Nuclear RanGAP is required for the heterochromatin assembly and is reciprocally regulated by histone H3 and Clr4 histone methyltransferase in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Association of RanGAP to nuclear pore complex component, RanBP2/Nup358, is required for pupal development in Drosophila

Ran's GTPase-activating protein (RanGAP) is tethered to the nuclear envelope (NE) in multicellular organisms. We investigated the consequences of RanGAP localization in human tissue culture cells and Drosophila. In tissue culture cells, disruption of RanGAP1 NE localization surprisingly has neither obvious impacts on viability nor nucleocytoplasmic transport of a model substrate. In Drosophila, we identified a region within nucleoporin dmRanBP2 required for direct tethering of dmRanGAP to the NE. A dmRanBP2 mutant lacking this region shows no apparent growth defects during larval stages but arrests at the early pupal stage. A direct fusion of dmRanGAP to the dmRanBP2 mutant rescues this arrest, indicating that dmRanGAP recruitment to dmRanBP2 per se is necessary for the pupal ecdysis sequence. Our results indicate that while the NE localization of RanGAP is widely conserved in multicellular organisms, the targeting mechanisms are not. Further, we find a requirement for this localization during pupal development.

Investigating molecular crowding within nuclear pores using polarization-PALM

The key component of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) controlling permeability, selectivity, and the speed of nucleocytoplasmic transport is an assembly of natively unfolded polypeptides, which contain phenylalanine-glycine (FG) binding sites for nuclear transport receptors. The architecture and dynamics of the FG-network have been refractory to characterization due to the paucity of experimental methods able to probe the mobility and density of the FG-polypeptides and embedded macromolecules within intact NPCs. Combining fluorescence polarization, super-resolution microscopy, and mathematical analyses, we examined the rotational mobility of fluorescent probes at various locations within the FG-network under different conditions. We demonstrate that polarization PALM (p-PALM) provides a rich source of information about low rotational mobilities that are inaccessible with bulk fluorescence anisotropy approaches, and anticipate that p-PALM is well-suited to explore numerous crowded cellular environments. In total, our findings indicate that the NPC’s internal organization consists of multiple dynamic environments with different local properties.

Most of the genetic material inside an animal cell is enclosed within a compartment called the nucleus. This compartment is separated from the rest of the cell by the nuclear envelope, a double-membrane structure containing thousands of pores that selectively allow certain molecules (collectively referred to as cargo) to enter and exit the nucleus.

The movement of cargo through the pores is controlled by large groups of proteins called nuclear pore complexes. The pore is at the center of the complex and is filled by a selective barrier made of an extensive network of flexible proteins known as the FG-network. Other proteins known as nuclear transport receptors bind to the proteins in the FG-network and carry cargos through the barrier.

The properties of the nuclear pore barrier and how it rapidly selects the right cargos have been difficult to study, in part, because the barrier network is constantly changing and is crowded with hundreds of transport receptors. New techniques are needed to investigate such highly crowded environments inside cells. Now, Fu et al. use a technique called polarization photoactivated localization microscopy (p-PALM) to explore the molecular crowding within the nuclear pore barrier in human cells. This technique measures the freedom with which a single molecule embedded in the network can rotate, providing information about the local environment. In a crowded environment, it is harder for the probe molecule to rotate as it is more likely to bump into other molecules.

Fu et al. found that there are different levels of crowding within the barrier. This is consistent with previous ideas of how the pore barrier could work, which propose that the nuclear transport receptors are less tightly packed in the center of the FG-network. This enables transport receptor and cargo complexes to move more rapidly through the center of the pore. The molecular crowding in the barrier of nuclear pores parallels that observed in other cellular compartments that also rely on assemblies of proteins with flexible structures. Thus, future work using p-PALM is expected to reveal more details about the biophysical properties of nuclear pores as well as those of other structures inside cells.

