OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY PREDICTORS OF SHORT-TERM VISUAL ACUITY IN EYES WITH MACULAR EDEMA SECONDARY TO RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION TREATED WITH INTRAVITREAL CONBERCEPT.

PURPOSE: To identify the spectral domain optical coherence tomography predictors of visual prognosis in retinal vein occlusion macular edema after intravitreal conbercept injection. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 63 treatment-naive retinal vein occlusion macular edema eyes received pro re nata intravitreal conbercept with at least 3 months of follow-up. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography scans were recorded at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after starting therapy. On spectral domain optical coherence tomography, the following lesions in the 1-mm-wide retinal area centered on the fovea: disorganization of the retinal inner layer extent, cysts, hyperreflective foci, microaneurysms, external limiting membrane or ellipsoid zone disruption, foveal bulge, and foveal depression were evaluated by masked graders. Regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors of BCVA at 1- and 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: The thicker central subfield thickness, greater extent of external limiting membrane disruption, and presence of hyperreflective foci >20 at baseline were correlated with the worse baseline BCVA (all P < 0.05). The greater extent of external limiting membrane disruption and presence of hyperreflective foci >20 at baseline were associated with poorer BCVA during follow-up (all P < 0.05). The central subfield thickness and extent of ellipsoid zone disruption at baseline and their changes over time were correlated with the 3-month BCVA improvement (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, changes in the ellipsoid zone disruption extent or central subfield thickness after 1 month identified eyes with a high likelihood of subsequent BCVA improvement or decline. CONCLUSION: The external limiting membrane status and hyperreflective foci >20 at baseline could be good predictors for short-term visual outcome, whereas the central subfield thickness and ellipsoid zone status at baseline and their changes over time may predict visual improvement in patients with retinal vein occlusion macular edema after intravitreal conbercept injection.

Stainless steel corrosion scale formed in reclaimed water: Characteristics, model for scale growth and metal element release.

Stainless steels generally have extremely good corrosion resistance, but are still susceptible to pitting corrosion. As a result, corrosion scales can form on the surface of stainless steel after extended exposure to aggressive aqueous environments. Corrosion scales play an important role in affecting water quality. These research results showed that interior regions of stainless steel corrosion scales have a high percentage of chromium phases. We reveal the morphology, micro-structure and physicochemical characteristics of stainless steel corrosion scales. Stainless steel corrosion scale is identified as a podiform chromite deposit according to these characteristics, which is unlike deposit formed during iron corrosion. A conceptual model to explain the formation and growth of stainless steel corrosion scale is proposed based on its composition and structure. The scale growth process involves pitting corrosion on the stainless steel surface and the consecutive generation and homogeneous deposition of corrosion products, which is governed by a series of chemical and electrochemical reactions. This model shows the role of corrosion scales in the mechanism of iron and chromium release from pitting corroded stainless steel materials. The formation of corrosion scale is strongly related to water quality parameters. The presence of HClO results in higher ferric content inside the scales. Cl- and SO42- ions in reclaimed water play an important role in corrosion pitting of stainless steel and promote the formation of scales.

Dissecting the gene network of dietary restriction to identify evolutionarily conserved pathways and new functional genes.

