Asymmetrical localization of Nup107-160 subcomplex components within the nuclear pore complex in fission yeast.

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) forms a gateway for nucleocytoplasmic transport. The outer ring protein complex of the NPC (the Nup107-160 subcomplex in humans) is a key component for building the NPC. Nup107-160 subcomplexes are believed to be symmetrically localized on the nuclear and cytoplasmic sides of the NPC. However, in S. pombe immunoelectron and fluorescence microscopic analyses revealed that the homologous components of the human Nup107-160 subcomplex had an asymmetrical localization: constituent proteins spNup132 and spNup107 were present only on the nuclear side (designated the spNup132 subcomplex), while spNup131, spNup120, spNup85, spNup96, spNup37, spEly5 and spSeh1 were localized only on the cytoplasmic side (designated the spNup120 subcomplex), suggesting the complex was split into two pieces at the interface between spNup96 and spNup107. This contrasts with the symmetrical localization reported in other organisms. Fusion of spNup96 (cytoplasmic localization) with spNup107 (nuclear localization) caused cytoplasmic relocalization of spNup107. In this strain, half of the spNup132 proteins, which interact with spNup107, changed their localization to the cytoplasmic side of the NPC, leading to defects in mitotic and meiotic progression similar to an spNup132 deletion strain. These observations suggest the asymmetrical localization of the outer ring spNup132 and spNup120 subcomplexes of the NPC is necessary for normal cell cycle progression in fission yeast.

Compositionally distinct nuclear pore complexes of functionally distinct dimorphic nuclei in the ciliate Tetrahymena.

The nuclear pore complex (NPC), a gateway for nucleocytoplasmic trafficking, is composed of ∼30 different proteins called nucleoporins. It remains unknown whether the NPCs within a species are homogeneous or vary depending on the cell type or physiological condition. Here, we present evidence for compositionally distinct NPCs that form within a single cell in a binucleated ciliate. In Tetrahymena thermophila, each cell contains both a transcriptionally active macronucleus (MAC) and a germline micronucleus (MIC). By combining in silico analysis, mass spectrometry analysis for immuno-isolated proteins and subcellular localization analysis of GFP-fused proteins, we identified numerous novel components of MAC and MIC NPCs. Core members of the Nup107-Nup160 scaffold complex were enriched in MIC NPCs. Strikingly, two paralogs of Nup214 and of Nup153 localized exclusively to either the MAC or MIC NPCs. Furthermore, the transmembrane components Pom121 and Pom82 localize exclusively to MAC and MIC NPCs, respectively. Our results argue that functional nuclear dimorphism in ciliates is likely to depend on the compositional and structural specificity of NPCs.

Nuclear localization signal targeting to macronucleus and micronucleus in binucleated ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila.

Ciliated protozoa possess two morphologically and functionally distinct nuclei: a macronucleus (MAC) and a micronucleus (MIC). The MAC is transcriptionally active and functions in all cellular events. The MIC is transcriptionally inactive during cell growth, but functions in meiotic events to produce progeny nuclei. Thus, these two nuclei must be distinguished by the nuclear proteins required for their distinct functions during cellular events such as cell proliferation and meiosis. To understand the mechanism of the nuclear transport specific to either MAC or MIC, we identified specific nuclear localization signals (NLSs) in two MAC- and MIC-specific nuclear proteins, macronuclear histone H1 and micronuclear linker histone-like protein (Mlh1), respectively. By expressing GFP-fused fragments of these proteins in Tetrahymena thermophila cells, two distinct regions in macronuclear histone H1 protein were assigned as independent MAC-specific NLSs and two distinct regions in Mlh1 protein were assigned as independent MIC-specific NLSs. These NLSs contain several essential lysine residues responsible for the MAC- and MIC-specific nuclear transport, but neither contains any consensus sequence with known monopartite or bipartite NLSs in other model organisms. Our findings contribute to understanding how specific nuclear targeting is achieved to perform distinct nuclear functions in binucleated ciliates.

