ERB1, the yeast homolog of mammalian Bop1, is an essential gene required for maturation of the 25S and 5.8S ribosomal RNAs.

We have recently shown that the mammalian nucleolar protein Bop1 is involved in synthesis of the 28S and 5.8S ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and large ribosome subunits in mouse cells. Here we have investigated the functions of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae homolog of Bop1, Erb1p, encoded by the previously uncharacterized open reading frame YMR049C. Gene disruption showed that ERB1 is essential for viability. Depletion of Erb1p resulted in a loss of 25S and 5.8S rRNAs synthesis, while causing only a moderate reduction and not a complete block in 18S rRNA formation. Processing analysis showed that Erb1p is required for synthesis of 7S pre-rRNA and mature 25S rRNA from 27SB pre-rRNA. In Erb1p-depleted cells these products of 27SB processing are largely absent and 27SB pre-rRNA is under-accumulated, apparently due to degradation. In addition, depletion of Erb1p caused delayed processing of the 35S pre-rRNA. These findings demonstrate that Erb1p, like its mammalian counterpart Bop1, is required for formation of rRNA components of the large ribosome particles. The similarities in processing defects caused by functional disruption of Erb1p and Bop1 suggest that late steps in maturation of the large ribosome subunit rRNAs employ mechanisms that are evolutionarily conserved throughout eukaryotes.

Evidence of p53-dependent cross-talk between ribosome biogenesis and the cell cycle: effects of nucleolar protein Bop1 on G(1)/S transition.

Bop1 is a novel nucleolar protein involved in rRNA processing and ribosome assembly. We have previously shown that expression of Bop1Delta, an amino-terminally truncated Bop1 that acts as a dominant negative mutant in mouse cells, results in inhibition of 28S and 5.8S rRNA formation and deficiency of newly synthesized 60S ribosomal subunits (Z. Strezoska, D. G. Pestov, and L. F. Lau, Mol. Cell. Biol. 20:5516-5528, 2000). Perturbation of Bop1 activities by Bop1Delta also induces a powerful yet reversible cell cycle arrest in 3T3 fibroblasts. In the present study, we show that asynchronously growing cells are arrested by Bop1Delta in a highly concerted fashion in the G(1) phase. Kinase activities of the G(1)-specific Cdk2 and Cdk4 complexes were downregulated in cells expressing Bop1Delta, whereas levels of the Cdk inhibitors p21 and p27 were concomitantly increased. The cells also displayed lack of hyperphosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and decreased expression of cyclin A, indicating their inability to progress through the restriction point. Inactivation of functional p53 abrogated this Bop1Delta-induced cell cycle arrest but did not restore normal rRNA processing. These findings show that deficiencies in ribosome synthesis can be uncoupled from cell cycle arrest and reveal a new role for the p53 pathway as a mediator of the signaling link between ribosome biogenesis and the cell cycle. We propose that aberrant rRNA processing and/or ribosome biogenesis may cause "nucleolar stress," leading to cell cycle arrest in a p53-dependent manner.

Bop1 is a mouse WD40 repeat nucleolar protein involved in 28S and 5. 8S RRNA processing and 60S ribosome biogenesis.

We have identified and characterized a novel mouse protein, Bop1, which contains WD40 repeats and is highly conserved through evolution. bop1 is ubiquitously expressed in all mouse tissues examined and is upregulated during mid-G(1) in serum-stimulated fibroblasts. Immunofluorescence analysis shows that Bop1 is localized predominantly to the nucleolus. In sucrose density gradients, Bop1 from nuclear extracts cosediments with the 50S-80S ribonucleoprotein particles that contain the 32S rRNA precursor. RNase A treatment disrupts these particles and releases Bop1 into a low-molecular-weight fraction. A mutant form of Bop1, Bop1Delta, which lacks 231 amino acids in the N- terminus, is colocalized with wild-type Bop1 in the nucleolus and in ribonucleoprotein complexes. Expression of Bop1Delta leads to cell growth arrest in the G(1) phase and results in a specific inhibition of the synthesis of the 28S and 5.8S rRNAs without affecting 18S rRNA formation. Pulse-chase analyses show that Bop1Delta expression results in a partial inhibition in the conversion of the 36S to the 32S pre-rRNA and a complete inhibition of the processing of the 32S pre-rRNA to form the mature 28S and 5.8S rRNAs. Concomitant with these defects in rRNA processing, expression of Bop1Delta in mouse cells leads to a deficit in the cytosolic 60S ribosomal subunits. These studies thus identify Bop1 as a novel, nonribosomal mammalian protein that plays a key role in the formation of the mature 28S and 5.8S rRNAs and in the biogenesis of the 60S ribosomal subunit.