Dietary restriction (DR), limiting nutrient intake from diet without causing malnutrition, delays the aging process and extends lifespan in multiple organisms. The conserved life-extending effect of DR suggests the involvement of fundamental mechanisms, although these remain a subject of debate. To help decipher the life-extending mechanisms of DR, we first compiled a list of genes that if genetically altered disrupt or prevent the life-extending effects of DR. We called these DR-essential genes and identified more than 100 in model organisms such as yeast, worms, flies, and mice. In order for other researchers to benefit from this first curated list of genes essential for DR, we established an online database called GenDR (http://genomics.senescence.info/diet/). To dissect the interactions of DR-essential genes and discover the underlying lifespan-extending mechanisms, we then used a variety of network and systems biology approaches to analyze the gene network of DR. We show that DR-essential genes are more conserved at the molecular level and have more molecular interactions than expected by chance. Furthermore, we employed a guilt-by-association method to predict novel DR-essential genes. In budding yeast, we predicted nine genes related to vacuolar functions; we show experimentally that mutations deleting eight of those genes prevent the life-extending effects of DR. Three of these mutants (OPT2, FRE6, and RCR2) had extended lifespan under ad libitum, indicating that the lack of further longevity under DR is not caused by a general compromise of fitness. These results demonstrate how network analyses of DR using GenDR can be used to make phenotypically relevant predictions. Moreover, gene-regulatory circuits reveal that the DR-induced transcriptional signature in yeast involves nutrient-sensing, stress responses and meiotic transcription factors. Finally, comparing the influence of gene expression changes during DR on the interactomes of multiple organisms led us to suggest that DR commonly suppresses translation, while stimulating an ancient reproduction-related process.

Up-regulation of Osh6 boosts an anti-aging membrane trafficking pathway toward vacuoles.

Members of the family of oxysterol-binding proteins mediate non-vesicular lipid transport between membranes and contribute to longevity in different manners. We previously found that a 2-fold up-regulation of Osh6, one of seven yeast oxysterol-binding proteins, remedies vacuolar morphology defects in mid-aged cells, partly down-regulates the target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1), and increases the replicative lifespan. At the molecular level, Osh6 transports phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM). To decipher how an ER-PM working protein controls vacuolar morphology, we tested genetic interactions between OSH6 and DRS2, whose protein flips PS from the lumen to the cytosolic side of the Golgi, the organelle between ER and vacuoles in many pathways. Up-regulated OSH6 complemented vacuolar morphology of drs2Δ and enriched PI4P on the Golgi, indicating that Osh6 also works on the Golgi. This altered PI4P-enrichment led to a delay in the secretion of the proton ATPase Pma1 to the PM and a rerouting of Pma1 to vacuoles in a manner dependent on the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to late endosome (LE) trafficking pathway. Since the TGN-LE pathway controls endosomal and vacuolar TORC1, it may be the anti-aging pathway boosted by up-regulated Osh6.

Glutamate Transporters EAAT2 and EAAT5 Differentially Shape Synaptic Transmission from Rod Bipolar Cell Terminals.

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) control visual signal transmission in the retina by rapidly removing glutamate released from photoreceptors and bipolar cells (BCs). Although it has been reported that EAAT2 and EAAT5 are expressed at presynaptic terminals of photoreceptors and some BCs in mammals, the distinct functions of these two glutamate transporters in retinal synaptic transmission, especially at a single synapse, remain elusive. In this study, we found that EAAT2 was expressed in all BC types while coexisting with EAAT5 in rod bipolar (RB) cells and several types of cone BCs from mice of either sex. Our immunohistochemical study, together with a recently published literature (Gehlen et al., 2021), showed that EAAT2 and EAAT5 were both located in RB axon terminals near release sites. Optogenetic, electrophysiological and pharmacological analyses, however, demonstrated that EAAT2 and EAAT5 regulated neurotransmission at RB→AII amacrine cell synapses in significantly different ways: EAAT5 dramatically affected both the peak amplitude and kinetics of postsynaptic responses in AIIs, whereas EAAT2 had either relatively small or opposite effects. By contrast, blockade of EAAT1/GLAST, which was exclusively expressed in Müller cells, showed no obvious effect on AII responses, indicating that glutamate uptake by Müller cells did not influence synaptic transmission from RB terminals. Furthermore, we found that temporal resolution at RB→AII synapses was reduced substantially by blockade of EAAT5 but not EAAT2. Taken together, our work reveals the distinct functions of EAAT2 and EAAT5 in signal transmission at RB ribbon synapses.