Biased assembly of the nuclear pore complex is required for somatic and germline nuclear differentiation in Tetrahymena.

Ciliates have two functionally distinct nuclei, a somatic macronucleus (MAC) and a germline micronucleus (MIC) that develop from daughter nuclei of the last postzygotic division (PZD) during the sexual process of conjugation. Understanding this nuclear dimorphism is a central issue in ciliate biology. We show, by live-cell imaging of Tetrahymena, that biased assembly of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) occurs immediately after the last PZD, which generates anterior-posterior polarized nuclei: MAC-specific NPCs assemble in anterior presumptive MACs but not in posterior presumptive MICs. MAC-specific NPC assembly in the anterior nuclei occurs much earlier than transport of Twi1p, which is required for MAC genome rearrangement. Correlative light-electron microscopy shows that addition of new nuclear envelope (NE) precursors occurs through the formation of domains of redundant NE, where the outer double membrane contains the newly assembled NPCs. Nocodazole inhibition of the second PZD results in assembly of MAC-specific NPCs in the division-failed zygotic nuclei, leading to failure of MIC differentiation. Our findings demonstrate that NPC type switching has a crucial role in the establishment of nuclear differentiation in ciliates.

Identification and characterization of nuclear pore complex components in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) facilitates nucleocytoplasmic transport, a crucial process for various cellular activities. The NPC comprises ~30 nucleoporins and is well characterized in vertebrates and yeast. However, only eight plant nucleoporins have been identified, and little information is available about the complete molecular structure of plant NPCs. In this study, an interactive proteomic approach was used to identify Arabidopsis thaliana nucleoporins. A series of five cycles of interactive proteomic analysis was performed using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged nucleoporins. The identified nucleoporins were then cloned and subcellular localization analyses were performed. We found that the plant NPC contains at least 30 nucleoporins, 22 of which had not been previously annotated. Surprisingly, plant nucleoporins shared a similar domain organization to their vertebrate (human) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) counterparts. Moreover, the plant nucleoporins exhibited higher sequence homology to vertebrate nucleoporins than to yeast nucleoporins. Plant NPCs lacked seven components (NUCLEOPORIN358 [Nup358], Nup188, Nup153, Nup45, Nup37, NUCLEAR DIVISION CYCLE1, and PORE MEMBRANE PROTEIN OF 121 kD) that were present in vertebrate NPCs. However, plants possessed a nucleoporin, Nup136/Nup1, that contained Phe-Gly repeats, and sequence analysis failed to identify a vertebrate homolog for this protein. Interestingly, Nup136-GFP showed greater mobility on the nuclear envelope than did other nucleoporins, and a Nup136/Nup1 deficiency caused various defects in plant development. These findings provide valuable new information about plant NPC structure and function.

Vine-Twining Inclusion Behavior of Amylose towards Hydrophobic Polyester, Poly(ß-propiolactone), in Glucan Phosphorylase-Catalyzed Enzymatic Polymerization.

This study investigates inclusion behavior of amylose towards, poly(ß-propiolactone) (PPL), that is a hydrophobic polyester, via the vine-twining process in glucan phosphorylase (GP, isolated from thermophilic bacteria, Aquifex aeolicus VF5)-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization. As a result of poor dispersibility of PPL in sodium acetate buffer, the enzymatically produced amylose by GP catalysis incompletely included PPL in the buffer media under the general vine-twining polymerization conditions. Alternatively, we employed an ethyl acetate-sodium acetate buffer emulsion system with dispersing PPL as the media for vine-twining polymerization. Accordingly, the GP (from thermophilic bacteria)-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization of an α-d-glucose 1-phosphate monomer from a maltoheptaose primer was performed at 50 °C for 48 h in the prepared emulsion to efficiently form the inclusion complex. The powder X-ray diffraction profile of the precipitated product suggested that the amylose-PPL inclusion complex was mostly produced in the above system. The 1H NMR spectrum of the product also supported the inclusion complex structure, where a calculation based on an integrated ratio of signals indicated an almost perfect inclusion of PPL in the amylosic cavity. The prevention of crystallization of PPL in the product was suggested by IR analysis, because it was surrounded by the amylosic chains due to the inclusion complex structure.

