A protein interaction map of the mitotic spindle.

The mitotic spindle consists of a complex network of proteins that segregates chromosomes in eukaryotes. To strengthen our understanding of the molecular composition, organization, and regulation of the mitotic spindle, we performed a system-wide two-hybrid screen on 94 proteins implicated in spindle function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We report 604 predominantly novel interactions that were detected in multiple screens, involving 303 distinct prey proteins. We uncovered a pattern of extensive interactions between spindle proteins reflecting the intricate organization of the spindle. Furthermore, we observed novel connections between kinetochore complexes and chromatin-modifying proteins and used phosphorylation site mutants of NDC80/TID3 to gain insights into possible phospho-regulation mechanisms. We also present analyses of She1p, a novel spindle protein that interacts with the Dam1 kinetochore/spindle complex. The wealth of protein interactions presented here highlights the extent to which mitotic spindle protein functions and regulation are integrated with each other and with other cellular activities.

The 2 micron plasmid purloins the yeast cohesin complex: a mechanism for coupling plasmid partitioning and chromosome segregation?

The yeast 2 micron plasmid achieves high fidelity segregation by coupling its partitioning pathway to that of the chromosomes. Mutations affecting distinct steps of chromosome segregation cause the plasmid to missegregate in tandem with the chromosomes. In the absence of the plasmid stability system, consisting of the Rep1 and Rep2 proteins and the STB DNA, plasmid and chromosome segregations are uncoupled. The Rep proteins, acting in concert, recruit the yeast cohesin complex to the STB locus. The periodicity of cohesin association and dissociation is nearly identical for the plasmid and the chromosomes. The timely disassembly of cohesin is a prerequisite for plasmid segregation. Cohesin-mediated pairing and unpairing likely provides a counting mechanism for evenly partitioning plasmids either in association with or independently of the chromosomes.

The actin-regulating kinase Prk1p negatively regulates Scd5p, a suppressor of clathrin deficiency, in actin organization and endocytosis.

Endocytosis is a dynamic process requiring a network of interacting proteins that assemble and disassemble during cargo capture and vesicle formation. A major mechanism for regulation of this process involves the reversible phosphorylation of endocytic factors. Recently, members of a new kinase family, the Ark/Prk kinases, which include mammalian AAK1 and GAK as well as yeast Prk1p, Ark1p, and Akl1p, were shown to regulate components of the endocytic machinery. These include animal AP-1/AP-2 mu chains and yeast Pan1p (Eps15-like), Sla1p, and epsins, but other potential targets are likely. SCD5, an essential yeast gene, was identified as a suppressor of clathrin deficiency. We also showed that Scd5p is required for normal cortical actin organization and endocytosis, possibly as a targeting subunit for protein phosphatase type 1 (PP1). Scd5p contains a central triple repeat (3R) motif related to a known Prk1p consensus phosphorylation site L/IxxQxTG, except that Q is replaced by T. In this study we demonstrate that the Scd5p 3R sequence is phosphorylated by Prk1p to negatively regulate Scd5p. Furthermore, we show that Prk1p, Ark1p, and Akl1p have different substrate specificities and play distinct roles in actin organization and endocytosis.

Four novel suppressors of gic1 gic2 and their roles in cytokinesis and polarized cell growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Gic1 and Gic2 are two Cdc42/Rac interactive binding (CRIB) domain-containing effectors of Cdc42-GTPase that promote polarized cell growth in S. cerevisiae. To identify novel genes that functionally interact with Gic1 and Gic2, we screened for high-copy suppressors of a gic1 gic2 temperature-sensitive strain. We identified two pairs of structurally related genes, SKG6-TOS2 and VHS2-MLF3. These genes have been implicated in polarized cell growth, but their functions have not previously been characterized. We found that overproduction of Skg6 and Tos2 in wild-type cells causes aberrant localization of Cdc3 septin and actin structures as well as defective recruitment of Hof1 and impaired formation of the septum at the mother-bud neck. These data suggest a negative regulatory function for Skg6 and Tos2 in cytokinesis. Consistent with this model, deletion of SKG6 suppresses the growth defects associated with loss of HOF1, a positive regulator of cytokinesis. Our analysis of the second pair of gic1 gic2 suppressors, VHS2 and MLF3, suggests that they regulate polarization of the actin cytoskeleton and cell growth and function in a pathway distinct from and parallel to GIC1 and GIC2.

Mcm1 promotes replication initiation by binding specific elements at replication origins.