The Vac14p-Fig4p complex acts independently of Vac7p and couples PI3,5P2 synthesis and turnover.

Phosphoinositide-signaling lipids function in diverse cellular pathways. Dynamic changes in the levels of these signaling lipids regulate multiple processes. In particular, when Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells are exposed to hyperosmotic shock, PI3,5P2 (phosphatidylinositol [PI] 3,5-bisphosphate) levels transiently increase 20-fold. This causes the vacuole to undergo multiple acute changes. Control of PI3,5P2 levels occurs through regulation of both its synthesis and turnover. Synthesis is catalyzed by the PI3P 5-kinase Fab1p, and turnover is catalyzed by the PI3,5P2 5-phosphatase Fig4p. In this study, we show that two putative Fab1p activators, Vac7p and Vac14p, independently regulate Fab1p activity. Although Vac7p only regulates Fab1p, surprisingly, we find that Vac14 regulates both Fab1p and Fig4p. Moreover, Fig4p itself functions in both PI3,5P2 synthesis and turnover. In both the absence and presence of Vac7p, the Vac14p-Fig4p complex controls the hyperosmotic shock-induced increase in PI3,5P2 levels. These findings suggest that the dynamic changes in PI3,5P2 are controlled through a tight coupling of synthesis and turnover.

An age-dependent feedback control model of calcium dynamics in yeast cells.

The functional decline of selected proteins or organelles leads to aging at the intracellular level. Identification of these proteins or organelles is usually challenging to traditional single-factor approaches since these factors are inter-connected via feedback or feedforward controls. Establishing a feedback control model to simulate the interactions of multiple factors is an insightful approach to guide the search for proteins involved in aging. However, there are only a few mathematical models describing the age-dependent accumulation of DNA mutations, which are directly or indirectly induced by deterioration of the intracellular environment including alteration of calcium homeostasis, a contributor of aging. Thus, based on Cui and Kaandorp's model, we develop an age-dependent mathematical model for the calcium homeostasis in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Our model contains cell cycle-dependent aging factors and can qualitatively reproduce calcium shocks and calcium accumulations in cells observed in experiments. Using this model, we predict calcium oscillations in wild type, pmc1 Delta, and pmr1 Delta cells. This prediction suggests that Pmr1p plays a major role in regulating cytosolic calcium. Combining the model with our experimental lifespan data, we predict an upper-limit of cytosolic calcium tolerance for cell survival. This prediction indicates that, for aged cells (>35 generations), no pmr1 Delta can tolerate the cytosolic calcium concentration of 0.1 microM while a very small fraction (1%) of aged wild type cells (>50 generations) can tolerate a high cytosolic calcium concentration of 0.5 microM.

Identification of an organelle-specific myosin V receptor.

Class V myosins are widely distributed among diverse organisms and move cargo along actin filaments. Some myosin Vs move multiple types of cargo, where the timing of movement and the destinations of selected cargoes are unique. Here, we report the discovery of an organelle-specific myosin V receptor. Vac17p, a novel protein, is a component of the vacuole-specific receptor for Myo2p, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae myosin V. Vac17p interacts with the Myo2p cargo-binding domain, but not with vacuole inheritance-defective myo2 mutants that have single amino acid changes within this region. Moreover, a region of the Myo2p tail required specifically for secretory vesicle transport is neither required for vacuole inheritance nor for Vac17p-Myo2p interactions. Vac17p is localized on the vacuole membrane, and vacuole-associated Myo2p increases in proportion with an increase in Vac17p. Furthermore, Vac17p is not required for movement of other cargo moved by Myo2p. These findings demonstrate that Vac17p is a component of a vacuole-specific receptor for Myo2p. Organelle-specific receptors such as Vac17p provide a mechanism whereby a single type of myosin V can move diverse cargoes to distinct destinations at different times.

A structural approach for finding functional modules from large biological networks.