Live CLEM Imaging of Tetrahymena to Analyze the Dynamic Behavior of the Nuclear Pore Complex.

Tetrahymena is a fascinating organism for studying the nuclear pore complex because it has two structurally and functionally distinct nuclei (macronucleus and micronucleus) within a cell, and there are two compositionally distinct nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) with different functions in each nucleus. Therefore, it is possible to link the function of a specific constituent protein with the nuclear function of the macronucleus and micronucleus. Additionally, these NPCs undergo dynamic changes in their structures and compositions during nuclear differentiation. Live CLEM imaging, a method of correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) combined with live cell imaging, is a powerful tool for visualizing these dynamic changes of specific molecules/structures of interest at high resolution. Here, we describe Live CLEM that can be applied to the study of the dynamic behavior of NPCs in Tetrahymena cells undergoing nuclear differentiation.

Nucleoporin Nup98: a gatekeeper in the eukaryotic kingdoms.

The nucleoporin Nup98 is an essential component of the nuclear pore complex. This peripheral nucleoporin with its Gly-Leu-Phe-Gly (GLFG) repeat domain contributes to nuclear-cytoplasmic trafficking, including mRNA export. In addition, accumulating studies indicate that Nup98 plays roles in several important biological events such as gene expression, mitotic checkpoint, and pathogenesis. Nup98 is well conserved among organisms belonging to the fungi and animal kingdoms. These kingdoms belong to the eukaryotic supergroup Opisthokonta. However, there is considerable diversity in the Nup98 orthologs expressed in organisms belonging to other eukaryotic supergroups. Intriguingly, in ciliates, a unicellular organism having two functionally distinct nuclei, GLFG-Nup98 is present in one of the nuclei and a distinct Nup98 ortholog is present in the other nucleus, and these different Nup98s participate in a nucleus-selective transport mechanism. In this review, we focus on Nup98 function and discuss how this nucleoporin has evolved in eukaryotic kingdoms.

Identification of the evolutionarily conserved nuclear envelope proteins Lem2 and MicLem2 in Tetrahymena thermophila.

Lem2 family proteins, i.e. the LAP2-Emerin-MAN1 (LEM) domain-containing nuclear envelope proteins, are well-conserved from yeasts to humans, both of which belong to the Opisthokonta supergroup. However, whether their homologs are present in other eukaryotic phylogenies remains unclear. In this study, we identified two Lem2 homolog proteins, which we named as Lem2 and MicLem2, in a ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila belonging to the SAR supergroup. Lem2 was localized to the nuclear envelope of the macronucleus (MAC) and micronucleus (MIC), while MicLem2 was exclusively localized to the nuclear envelope of the MIC. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that Lem2 in T. thermophila was localized to both the inner and outer nuclear envelopes of the MAC and MIC, while MicLem2 was mostly localized to the nuclear pores of the MIC. Molecular domain analysis using GFP-fused protein showed that the N-terminal and luminal domains, including the transmembrane segments, are responsible for nuclear envelope localization. During sexual reproduction, enrichment of Lem2 occurred in the nuclear envelopes of the MAC and MIC to be degraded, while MicLem2 was enriched in the nuclear envelope of the MIC that escaped degradation. These findings suggest the unique characteristics of Tetrahymena Lem2 proteins. Our findings provide insight into the evolutionary divergence of nuclear envelope proteins.

Subcellular Targeting of the Euplotes raikovi Kinase Er-MAPK1, as Revealed by Expression in Different Cell Systems.