Virtual Nuclear Envelope Breakdown and Its Regulators in Fission Yeast Meiosis

Ran, a small GTPase, is required for the spindle formation and nuclear envelope (NE) formation. After NE breakdown (NEBD) during mitosis in metazoan cells, the Ran-GTP gradient across the NE is lost and Ran-GTP becomes concentrated around chromatin, thus affecting the stability of microtubules and promoting the assembly of spindle microtubules and segregation of chromosomes. Mitosis in which chromosomes are segregated subsequent to NEBD is called “open mitosis.” In contrast, many fungi undergo a process termed “closed mitosis” in which chromosome segregation and spindle formation occur without NEBD. Although the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe undergoes a closed mitosis, it exhibits a short period during meiosis (anaphase of the second meiosis; called “anaphase II”) when nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins are mixed in the presence of intact NE and nuclear pore complexes (NPC). This “virtual” nuclear envelope breakdown (vNEBD) involves changes in the localization of RanGAP1, an activator of Ran-GTP hydrolysis. Recently, Nup132, a component of the structural core Nup107-160 subcomplex of the NPC, has been shown to be involved in the maintenance of the nuclear cytoplasmic barrier in yeast meiosis. In this review, we highlight the possible roles of RanGAP1 and Nup132 in vNEBD and discuss the biological significance of vNEBD in S. pombe meiosis.

The Cellular Distribution of RanGAP1 Is Regulated by CRM1-Mediated Nuclear Export in Mammalian Cells

The Ran GTPase activating protein RanGAP1 plays an essential role in nuclear transport by stimulating RanGTP hydrolysis in the cytoplasmic compartment. In mammalian cells, unmodified RanGAP1 is predominantly cytoplasmic, whereas modification by small ubiquitin-related modifier protein (SUMO) targets RanGAP1 to the cytoplasmic filaments of nuclear pore complex (NPC). Although RanGAP1 contains nine putative nuclear export signals and a nuclear localization signal, little is known if RanGAP1 shuttles between the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments and how its primary localization in the cytoplasm and at the NPC is regulated. Here we show that inhibition of CRM1-mediated nuclear export using RNAi-knockdown of CRM1 and inactivation of CRM1 by leptomycin B (LMB) results in nuclear accumulation of RanGAP1. LMB treatment induced a more robust redistribution of RanGAP1 from the cytoplasm to the nucleoplasm compared to CRM1 RNAi and also uniquely triggered a decrease or loss of RanGAP1 localization at the NPC, suggesting that LMB treatment is more effective in inhibiting CRM1-mediated nuclear export of RanGAP1. Our time-course analysis of LMB treatment reveals that the NPC-associated RanGAP1 is much more slowly redistributed to the nucleoplasm than the cytoplasmic RanGAP1. Furthermore, LMB-induced nuclear accumulation of RanGAP1 is positively correlated with an increase in levels of SUMO-modified RanGAP1, suggesting that SUMOylation of RanGAP1 may mainly take place in the nucleoplasm. Lastly, we demonstrate that the nuclear localization signal at the C-terminus of RanGAP1 is required for its nuclear accumulation in cells treated with LMB. Taken together, our results elucidate that RanGAP1 is actively transported between the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments, and that the cytoplasmic and NPC localization of RanGAP1 is dependent on CRM1-mediated nuclear export.

The selfish Segregation Distorter gene complex of Drosophila melanogaster

Segregation Distorter (SD) is an autosomal meiotic drive gene complex found worldwide in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. During spermatogenesis, SD induces dysfunction of SD(+) spermatids so that SD/SD(+) males sire almost exclusively SD-bearing progeny rather than the expected 1:1 Mendelian ratio. SD is thus evolutionarily "selfish," enhancing its own transmission at the expense of its bearers. Here we review the molecular and evolutionary genetics of SD. Genetic analyses show that the SD is a multilocus gene complex involving two key loci--the driver, Segregation distorter (Sd), and the target of drive, Responder (Rsp)--and at least three upward modifiers of distortion. Molecular analyses show that Sd encodes a truncated duplication of the gene RanGAP, whereas Rsp is a large pericentromeric block of satellite DNA. The Sd-RanGAP protein is enzymatically wild type but mislocalized within cells and, for reasons that remain unclear, appears to disrupt the histone-to-protamine transition in drive-sensitive spermatids bearing many Rsp satellite repeats but not drive-insensitive spermatids bearing few or no Rsp satellite repeats. Evolutionary analyses show that the Sd-RanGAP duplication arose recently within the D. melanogaster lineage, exploiting the preexisting and considerably older Rsp satellite locus. Once established, the SD haplotype collected enhancers of distortion and suppressors of recombination. Further dissection of the molecular genetic and cellular basis of SD-mediated distortion seems likely to provide insights into several important areas currently understudied, including the genetic control of spermatogenesis, the maintenance and evolution of satellite DNAs, the possible roles of small interfering RNAs in the germline, and the molecular population genetics of the interaction of genetic linkage and natural selection.

