sts1 undergoes karyopherin-mediated nuclear import in the absence of proteasome interaction, but Sts1 degradation in vivo is only observed when proteasomes successfully localize to the nucleus. Sts1 appears to function as a proteasome import factor during exponential growth only, as it is not found in proteasome storage granules (PSGs) during prolonged glucose starvation, nor does it appear to contribute to the rapid nuclear reimport of proteasomes following glucose refeeding and PSG dissipation. We propose that Sts1 acts as a single-turnover proteasome nuclear import factor by recruiting karyopherins for transport and undergoing subsequent RanGTP-initiated ubiquitin-independent proteasomal degradation in the nucleus.

Nuclear and cytoplasmic spatial protein quality control is coordinated by nuclear-vacuolar junctions and perinuclear ESCRT

Effective protein quality control (PQC), essential for cellular health, relies on spatial sequestration of misfolded proteins into defined inclusions. Here we reveal the coordination of nuclear and cytoplasmic spatial PQC. Cytoplasmic misfolded proteins concentrate in a cytoplasmic juxtanuclear quality control compartment, while nuclear misfolded proteins sequester into an intranuclear quality control compartment (INQ). Particle tracking reveals that INQ and the juxtanuclear quality control compartment converge to face each other across the nuclear envelope at a site proximal to the nuclear-vacuolar junction marked by perinuclear ESCRT-II/III protein Chm7. Strikingly, convergence at nuclear-vacuolar junction contacts facilitates VPS4-dependent vacuolar clearance of misfolded cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins, the latter entailing extrusion of nuclear INQ into the vacuole. Finding that nuclear-vacuolar contact sites are cellular hubs of spatial PQC to facilitate vacuolar clearance of nuclear and cytoplasmic inclusions highlights the role of cellular architecture in proteostasis maintenance.

The Cellular Location of Rad23, a Polyubiquitin Chain-Binding Protein, Plays a Key Role in Its Interaction with Substrates of the Proteasome

Well-studied structural motifs in Rad23 have been shown to bind polyubiquitin chains and the proteasome. These domains are predicted to enable Rad23 to transport polyubiquitylated (polyUb) substrates to the proteasome (Chen and Madura, 2002 [1]). The validation of this model, however, has been hindered by the lack of specific physiological substrates of Rad23. We report here that Rad23 can bind Ho-endonuclease (Ho-endo), a nuclear protein that initiates mating-type switching in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We observed that the degradation of Ho-endo required export from the nucleus, in agreement with a previous report (Kaplun et al., 2003 [2]), and suggests that Rad23 can traffic proteins out of the nucleus. In agreement, the subcellular distribution of Rad23 is noticeably altered in genetic mutants that disrupt nucleocytoplasmic trafficking. Significantly, the location of Rad23 affected its binding to polyUb substrates. Mutations in nuclear export stabilized substrates, and caused accumulation in the nucleus. Importantly, Rad23 also accumulated in the nucleus in an export mutant, and bound to higher levels of polyUb proteins. In contrast, Rad23 is localized in the cytosol in rna1-1, a nucleocytoplasmic transport mutant, and it forms reduced binding to polyUb substrates. These and other studies indicate that substrates that are conjugated to polyubiquitin chains in the nucleus may rely on an export-dependent mechanism to be degraded by the proteasome. The evolutionary conservation of Rad23 and similar substrate-trafficking proteins predicts an important role for export in the turnover of nuclear proteins.

The Sts1 nuclear import adapter uses a non-canonical bipartite nuclear localization signal and is directly degraded by the proteasome

The proteasome is an essential regulator of protein homeostasis. In yeast and many mammalian cells, proteasomes strongly concentrate in the nucleus. Sts1 from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an essential protein linked to proteasome nuclear localization. Here, we show that Sts1 contains a non-canonical bipartite nuclear localization signal (NLS) important for both nuclear localization of Sts1 itself and the proteasome. Sts1 binds the karyopherin-α import receptor (Srp1) stoichiometrically, and this requires the NLS. The NLS is essential for viability, and over-expressed Sts1 with an inactive NLS interferes with 26S proteasome import. The Sts1-Srp1 complex binds preferentially to fully assembled 26S proteasomes in vitro Sts1 is itself a rapidly degraded 26S proteasome substrate; notably, this degradation is ubiquitin independent in cells and in vitro and is inhibited by Srp1 binding. Mutants of Sts1 are stabilized, suggesting that its degradation is tightly linked to its role in localizing proteasomes to the nucleus. We propose that Sts1 normally promotes nuclear import of fully assembled proteasomes and is directly degraded by proteasomes without prior ubiquitylation following karyopherin-α release in the nucleus.