BACKGROUND: Biological systems can be modeled as complex network systems with many interactions between the components. These interactions give rise to the function and behavior of that system. For example, the protein-protein interaction network is the physical basis of multiple cellular functions. One goal of emerging systems biology is to analyze very large complex biological networks such as protein-protein interaction networks, metabolic networks, and regulatory networks to identify functional modules and assign functions to certain components of the system. Network modules do not occur by chance, so identification of modules is likely to capture the biologically meaningful interactions in large-scale PPI data. Unfortunately, existing computer-based clustering methods developed to find those modules are either not so accurate or too slow. RESULTS: We devised a new methodology called SCAN (Structural Clustering Algorithm for Networks) that can efficiently find clusters or functional modules in complex biological networks as well as hubs and outliers. More specifically, we demonstrated that we can find functional modules in complex networks and classify nodes into various roles based on their structures. In this study, we showed the effectiveness of our methodology using the budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) protein-protein interaction network. To validate our clustering results, we compared our clusters with the known functions of each protein. Our predicted functional modules achieved very high purity comparing with state-of-the-art approaches. Additionally the theoretical and empirical analysis demonstrated a linear running-time of the algorithm, which is the fastest approach for networks. CONCLUSION: We compare our algorithm with well-known modularity based clustering algorithm CNM. We successfully detect functional groups that are annotated with putative GO terms. Top-10 clusters with minimum p-value theoretically prove that newly proposed algorithm partitions network more accurately then CNM. Furthermore, manual interpretations of functional groups found by SCAN show superior performance over CNM.

Modeling a simplified regulatory system of blood glucose at molecular levels.

In this paper, we propose a new mathematical control system for a simplified regulatory system of blood glucose by taking into account the dynamics of glucose and glycogen in liver and the dynamics of insulin and glucagon receptors at the molecular level. Numerical simulations show that the proposed feedback control system agrees approximately with published experimental data. Sensitivity analysis predicts that feedback control gains of insulin receptors and glucagon receptors are robust. Using the model, we develop a new formula to compute the insulin sensitivity. The formula shows that the insulin sensitivity depends on various parameters that determine the insulin influence on insulin-dependent glucose utilization and reflect the efficiency of binding of insulin to its receptors. Using Lyapunov indirect method, we prove that the new control system is input-output stable. The stability result provides theoretical evidence for the phenomenon that the blood glucose fluctuates within a narrow range in response to the exogenous glucose input from food. We also show that the regulatory system is controllable and observable. These structural system properties could explain why the glucose level can be regulated.

Madagascine Induces Vasodilatation via Activation of AMPK.

Madagascine (3-isopentenyloxyemodin) can be chemically synthesized or purified from several Rhamnus species, and it is found to have more potent biological activities than the parent compound emodin. The aim of this study is to characterize the vasodilatory effect of madagascine on vasoconstriction and sphingosylphosphorylcholine induced vasospasm in ex vivo and reveal the potential mechanisms in vitro. The effects of madagascine on vasoconstriction of rat mesenteric resistance arteries (MRAs) induced by K+, methoxamine, and endothelin-1 were, respectively, studied. The cholesterol-enriched porcine coronary vascular smooth muscle (VSM) strips were used to investigate the effects of madagascine on abnormal constriction induced by sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) which has a pivotal role in vasospasm. The vasodilatory effect was induced by madagascine (0.3-100 µM) in isolated rat MRAs and the vasodilatory effect was blocked by NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME and AMPK inhibitor compound C. Madagascine (10 µM) also significantly relaxed the abnormal constriction in porcine VSM induced by SPC and the effect was abolished by compound C. Madagascine significantly increased the phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in endothelial cells while decreasing the phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1) in VSM cells. Madagascine-induced vasodilatation was abrogated using small interfering RNA knockdown of AMPK. In summary, madagascine exerted vasodilatation through activating AMPK, leading to the activation of eNOS in endothelium and inhibition of ROCK/MYPT1 in VSM. This study suggests the potential value of madagascine in amelioration of vasospasm related cardiovascular diseases.