Minichromosome maintenance protein 1 (Mcm1) is required for efficient replication of autonomously replicating sequence (ARS)-containing plasmids in yeast cells. Reduced DNA binding activity in the Mcm1-1 mutant protein (P97L) results in selective initiation of a subset of replication origins and causes instability of ARS-containing plasmids. This plasmid instability in the mcm1-1 mutant can be overcome for a subset of ARSs by the inclusion of flanking sequences. Previous work showed that Mcm1 binds sequences flanking the minimal functional domains of ARSs. Here, we dissected two conserved telomeric X ARSs, ARS120 (XARS6L) and ARS131a (XARS7R), that replicate with different efficiencies in the mcm1-1 mutant. We found that additional Mcm1 binding sites in the C domain of ARS120 that are missing in ARS131a are responsible for efficient replication of ARS120 in the mcm1-1 mutant. Mutating a conserved Mcm1 binding site in the C domain diminished replication efficiency in ARS120 in wild-type cells, and increasing the number of Mcm1 binding sites stimulated replication efficiency. Our results suggest that threshold occupancy of Mcm1 in the C domain of telomeric ARSs is required for efficient initiation. We propose that origin usage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae may be regulated by the occupancy of Mcm1 at replication origins.

Deciphering protein kinase specificity through large-scale analysis of yeast phosphorylation site motifs.

Phosphorylation is a universal mechanism for regulating cell behavior in eukaryotes. Although protein kinases target short linear sequence motifs on their substrates, the rules for kinase substrate recognition are not completely understood. We used a rapid peptide screening approach to determine consensus phosphorylation site motifs targeted by 61 of the 122 kinases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By correlating these motifs with kinase primary sequence, we uncovered previously unappreciated rules for determining specificity within the kinase family, including a residue determining P-3 arginine specificity among members of the CMGC [CDK (cyclin-dependent kinase), MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase), GSK (glycogen synthase kinase), and CDK-like] group of kinases. Furthermore, computational scanning of the yeast proteome enabled the prediction of thousands of new kinase-substrate relationships. We experimentally verified several candidate substrates of the Prk1 family of kinases in vitro and in vivo and identified a protein substrate of the kinase Vhs1. Together, these results elucidate how kinase catalytic domains recognize their phosphorylation targets and suggest general avenues for the identification of previously unknown kinase substrates across eukaryotes.

Regulation of Sli15/INCENP, kinetochore, and Cdc14 phosphatase functions by the ribosome biogenesis protein Utp7.

The Sli15-Ipl1-Bir1 chromosomal passenger complex is essential for proper kinetochore-microtubule attachment and spindle stability in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. During early anaphase, release of the Cdc14 protein phosphatase from the nucleolus leads to the dephosphorylation of Sli15 and redistribution of this complex from kinetochores to the spindle. We show here that the predominantly nucleolar ribosome biogenesis protein Utp7 is also present at kinetochores and is required for normal organization of kinetochore proteins and proper chromosome segregation. Utp7 associates with and regulates the localization of Sli15 and Cdc14. Before anaphase onset, it prevents the premature nucleolar release of Cdc14 and the premature concentration of Sli15 on the spindle. Furthermore, Utp7 can regulate the localization and phosphorylation status of Sli15 independent of its effect on Cdc14 function. Thus, Utp7 is a multifunctional protein that plays essential roles in the vital cellular processes of ribosome biogenesis, chromosome segregation, and cell cycle control.

Aurora B kinase and protein phosphatase 1 have opposing roles in modulating kinetochore assembly.

The outer kinetochore binds microtubules to control chromosome movement. Outer kinetochore assembly is restricted to mitosis, whereas the inner kinetochore remains tethered to centromeres throughout the cell cycle. The cues that regulate this transient assembly are unknown. We find that inhibition of Aurora B kinase significantly reduces outer kinetochore assembly in Xenopus laevis and human tissue culture cells, frog egg extracts, and budding yeast. In X. leavis M phase extracts, preassembled kinetochores disassemble after inhibiting Aurora B activity with either drugs or antibodies. Kinetochore disassembly, induced by Aurora B inhibition, is rescued by restraining protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) activity. PP1 is necessary for kinetochores to disassemble at the exit from M phase, and purified enzyme is sufficient to cause disassembly on isolated mitotic nuclei. These data demonstrate that Aurora B activity is required for kinetochore maintenance and that PP1 is necessary and sufficient to disassemble kinetochores. We suggest that Aurora B and PP1 coordinate cell cycle-dependent changes in kinetochore assembly though phosphorylation of kinetochore substrates.

Phospho-regulation of kinetochore-microtubule attachments by the Aurora kinase Ipl1p.

The Aurora kinase Ipl1p plays a crucial role in regulating kinetochore-microtubule attachments in budding yeast, but the underlying basis for this regulation is not known. To identify Ipl1p targets, we first purified 28 kinetochore proteins from yeast protein extracts. These studies identified five previously uncharacterized kinetochore proteins and defined two additional kinetochore subcomplexes. We then used mass spectrometry to identify 18 phosphorylation sites in 7 of these 28 proteins. Ten of these phosphorylation sites are targeted directly by Ipl1p, allowing us to identify a consensus phosphorylation site for an Aurora kinase. Our systematic mutational analysis of the Ipl1p phosphorylation sites demonstrated that the essential microtubule binding protein Dam1p is a key Ipl1p target for regulating kinetochore-microtubule attachments in vivo.