Cdc48 and Ubx1 participate in a pathway associated with the inner nuclear membrane that governs Asi1 degradation

The nuclear envelope is a barrier comprising outer and inner membranes that separate the cytoplasm from the nucleoplasm. The two membranes have different physical characteristics and protein compositions. The processes governing the stability of inner nuclear membrane (INM) proteins are not well characterized. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the INM Asi1-Asi3 complex, principally composed of integral membrane proteins Asi1 and Asi3, is an E3 ubiquitin ligase. In addition to its well-documented function in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation, the Doa10 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex partially localizes to the INM. The Asi1-Asi3 and Doa10 complexes define independent INM-associated degradation (INMAD) pathways that target discrete sets of nuclear substrates for proteasomal degradation. Here, we report that Asi1 is rapidly turned over (t1/2≤30 min). Its turnover depends on ubiquitin-mediated degradation by nucleus-localized proteasomes, exhibiting a clear requirement for the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc7, Cue1 and the AAA ATPase Cdc48 and co-factor Ubx1. Asi1 turnover occurs largely independently of the Asi1-Asi3 or Doa10 complexes, indicating that it is subject to quality control at the INM in a manner distinct from that of the characterized INMAD pathways.

Yeast importin-α (Srp1) performs distinct roles in the import of nuclear proteins and in targeting proteasomes to the nucleus

Srp1 (importin-α) can translocate proteins that contain a nuclear localization signal (NLS) into the nucleus. The loss of Srp1 is lethal, although several temperature-sensitive mutants have been described. Among these mutants, srp1-31 displays the characteristic nuclear import defect of importin-α mutants, whereas srp1-49 shows a defect in protein degradation. We characterized these and additional srp1 mutants to determine whether distinct mechanisms were required for intracellular proteolysis and the import of NLS-containing proteins. We determined that srp1 mutants that failed to import NLS-containing proteins (srp1-31 and srp1-55) successfully localized proteasomes to the nucleus. In contrast, srp1 mutants that did not target proteasomes to the nucleus (srp1-49 and srp1-E402Q) were able to import NLS-containing proteins. The proteasome targeting defect of specific srp1 mutants caused stabilization of nuclear substrates and overall accumulation of multiubiquitylated proteins. Co-expression of a member of each class of srp1 mutants corrected both the proteasome localization defect and the import of NLS-containing proteins. These findings indicate that the targeting of proteasomes to the nucleus occurs by a mechanism distinct from the Srp1-mediated import of nuclear proteins.

A nuclear ubiquitin-proteasome pathway targets the inner nuclear membrane protein Asi2 for degradation

The nuclear envelope consists of inner and outer nuclear membranes. Whereas the outer membrane is an extension of the endoplasmic reticulum, the inner nuclear membrane (INM) represents a unique membranous environment containing specific proteins. The mechanisms of integral INM protein degradation are unknown. Here, we investigated the turnover of Asi2, an integral INM protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We report that Asi2 is degraded by the proteasome independently of the vacuole and that it exhibited a half-life of ∼45 min. Asi2 exhibits enhanced stability in mutants lacking the E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzymes Ubc6 or Ubc7, or the E3 ubiquitin ligase Doa10. Consistent with these data, Asi2 is post-translationally modified by poly-ubiquitylation in a Ubc7- and Doa10-dependent manner. Importantly Asi2 degradation is significantly reduced in a sts1-2 mutant that fails to accumulate proteasomes in the nucleus, indicating that Asi2 is degraded in the nucleus. Our results reveal a molecular pathway that affects the stability of integral proteins of the inner nuclear membrane and indicate that Asi2 is subject to protein quality control in the nucleus.