Nuclear translocation of RanGAP1 coincides with virtual nuclear envelope breakdown in fission yeast meiosis

In higher eukaryotes, mitosis proceeds with nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD) and disassembly of the nuclear pore complex (NPC); this is designated "open" mitosis. On the other hand, in many fungi, mitosis and chromosome segregation takes place without NEBD; this is designated "closed" mitosis. In a recent study on Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a closed mitosis organism, we reported a novel phenomenon that is equivalent to NEBD: a mixing of nuclear proteins and cytoplasmic proteins occurred transiently for a few minutes in meiosis without physical breakdown of the nuclear envelope. We designated this event virtual nuclear envelope breakdown (V-NEBD). In S. pombe, nuclear translocation of Rna1, a RanGAP1 homolog in S. pombe, occurs during meiosis, and this translocation of Rna1 leads to collapse of the Ran-GTP gradient across the nuclear envelope and occurs coincidently with V-NEBD. Here, we describe possible roles of RanGAP1 in V-NEBD in S. pombe and provide insights into the roles V-NEBD may play in meiosis.

The design of Förster (fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based molecular sensors for Ran GTPase

The application of FRET-based molecular biosensors provided confirmation of the central model of Ran GTPase function and led to important new insights into its physiological role. In many fields of cell biology, methods employing FRET are a standard approach that is becoming increasingly accessible due to advances in instrumentation and available fluorophores. However, the optimal design of a FRET sensor remains to be the cornerstone of any successful FRET application. Utilizing the recent literature on FRET applications and our studies on Ran, we outline the basic considerations involved in designing molecular FRET sensors. We point to several broadly applicable principles that were used in many different FRET sensors that can detect a wide range of molecular events. Using the FRET sensors for Ran that we created as examples, we then focus on the practical aspects of FRET assays. We describe the preparation of a bipartite FRET sensor consisting of ECFP-Ran and EYFP-importin beta and its validation as a reporter for FRET-based high throughput screening in small molecule libraries. Finally, we review the design and optimization of monomolecular FRET sensors that monitor the RanGTP-RanBP1 interaction, and of sensors detecting the RanGTP-regulated importin beta cargo release.

The nuclear export factor Xpo1p targets Mad1p to kinetochores in yeast

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate all nucleocytoplasmic traffic and provide docking sites for the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) protein Mad1p. Upon SAC activation, Mad1p is recruited onto kinetochores and rapidly cycles between NPCs and kinetochores. We examined the mechanism of Mad1p movement onto kinetochores and show that it is controlled by two components of the nuclear transport machinery, the exportin Xpo1p and Ran-guanosine triphosphate (GTP). Mad1p contains a nuclear export signal (NES) that is recognized by Xpo1p. The NES, Xpo1p, and RanGTP are all required for Mad1p recruitment onto kinetochores in checkpoint-activated cells. Consistent with this function, Xpo1p also accumulates on kinetochores after SAC activation. We have also shown that Xpo1p and RanGTP are required for the dynamic cycling of Mad1p between NPCs and kinetochores in checkpoint-arrested cells. These results reveal an important function for Xpo1p in mediating intranuclear transport events and identify a signaling pathway between kinetochores and NPCs.

Schizosaccharomyces pombe Snf2SR, a novel SNF2 family protein, interacts with Ran GTPase and modulates both RanGEF and RanGAP activities

Snf2SR, a suppressor of rna1(ts), which is a temperature-sensitive mutation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe RanGAP (GTPase activating protein), possesses both the SNF2 and the helicase domains conserved in the chromatin remodeling SNF2 ATPase/helicase protein family. We have now clarified a function of Snf2SR. Snf2SR indeed showed DNA-stimulated ATPase activity, proving that it is a member of the SNF2 ATPase/helicase family. Consistent with this role, Snf2SR was localized in the nucleus and cell fractionation analysis revealed that Snf2SR was tightly associated with the nuclear matrix. The disruption of snf2SR(+) was detrimental for a cell proliferation of S. pombe. Snf2SR that did not enhance RanGAP activity by itself, but abolished histone-H3-mediated RanGAP inhibition, as previously reported for the histone H3 methyltransferase, Clr4, another rna1(ts) suppressor. In contrast to Clr4, Snf2SR directly bound to the GDP-bound form of the S. pombe Ran homologue Spi1 and enhanced the nucleotide exchange activity of Pim1, the S. pombe RanGEF (guanine nucleotide exchange factor). Over-expression of Spi1-G18V, a Ran GTPase mutant fixed in the GTP-bound form, was lethal to S. pombe Deltasnf2SR. Together, our results indicate that Snf2SR is involved in the Ran GTPase cycle in vivo.