In the ciliate Euplotes raikovi, a 631-amino acid Er-MAPK1 protein kinase was found to localize in nucleoli of the transcriptionally active nucleus (macronucleus) and act as a key component of an autocrine, cell-growth promoting self-signaling mechanism. While its 283-amino acid N-terminal domain includes all the structural specificities of the mitogen-activated protein kinases required for a catalytic function, the 348-amino acid C-terminal domain is structurally unique with undetermined functions. By expressing the two Er-MAPK1 domains tagged with the green fluorescent protein in mammalian fibroblasts, the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, evidence was obtained that the C-terminal domain contains all the sequence information responsible for the Er-MAPK1 subcellular localization. However, in fibroblasts and S. pombe this information determined a nucleolar localization of the GFP-tagged C-terminal domain, and a ciliary localization in T. thermophila. In the light of these findings, the Er-MAPK1 localization in E. raikovi was re-examined via immunoreactions and shown to be ciliary besides that nuclear, as is the case for the mammalian intestinal cell kinase with which the Er-MAPK1 N-terminal domain shares a strong sequence identity and a catalytic function.

Identification of the evolutionarily conserved nuclear envelope proteins Lem2 and MicLem2 in Tetrahymena thermophila.

Lem2 family proteins, i.e. the LAP2-Emerin-MAN1 (LEM) domain-containing nuclear envelope proteins, are well-conserved from yeasts to humans, both of which belong to the Opisthokonta supergroup. However, whether their homologs are present in other eukaryotic phylogenies remains unclear. In this study, we identified two Lem2 homolog proteins, which we named as Lem2 and MicLem2, in a ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila belonging to the SAR supergroup. Lem2 was localized to the nuclear envelope of the macronucleus (MAC) and micronucleus (MIC), while MicLem2 was exclusively localized to the nuclear envelope of the MIC. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that Lem2 in T. thermophila was localized to both the inner and outer nuclear envelopes of the MAC and MIC, while MicLem2 was mostly localized to the nuclear pores of the MIC. Molecular domain analysis using GFP-fused protein showed that the N-terminal and luminal domains, including the transmembrane segments, are responsible for nuclear envelope localization. During sexual reproduction, enrichment of Lem2 occurred in the nuclear envelopes of the MAC and MIC to be degraded, while MicLem2 was enriched in the nuclear envelope of the MIC that escaped degradation. These findings suggest the unique characteristics of Tetrahymena Lem2 proteins. Our findings provide insight into the evolutionary divergence of nuclear envelope proteins.

Remodeling the Specificity of an Endosomal CORVET Tether Underlies Formation of Regulated Secretory Vesicles in the Ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila.

In the endocytic pathway of animals, two related complexes, called CORVET (class C core vacuole/endosome transport) and HOPS (homotypic fusion and protein sorting), act as both tethers and fusion factors for early and late endosomes, respectively. Mutations in CORVET or HOPS lead to trafficking defects and contribute to human disease, including immune dysfunction. HOPS and CORVET are conserved throughout eukaryotes, but remarkably, in the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, the HOPS-specific subunits are absent, while CORVET-specific subunits have proliferated. VPS8 (vacuolar protein sorting), a CORVET subunit, expanded to 6 paralogs in Tetrahymena. This expansion correlated with loss of HOPS within a ciliate subgroup, including the Oligohymenophorea, which contains Tetrahymena. As uncovered via forward genetics, a single VPS8 paralog in Tetrahymena (VPS8A) is required to synthesize prominent secretory granules called mucocysts. More specifically, Δvps8a cells fail to deliver a subset of cargo proteins to developing mucocysts, instead accumulating that cargo in vesicles also bearing the mucocyst-sorting receptor Sor4p. Surprisingly, although this transport step relies on CORVET, it does not appear to involve early endosomes. Instead, Vps8a associates with the late endosomal/lysosomal marker Rab7, indicating that target specificity switching occurred in CORVET subunits during the evolution of ciliates. Mucocysts belong to a markedly diverse and understudied class of protist secretory organelles called extrusomes. Our results underscore that biogenesis of mucocysts depends on endolysosomal trafficking, revealing parallels with invasive organelles in apicomplexan parasites and suggesting that a wide array of secretory adaptations in protists, like in animals, depend on mechanisms related to lysosome biogenesis.