Osh6 overexpression extends the lifespan of yeast by increasing vacuole fusion.

In yeast cells, the vacuole divides and fuses in each round of cell cycle. While mutants defective in vacuole fusion are "wild type" for vegetative growth, most have shortened replicative lifespans under caloric restriction (CR) condition, a manipulation that extends lifespan in wild type cells. To explore whether vacuole fusion extends lifespan, we screened for genes that can complement the fusion defect of selected mutants (erg6Δ, a sterol mutant; nyv1Δ,  a mutant involved in the vacuolar SNARE complex and vac8Δ, a vacuolar membrane protein mutant). This screen revealed that Osh6, a member of the oxysterol-binding protein family, can complement the vacuole fusion defect of nyv1Δ, but not erg6Δ or vac8Δ, suggesting that Osh6's function in vacuole fusion is partly dependent on membrane ergosterol and Vac8. To measure the effect of OSH6 on lifespan, we replaced the endogenous promoter of OSH6 with a shorter version of the ERG6 promoter to obtain PERG6-OSH6. This mutant construct significantly extended the replicative lifespan in a wild type background and in a nyv1Δ mutant. Interestingly, PERG6-OSH6 cells were more sensitive to drugs that inhibit the activity of the TOR complex 1 (TORC1) than wild type cells. Moreover, a PERG6-OSH6 tor1Δ double mutant demonstrated a greatly shortened lifespan, suggesting a genetic interaction between Osh6 and Tor1. Since active TORC1 stimulates vacuole scission and CR downregulates TORC1, Osh6 may link these two pathways by adjusting vacuolar membrane organization to extend lifespan.

Designing dynamical output feedback controllers for store-operated Ca²+ entry.

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) has been proposed as the main process controlling Ca²+ entry in non-excitable cells. Although recent breakthroughs in experimental studies of SOCE have been made, its mathematical modeling has not been developed. In the present work, SOCE is viewed as a feedback control system subject to an extracellular agonist disturbance and an extracellular calcium input. We then design a dynamic output feedback controller to reject the disturbance and track Ca²+ resting levels in the cytosol and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The constructed feedback control system is validated by published experimental data and its global asymptotic stability is proved by using the LaSalle's invariance principle. We then simulate the dynamic responses of STIM1 and Orai1, two major components in the operation of the store-operated channels, to the depletion of Ca²+ in the ER with thapsigargin, which show that: (1) Upon the depletion of Ca²+ in the ER, the concentrations of activated STIM1 and STIM1-Orai1 cluster are elevated gradually, indicating that STIM1 is accumulating in the ER-PM junctions and that the cytosolic portion of the active STIM1 is binding to Orai1 and driving the opening of CRAC channels for Ca²+ entry; (2) after the extracellular Ca²+ addition, the concentrations of both STIM1 and STIM1-Orai1 cluster decrease but still much higher than the original levels. We also simulate the system responses to the agonist disturbance, which show that, when a sequence of periodic agonist pulses is applied, the system returns to its equilibrium after each pulse. This indicates that the designed feedback controller can reject the disturbance and track the equilibrium.

A molecular mathematical model of glucose mobilization and uptake.

