Fli-1 regulates the DN2 to DN3 thymocyte transition and promotes γδ T-cell commitment by enhancing TCR signal strength

Friend leukemia integration 1 (Fli-1) is a member of the Ets transcription factor family and is expressed during T-cell development; however, the role Fli-1 plays in early T-cell differentiation has not been elucidated. In this report, we demonstrate that in mouse, Fli-1 overexpression retards the CD4(-) CD8(-) double-negative (DN) to CD4(+) CD8(+) double-positive (DP) transition by deregulating normal DN thymocyte development. Specifically, Fli-1 expression moderates the DN2 and DN3 developmental transitions. We further show that Fli-1 overexpression partially mimics strong TCR signals in developing DN thymocytes and thereby enhances γδ T-cell development. Conversely, Fli-1 knockdown by small hairpin RNA reverses the lineage bias from γδ T cells and directs DN cells to the αβ lineage by attenuating TCR signaling. Therefore, Fli-1 plays a critical role in both the DN2 to DN3 transition and αβ/γδ lineage commitment.

Fli-1 overexpression in hematopoietic progenitors deregulates T cell development and induces pre-T cell lymphoblastic leukaemia/lymphoma

The Ets transcription factor Fli-1 is preferentially expressed in hematopoietic tissues and cells, including immature T cells, but the role of Fli-1 in T cell development has not been closely examined. To address this we retrovirally overexpressed Fli-1 in various in vitro and in vivo settings and analysed its effect on T cell development. We found that Fli-1 overexpression perturbed the DN to DP transition and inhibited CD4 development whilst enhancing CD8 development both in vitro and in vivo. Surprisingly, Fli-1 overexpression in vivo eventuated in development of pre-T cell lymphoblastic leukaemia/lymphoma (pre-T LBL). Known Fli-1 target genes such as the pro-survival Bcl-2 family members were not found to be upregulated. In contrast, we found increased NOTCH1 expression in all Fli-1 T cells and detected Notch1 mutations in all tumours. These data show a novel function for Fli-1 in T cell development and leukaemogenesis and provide a new mouse model of pre-T LBL to identify treatment options that target the Fli-1 and Notch1 signalling pathways.

An in vivo functional genetic screen for suppressors of the Rag1-/- T-cell defect

Functional genetic screens on mutant backgrounds have been successfully used in lower organisms to investigate biological processes. However, few identical screens have been performed in mice. Recombinase activating gene-1 deficient (Rag1-/-) mice have a severe T-cell developmental block owing to lack of rearrangement of their T-cell receptor (TCR) genes. Using a retroviral cDNA library derived from wild-type embryonic thymocytes we performed a suppressor screen in Rag1-/- hematopoietic cells and recovered TCRbeta. This is the first demonstration that targeted genetic screens are feasible using transduced primary cells in vivo. Consequently, this technique can be used to interrogate multiple blood lineages using diverse hematopoietic mouse mutants.

Phosphorylation of Spc110p by Cdc28p-Clb5p kinase contributes to correct spindle morphogenesis in S. cerevisiae

Spindle morphogenesis is regulated by cyclin-dependent kinases and monitored by checkpoint pathways to accurately coordinate chromosomal segregation with other events in the cell cycle. We have previously dissected the contribution of individual B-type cyclins to spindle morphogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We showed that the S-phase cyclin Clb5p is required for coupling spindle assembly and orientation. Loss of Clb5p-dependent kinase abolishes intrinsic asymmetry between the spindle poles resulting in lethal translocation of the spindle into the bud with high penetrance in diploid cells. This phenotype was exploited in a screen for high dosage suppressors that yielded spc110(Delta)(13), encoding a truncation of the spindle pole body component Spc110p (the intranuclear receptor for the gamma-tubulin complex). We found that Clb5p-GFP was localised to the spindle poles and intranuclear microtubules and that Clb5p-dependent kinase promoted cell cycle dependent phosphorylation of Spc110p contributing to spindle integrity. Two cyclin-dependent kinase consensus sites were required for this phosphorylation and were critical for the activity of spc110(Delta)(13) as a suppressor. Together, our results point to the function of cyclin-dependent kinase phosphorylation of Spc110p and provide, in addition, support to a model for Clb5p control of spindle polarity at the level of astral microtubule organisation.