Function of nuclear membrane proteins in shaping the nuclear envelope integrity during closed mitosis.

The nuclear envelope (NE) not only protects the genome from being directly accessed by detrimental agents but also regulates genome organization. Breaches in NE integrity threaten genome stability and impede cellular function. Nonetheless, the NE constantly remodels, and NE integrity is endangered in dividing or differentiating cells. Specifically, in unicellular eukaryotes undergoing closed mitosis, the NE expands instead of breaking down during chromosome segregation. The newly assembling nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) penetrate the existing NE in interphase. A peculiar example of NE remodelling during nuclear differentiation in Tetrahymena involves formation of the redundant NE and clustered NPCs. Even under these conditions, the NE remains intact. Many recent studies on unicellular organisms have revealed that nuclear membrane proteins, such as LEM-domain proteins, play a role in maintaining NE integrity. This review summarizes and discusses how nuclear membrane proteins participate in NE integrity.

An endosomal syntaxin and the AP-3 complex are required for formation and maturation of candidate lysosome-related secretory organelles (mucocysts) in Tetrahymena thermophila.

The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila synthesizes large secretory vesicles called mucocysts. Mucocyst biosynthesis shares features with dense core granules (DCGs) in animal cells, including proteolytic processing of cargo proteins during maturation. However, other molecular features have suggested relatedness to lysosome-related organelles (LROs). LROs, which include diverse organelles in animals, are formed via convergence of secretory and endocytic trafficking. Here we analyzed Tetrahymena syntaxin 7-like 1 (Stx7l1p), a Qa-SNARE whose homologues in other lineages are linked with vacuoles/LROs. Stx7l1p is targeted to both immature and mature mucocysts and is essential in mucocyst formation. In STX7L1-knockout cells, the two major classes of mucocyst cargo proteins localize independently, accumulating in largely nonoverlapping vesicles. Thus initial formation of immature mucocysts involves heterotypic fusion, in which a subset of mucocyst proteins is delivered via an endolysosomal compartment. Further, we show that subsequent maturation requires AP-3, a complex widely implicated in LRO formation. Knockout of the µ-subunit gene does not impede delivery of any known mucocyst cargo but nonetheless arrests mucocyst maturation. Our data argue that secretory organelles in ciliates may represent a new class of LROs and reveal key roles of an endosomal syntaxin and AP-3 in the assembly of this complex compartment.

Live correlative light-electron microscopy to observe molecular dynamics in high resolution.

Fluorescence microscopy (FM) is a powerful tool for observing specific molecular components in living cells, but its spatial resolution is relatively low. In contrast, electron microscopy (EM) provides high-resolution information about cellular structures, but it cannot provide temporal information in living cells. To achieve molecular selectivity in imaging at high resolution, a method combining EM imaging with live-cell fluorescence imaging, known as live correlative light-EM (CLEM), has been developed. In this method, living cells are first observed by FM, fixed in situ during the live observation and then subjected to EM observation. Various fluorescence techniques and tools can be applied for FM, resulting in the generation of various modified methods that are useful for understanding cellular structure in high resolution. Here, we review the methods of CLEM and live-cell imaging associated with CLEM (live CLEM). Such methods can greatly advance the understanding of the function of cellular structures on a molecular level, and thus are useful for medical fields as well as for basic biology.

Uniquely designed nuclear structures of lower eukaryotes.

The nuclear structures of lower eukaryotes, specifically protists, often vary from those of yeasts and metazoans. Several studies have demonstrated the unique and fascinating features of these nuclear structures, such as a histone-independent condensed chromatin in dinoflagellates and two structurally distinct nuclear pore complexes in ciliates. Despite their unique molecular/structural features, functions required for formation of their cognate molecules/structures are highly conserved. This provides important information about the structure-function relationship of the nuclear structures. In this review, we highlight characteristic nuclear structures found in lower eukaryotes, and discuss their attractiveness as potential biological systems for studying nuclear structures.

The nuclear pore complex acts as a master switch for nuclear and cell differentiation.