A new molecular mathematical model is developed by considering the kinetics of GLUT2, GLUT3, and GLUT4, the process of glucose mobilization by glycogen phosphorylase and glycogen synthase in liver, and the dynamics of the insulin signaling pathway. The new model can qualitatively reproduce the experimental glucose and insulin data. It also enables us to use the Bendixson criterion about the existence of periodic orbits of a two-dimensional dynamical system to mathematically predict that the oscillations of glucose and insulin are not caused by liver, instead they would be caused by the mechanism of insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. Furthermore it enables us to conduct a parametric sensitivity analysis. The analysis shows that both glucose and insulin are most sensitive to the rate constant for conversion of PI(3,4,5)P(3) to PI(4,5)P(2), the multiplicative factor modulating the rate constant for conversion of PI(3,4,5)P(3) to PI(4,5)P(2), the multiplicative factor that modulates insulin receptor dephosphorylation rate, and the maximum velocity of GLUT4. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis predicts that an increase of the apparent velocity of GLUT4, a combination of elevated mobilization rate of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane and an extended duration of GLUT4 on the plasma membrane, will result in a decrease in the needs of plasma insulin. On the other hand, an increase of the GLUT4 internalization rate results in an elevated demand of insulin to stimulate the mobilization of GLUT4 from the intracellular store to the plasma membrane.

Identification of longevity genes with systems biology approaches.

Identification of genes involved in the aging process is critical for understanding the mechanisms of age-dependent diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Measuring the mutant gene lifespan, each missing one gene, is traditionally employed to identify longevity genes. While such screening is impractical for the whole genome due to the time-consuming nature of lifespan assays, it can be achieved by in silico genetic manipulations with systems biology approaches. In this review, we will introduce pilot explorations applying two approaches of systems biology in aging studies. One approach is to predict the role of a specific gene in the aging process by comparing its expression profile and protein-protein interaction pattern with those of known longevity genes (top-down systems biology). The other approach is to construct mathematical models from previous kinetics data and predict how a specific protein contributes to aging and antiaging processes (bottom-up systems biology). These approaches allow researchers to simulate the effect of each gene's product in aging by in silico genetic manipulations such as deletion or over-expression. Since simulation-based approaches are not as widely used as the other approaches, we will focus our review on this effort in more detail. A combination of hypothesis from data-mining, in silico experimentation from simulations, and wet laboratory validation will make the systematic identification of all longevity genes possible.

PTC1 is required for vacuole inheritance and promotes the association of the myosin-V vacuole-specific receptor complex.

Organelle inheritance occurs during cell division. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, inheritance of the vacuole, and the distribution of mitochondria and cortical endoplasmic reticulum are regulated by Ptc1p, a type 2C protein phosphatase. Here we show that PTC1/VAC10 controls the distribution of additional cargoes moved by a myosin-V motor. These include peroxisomes, secretory vesicles, cargoes of Myo2p, and ASH1 mRNA, a cargo of Myo4p. We find that Ptc1p is required for the proper distribution of both Myo2p and Myo4p. Surprisingly, PTC1 is also required to maintain the steady-state levels of organelle-specific receptors, including Vac17p, Inp2p, and Mmr1p, which attach Myo2p to the vacuole, peroxisomes, and mitochondria, respectively. Furthermore, Vac17p fused to the cargo-binding domain of Myo2p suppressed the vacuole inheritance defect in ptc1Delta cells. These findings suggest that PTC1 promotes the association of myosin-V with its organelle-specific adaptor proteins. Moreover, these observations suggest that despite the existence of organelle-specific receptors, there is a higher order regulation that coordinates the movement of diverse cellular components.

A life-span extending form of autophagy employs the vacuole-vacuole fusion machinery.

While autophagy is believed to be beneficial for life-span extension, it is controversial which forms or aspects of autophagy are responsible for this effect. We addressed this topic by analyzing the life span of yeast autophagy mutants under caloric restriction, a longevity manipulation. Surprisingly, we discovered that the majority of proteins involved in macroautophagy and several forms of microautophagy were dispensable for life-span extension. The only autophagy protein that is critical for life-span extension was Atg15, a lipase that is located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and transported to vacuoles for disintegrating membranes of autophagic bodies. We further found that vacuole-vacuole fusion was required for life-span extension, which was indicated by the shortened life span of mutants missing proteins (ypt7Delta, nyv1Delta, vac8Delta) or lipids (erg6Delta) involved in fusion. Since a known function of vacuole-vacuole fusion is the maintenance of the vacuole membrane integrity, we analyzed aged vacuoles and discovered that aged cells had altered vacuolar morphology and accumulated autophagic bodies, suggesting that certain forms of autophagy do contribute to longevity. Like aged cells, erg6Delta accumulated autophagic bodies, which is likely caused by a defect in lipase instead of proteases due to the existence of multiple vacuolar proteases. Since macroautophagy is not blocked by erg6Delta, we propose that a new form of autophagy transports Atg15 via the fusion of vacuoles with vesicles derived from ER, and we designate this putative form of autophagy as secretophagy. Pending future biochemical studies, the concept of secretophagy may provide a mechanism for autophagy in life-span extension.