Differential contribution of Bud6p and Kar9p to microtubule capture and spindle orientation in S. cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, spindle orientation is controlled by a temporal and spatial program of microtubule (MT)–cortex interactions. This program requires Bud6p/Aip3p to direct the old pole to the bud and confine the new pole to the mother cell. Bud6p function has been linked to Kar9p, a protein guiding MTs along actin cables. Here, we show that Kar9p does not mediate Bud6p functions in spindle orientation. Based on live microscopy analysis, kar9Δ cells maintained Bud6p-dependent MT capture. Conversely, bud6Δ cells supported Kar9p-associated MT delivery to the bud. Moreover, additive phenotypes in bud6Δ kar9Δ or bud6Δ dyn1Δ mutants underscored the separate contributions of Bud6p, Kar9p, and dynein to spindle positioning. Finally, tub2^C354S, a mutation decreasing MT dynamics, suppressed a kar9Δ mutation in a BUD6-dependent manner. Thus, Kar9p-independent capture at Bud6p sites can effect spindle orientation provided MT turnover is reduced. Together, these results demonstrate Bud6p function in MT capture at the cell cortex, independent of Kar9p-mediated MT delivery along actin cables.

High dosage Rhp51 suppression of the MMS sensitivity of DNA structure checkpoint mutants reveals a relationship between Crb2 and Rhp51

BACKGROUND

In eukaryotic cells DNA structure checkpoints organize the cellular responses of DNA repair and transient cell cycle arrest and thereby ensure genomic stability. To investigate the exact role of crb2+ in the DNA damage checkpoint response, a genetic screen was carried out in order to identify suppressors of the conditional MMS sensitivity of a crb2-1 mutant. Here we report the isolation of rhp51+ as a multicopy suppressor.

RESULTS

We show that suppression is not specific for the checkpoint mutant while it is specific for the MMS treatment. Rescue by rhp51+ over-expression is not a consequence of increased recombination repair or checkpoint compensation and epistasis analysis confirms that crb2+ and rhp51+ function in different pathways. A tight linkage between the two pathways is nevertheless suggested by the complementary expression or modification of Crb2 and Rhp51 proteins. Crb2 protein stability is down-regulated when Rhp51 is over-expressed and up-regulated in the absence of Rhp51. The up-regulation of Crb2 is independent of the activation of DNA structure checkpoints. Conversely Rhp51 is more readily activated and differentially modified in the absence of Crb2 or other checkpoint proteins.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that fission yeast Crb2 and Rhp51 function in two parallel, tightly connected and coordinately regulated pathways.

Spindle polarity in S. cerevisiae: MEN can tell

Spatial coordination between the axis of the spindle and the division plane is critical in asymmetric cell divisions. In the budding yeast S. cerevisiae, orientation of the mitotic spindle responds to two intertwined programs dictating the position of the spindle poles: one providing the blueprint for built-in pole asymmetry, the other sequentially confining microtubule-cortex interactions to the bud and the bud neck. The first program sets a temporal asymmetry to limit astral microtubules to a single pole prior to spindle pole separation. The second enforces this polarity by allowing these early formed microtubules to undergo capture at the bud cell cortex while stopping newly formed microtubules once cortical capture shifts to the bud neck. The remarkable precision of this integrated program results in an invariant pattern of spindle pole inheritance in which the "old" spindle pole is destined to the bud. An additional layer of asymmetry is superimposed to couple successful chromosomal segregation between the mother and the bud with mitotic exit. This is based on the asymmetric localization to the committed daughter-bound pole of signaling components of the mitotic exit network. This system operates irrespective of intrinsic spindle polarity to ensure that it is always the pole translocating into the bud that carries the signal to regulate mitotic exit.