Degradation of specific nuclear proteins occurs in the cytoplasm in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The ubiquitin/proteasome system has been characterized extensively, although the site of nuclear substrate turnover has not been established definitively. We report here that two well-characterized nuclear proteins are stabilized in nuclear export mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The requirement for nuclear export defines a new regulatory step in intracellular proteolysis.

Nuclear import factor Srp1 and its associated protein Sts1 couple ribosome-bound nascent polypeptides to proteasomes for cotranslational degradation

Cotranslational protein degradation plays an important role in protein quality control and proteostasis. Although ubiquitylation has been suggested to signal cotranslational degradation of nascent polypeptides, cotranslational ubiquitylation occurs at a low level, suggesting the existence of an alternative route for delivery of nascent polypeptides to the proteasome. Here we report that the nuclear import factor Srp1 (also known as importin α or karyopherin α) is required for ubiquitin-independent cotranslational degradation of the transcription factor Rpn4. We further demonstrate that cotranslational protein degradation is generally impaired in the srp1-49 mutant. Srp1 binds nascent polypeptides emerging from the ribosome. The association of proteasomes with polysomes is weakened in srp1-49. The interaction between Srp1 and the proteasome is mediated by Sts1, a multicopy suppressor of srp1-49. The srp1-49 and sts1-2 mutants are hypersensitive to stressors that promote protein misfolding, underscoring the physiological function of Srp1 and Sts1 in degradation of misfolded nascent polypeptides. This study unveils a previously unknown role for Srp1 and Sts1 in cotranslational protein degradation and suggests a novel model whereby Srp1 and Sts1 cooperate to couple proteasomes to ribosome-bound nascent polypeptides.

Sts1 plays a key role in targeting proteasomes to the nucleus

The evidence that nuclear proteins can be degraded by cytosolic proteasomes has received considerable experimental support. However, the presence of proteasome subunits in the nucleus also suggests that protein degradation could occur within this organelle. We determined that Sts1 can target proteasomes to the nucleus and facilitate the degradation of a nuclear protein. Specific sts1 mutants showed reduced nuclear proteasomes at the nonpermissive temperature. In contrast, high expression of Sts1 increased the levels of nuclear proteasomes. Sts1 targets proteasomes to the nucleus by interacting with Srp1, a nuclear import factor that binds nuclear localization signals. Deletion of the NLS in Sts1 prevented its interaction with Srp1 and caused proteasome mislocalization. In agreement with this observation, a mutation in Srp1 that weakened its interaction with Sts1 also reduced nuclear targeting of proteasomes. We reported that Sts1 could suppress growth and proteolytic defects of rad23Δ rpn10Δ. We show here that Sts1 suppresses a previously undetected proteasome localization defect in this mutant. Taken together, these findings explain the suppression of rad23Δ rpn10Δ by Sts1 and suggest that the degradation of nuclear substrates requires efficient proteasome localization.

Arabidopsis HEMERA/pTAC12 initiates photomorphogenesis by phytochromes

Light plays a profound role in plant development, yet how photoreceptor excitation directs phenotypic plasticity remains elusive. One of the earliest effects of light is the regulated translocation of the red/far-red photoreceptors, phytochromes, from the cytoplasm to subnuclear foci called phytochrome nuclear bodies. The function of these nuclear bodies is unknown. We report the identification of hemera, a seedling lethal mutant of Arabidopsis with altered phytochrome nuclear body patterns. hemera mutants are impaired in all phytochrome responses examined, including proteolysis of phytochrome A and phytochrome-interacting transcription factors. HEMERA was identified previously as pTAC12, a component of a plastid complex associated with transcription. Here, we show that HEMERA has a function in the nucleus, where it acts specifically in phytochrome signaling, is predicted to be structurally similar to the multiubiquitin-binding protein, RAD23, and can partially rescue yeast rad23mutants. Together, these results implicate phytochrome nuclear bodies as sites of proteolysis.