Palmitoylation plays a role in targeting Vac8p to specific membrane subdomains.

Vac8p is a multifunctional yeast protein involved in several distinct vacuolar events including vacuole inheritance, vacuole homotypic fusion, nucleus-vacuole junction formation and the cytoplasm to vacuole protein targeting pathway. Vac8p associates with the vacuole membrane via myristoylation and palmitoylation. Vac8p has three putative palmitoylation sites, at Cys 4, 5 and 7. Here, we show that each of these cysteines may serve as a palmitoylation site. Palmitoylation at Cys 7 alone provides partial function of Vac8p, whereas palmitoylation at either Cys 4 or Cys 5 alone is sufficient for Vac8p function. In the former mutant, there is a severe defect in the localization of Vac8p to the vacuole membrane, while in the latter mutants, there is a partial defect in the localization of Vac8p. In addition, our studies provide evidence that palmitoylation targets Vac8p to specific membrane subdomains.

Vac8p, an armadillo repeat protein, coordinates vacuole inheritance with multiple vacuolar processes.

Vac8p, an armadillo (ARM) repeat protein, is required for multiple vacuolar processes. It functions in vacuole inheritance, cytoplasm-to-vacuole protein targeting pathway, formation of the nucleus-vacuole junction and vacuole-vacuole fusion. These functions each utilize a distinct Vac8p-binding partner. Here, we report an additional Vac8p function: caffeine resistance. We show that Vac8p function in caffeine resistance is mediated via a newly identified Vac8p-binding partner, Tco89p. The interaction between Vac8p and each binding partner requires an overlapping subset of Vac8p ARM repeats. Moreover, these partners can compete with each other for access to Vac8p. Furthermore, Vac8p is enriched in three separate subdomains on the vacuole, each with a unique binding partner dedicated to a different vacuolar function. These findings suggest that a major role of Vac8p is to spatially separate multiple functions thereby enabling vacuole inheritance to occur concurrently with other vacuolar processes.

Regulated degradation of a class V myosin receptor directs movement of the yeast vacuole.

Normal cellular function requires that organelles be positioned in specific locations. The direction in which molecular motors move organelles is based in part on the polarity of microtubules and actin filaments. However, this alone does not determine the intracellular destination of organelles. For example, the yeast class V myosin, Myo2p, moves several organelles to distinct locations during the cell cycle. Thus the movement of each type of Myo2p cargo must be regulated uniquely. Here we report a regulatory mechanism that specifically provides directionality to vacuole movement. The vacuole-specific Myo2p receptor, Vac17p, has a key function in this process. Vac17p binds simultaneously to Myo2p and to Vac8p, a vacuolar membrane protein. The transport complex, Myo2p-Vac17p-Vac8p, moves the vacuole to the bud, and is then disrupted through the degradation of Vac17p. The vacuole is ultimately deposited near the centre of the bud. Removal of a PEST sequence (a potential signal for rapid protein degradation) within Vac17p causes its stabilization and the subsequent 'backward' movement of vacuoles, which mis-targets them to the neck between the mother cell and the bud. Thus the regulated disruption of this transport complex places the vacuole in its proper location. This may be a general mechanism whereby organelles are deposited at their terminal destination.