Cell differentiation is associated with the functional differentiation of the nucleus, in which alteration of the expression profiles of transcription factors occurs to destine cell fate. Nuclear transport machineries, such as importin-α, have also been reported as critical factors that induce cell differentiation. Using various fluorescence live cell imaging methods, including time-lapse imaging, FRAP analysis and live-cell imaging associated correlative light and electron microscopy (Live CLEM) of Tetrahymena, a unicellular ciliated protozoan, we have recently discovered that type switching of the NPC is the earliest detectable event of nuclear differentiation. Our studies suggest that this type switching of the NPC directs the fate of the nucleus to differentiate into either a macronucleus or a micronucleus. Our findings in this organism may provide new insights into the role of the NPC in controlling nuclear functions in general in eukaryotes, including controlling cell fate leading to cell differentiation in multicellular metazoa.

Uncleavable Nup98-Nup96 is functional in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Essential nucleoporins Nup98 and Nup96 are coded by a single open reading frame, and produced by autopeptidase cleavage. The autocleavage site of Nup98-Nup96 is highly conserved in a wide range of organisms. To understand the importance of autocleavage, we examined a mutant that produces the Nup98-Nup96 joint molecule as a sole protein product of the nup189 (+) gene in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Cells expressing only the joint molecule were found to be viable. This result indicates that autocleavage of Nup98-Nup96 is dispensable for cell growth, at least under normal culture conditions in S. pombe.

External GTP binding and induction of cell division in starved Tetrahymena thermophila.

The extracellular nucleotide, guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) is known to be a chemorepellent for ciliated protozoa such as Paramecium and Tetrahymena. Here, we studied the surface localization of GTP binding sites and also its effects on the cell division of Tetrahymena thermophila. When a ribose-modified and fluorescent analog of GTP, 2'-(or -3')-O-trinitrophenyl (TNP)-GTP was added to the cells starved in non-nutrient buffer, a remarkable fluorescence was observed at the compound cilia of the oral area, while it was weak at other cilia and the somatic membrane. Following transfer of the cells to the starvation medium, the intensity of TNP-GTP fluorescence at the oral area gradually increased and was saturated at 3-4 hours. Addition of GTP to the starved cell induced not only an avoiding reaction in swimming, but also induced a synchronous cell division that occurred 2 hours later. An attempt to search for other stimuli, which induced cell division, revealed that mechanical stimulation by a short period of centrifugation was almost as effective as the addition of GTP. The supernatant after centrifugation had the ability to induce cell division, and such activity was abolished after the supernatant was treated with the phosphatase, apyrase, suggesting the release of GTP by the mechanical stimulation. These results indicate that the released GTP binds mainly to the oral area and this then induces the cell division of starved T. thermophila.

Uptake and rapid transfer of fluorescent ceramide analogues to acidosomes (late endosomes) in Paramecium.

The ciliated protozoan Paramecium incorporates sphingolipids into its cell membranes. However, it is still unclear if these sphingolipids are metabolically synthesized in the cell or if their precursors are taken up from exogenous materials. Here we studied the route of uptake of fluorescence-labeled analogues of ceramide. Fluorescent ceramide was taken up rapidly independent of phagosome formation. Cold treatment caused a decrease in uptake, while reduction in the amount of cytosolic ATP induced by NaN(3) and deoxyglucose resulted in accumulation without internalization of fluorescence at the plasma membrane. These results suggest that uptake of fluorescent ceramide occurs at the plasma membrane, that it is an ATP-dependent process, and that it is not a result of simple diffusion. At first intracellular fluorescence appeared principally in the posterior half of the cell and then spread throughout the cytosol. In particular, a high accumulation of fluorescence occurred in association with acidosomes (late endosome or multivesicular body-like vesicles) that bind to the surface of nascent and young phagosomes. Therefore, in the Paramecium cell a significant proportion of ceramide apparently enters the cell by endocytosis and is quickly relayed to acidosomes along the endocytic pathway before becoming part of the digestive vacuole (phagoacidosome) membrane.