Genetic evidence that Ras-like GTPases, Gtr1p, and Gtr2p, are involved in epigenetic control of gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Gtr1p and Gtr2p of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are members of the Ras-like GTP binding family and interact genetically with Prp20p (yeast RCC1), which is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Gsp1p (yeast homolog of Ran, involved in nuclear export). Recently, Gtr1p and Gtr2p were suggested to be molecular switches in the rapamycin-sensitive TOR signaling pathway. Here, we show that Gtr1p and Gtr2p genetically interact with the chromatin remodeling factor Ino80p. Gtr2p interacted physically with both Rvb1p and Rvb2p. Consistent with these results, Gtr2p localized to chromatin and could activate transcription. Gtr1p and Gtr2p were found to be involved in chromatin silencing in the vicinity of telomeres. Gtr1p and Gtr2p were required to repress nitrogen catabolite-repressed genes, which are repressed by the TOR signaling pathway. We propose that Gtr1p and Gtr2p are involved in epigenetic control of gene expression in the TOR signaling pathway.

Mutations in Ran system affected telomere silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The Ran GTPase system regulates the direction and timing of several cellular events, such as nuclear-cytosolic transport, centrosome formation, and nuclear envelope assembly in telophase. To gain insight into the Ran system's involvement in chromatin formation, we investigated gene silencing at the telomere in several mutants of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which had defects in genes involved in the Ran system. A mutation of the RanGAP gene, rna1-1, caused reduced silencing at the telomere, and partial disruption of the nuclear Ran binding factor, yrb2-delta2, increased this silencing. The reduced telomere silencing in rna1-1 cells was suppressed by a high dosage of the SIR3 gene or the SIT4 gene. Furthermore, hyperphosphorylated Sir3 protein accumulated in the rna1-1 mutant. These results suggest that RanGAP is required for the heterochromatin structure at the telomere in budding yeast.

Identification of novel suppressors for Mog1 implies its involvement in RNA metabolism, lipid metabolism and signal transduction

Mog1 is conserved from yeast to mammal, but its function is obscure. We isolated yeast genes that rescued a temperature-sensitive death of S. cerevisiae Scmog1Delta, and of S. pombe Spmog1(ts). Scmog1Delta was rescued by Opi3p, a phospholipid N-methyltransferase, in addition to S. cerevisiae Ran-homologue Gsp1p, and a RanGDP binding protein Ntf2p. On the other hand, Spmog1(ts) was rescued by Cid13 that is a poly (A) polymerase specific for suc22(+) mRNA encoding a subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, Ssp1 that is a protein kinase involved in stress response pathway, and Crp79 that is required for mRNA export, in addition to Spi1, S. pombe Ran-homologue, and Nxt2, S. pombe homologue of Ntf2p. Consistent with the identification of those suppressors, lack of ScMog1p dislocates Opi3p from the nuclear membrane and all of Spmog1(ts) showed the nuclear accumulation of mRNA. Furthermore, SpMog1 was co-precipitated with Nxt2 and Cid13.

Does genetic conflict drive rapid molecular evolution of nuclear transport genes inDrosophila?

The Segregation Distorter (SD) system of Drosophila melanogaster is one the best-characterized meiotic drive complexes known. SD gains an unfair transmission advantage through heterozygous SD/SD(+) males by incapacitating SD(+)-bearing spermatids so that virtually all progeny inherit SD. Segregation distorter (Sd), the primary distorting locus in the SD complex, is a truncated duplication of the RanGAP gene, a major regulator of the small GTPase Ran, which has several functions including the maintenance of the nucleocytoplasmic RanGTP concentration gradient that mediates nuclear transport. The truncated Sd-RanGAP protein is enzymatically active but mislocalizes to the nucleus where it somehow causes distortion. Here I present data consistent with the idea that wild-type RanGAP, and possibly other loci able to influence the RanGTP gradient, has been caught up in an ancient genetic conflict that predates the SD complex. The legacy of this conflict could include the unexpectedly rapid evolution of nuclear transport-related proteins, the accumulation of chromosomal inversions, the recruitment of gene duplications, and the turnover of repetitive sequences in the centric heterochromatin.