Use of genetic suppressor elements to dissect distinct biological effects of separate p53 domains.

p53 is a multifunctional tumor suppressor protein involved in the negative control of cell growth. Mutations in p53 cause alterations in cellular phenotype, including immortalization, neoplastic transformation, and resistance to DNA-damaging drugs. To help dissect distinct functions of p53, a set of genetic suppressor elements (GSEs) capable of inducing different p53-related phenotypes in rodent embryo fibroblasts was isolated from a retroviral library of random rat p53 cDNA fragments. All the GSEs were 100-300 nucleotides long and were in the sense orientation. They fell into four classes, corresponding to the transactivator (class I), DNA-binding (class II), and C-terminal (class III) domains of the protein and the 3'-untranslated region of the mRNA (class IV). GSEs in all four classes promoted immortalization of primary cells, but only members of classes I and III cooperated with activated ras to transform cells, and only members of class III conferred resistance to etoposide and strongly inhibited transcriptional transactivation by p53. These observations suggest that processes related to control of senescence, response to DNA damage, and transformation involve different functions of the p53 protein and furthermore indicate a regulatory role for the 3'-untranslated region of p53 mRNA.

Discovering distinct genes represented in 29,570 clones from infant brain cDNA libraries by applying sequencing by hybridization methodology.

To discover all distinct human genes and to determine their patterns of expression across different cell types, developmental stages, and physiological conditions, a procedure is needed for fast, mutual comparison of hundreds of thousands (and perhaps millions) of clones from cDNA libraries, as well as their comparison against data bases of sequenced DNA. In a pilot study, 29,570 clones in duplicate from both original and normalized, directional, infant brain cDNA libraries were hybridized with 107-215 heptamer oligonucleotide probes to obtain oligonucleotide sequence signatures (OSSs). The OSSs were compared and clustered based on mutual similarity into 16,741 clusters, each corresponding to a distinct cDNA. A number of distinct cDNAs were successfully recognized by matching their 107-probe OSSs against GenBank entries, indicating the possibility of sequence recognition with only a few hundred randomly chosen oligomers.

Clone clustering by hybridization.

DNA sequencing by hybridization (SBH) Format 1 technique is based on experiments in which thousands of short oligomers are consecutively hybridized with dense arrays of clones. In this paper we present the description of a method for obtaining hybridization signatures for individual clones that guarantees reproducibility despite a wide range of variations in experimental circumstances, a sensitive method for signature comparison at prespecified significance levels, and a clustering algorithm that correctly identifies clusters of significantly similar signatures. The methods and the algorithm have been verified experimentally on a control set of 422 signatures that originate from 9 distinct clones of known sequence. Experiments indicate that only 30 to 50 oligomer probes suffice for correct clustering. This information about the identity of clones can be used to guide both genomic and cDNA sequencing by SBH or by standard gel-based methods.

DNA sequence determination by hybridization: a strategy for efficient large-scale sequencing.

The concept of sequencing by hybridization (SBH) makes use of an array of all possible n-nucleotide oligomers (n-mers) to identify n-mers present in an unknown DNA sequence. Computational approaches can then be used to assemble the complete sequence. As a validation of this concept, the sequences of three DNA fragments, 343 base pairs in length, were determined with octamer oligonucleotides. Possible applications of SBH include physical mapping (ordering) of overlapping DNA clones, sequence checking, DNA fingerprinting comparisons of normal and disease-causing genes, and the identification of DNA fragments with particular sequence motifs in complementary DNA and genomic libraries. The SBH techniques may accelerate the mapping and sequencing phases of the human genome project.

DNA sequencing by hybridization: 100 bases read by a non-gel-based method.

Determination of the sequences of human and other complex genomes requires much faster and less expensive sequencing processes than the methods in use today. Sequencing by hybridization is potentially such a process. In this paper we present hybridization data sufficient to accurately read a known sequence of 100 base pairs. In independent reactions, octamer and nonamer oligonucleotides derived from the sequence hybridized more strongly to this DNA than to controls. The 93 consecutive overlapping probes were derived from a 100-base-pair segment of test DNA and additional probes were generated by incorporation of a noncomplementary base at one of the ends of 12 of the basic probes. These 12 additional probes also had a full-match target in one of the control DNAs. The test and one of five control DNAs spotted on nylon filters were hybridized with 83 octamers and 22 nonamers under low-temperature conditions. A stronger signal in DNA containing a full-match target compared to DNA with only mismatched targets was obtained with all 105 probes. In 3 cases (2.9%), the difference of signals was not significant (less than 2-fold) due to inefficient hybridization and the consequently higher influence of background. The hybridization pattern obtained enabled us to resequence the 100 base pairs by applying an algorithm that tolerates an error rate much higher than was observed in the experiment. With this result, the technological components of large-scale DNA sequencing using the sequencing by hybridization method are in place.

Reliable hybridization of oligonucleotides as short as six nucleotides.

Although there are many new applications for hybridizing short, synthetic oligonucleotide probes to DNA, such applications have not included determining unknown sequences of DNA. The lack of clear discrimination in hybridization of oligo probes shorter than 11 nucleotides and the lack of a theoretical understanding of factors influencing hybridization of short oligos have hampered the development of their use. We have found conditions for reliable hybridization of oligonucleotides as short as seven nucleotides to cloned DNA or to oligonucleotides attached to filters. Low-temperature hybridization and washing conditions, in contrast to the high stringency conditions currently used in hybridization experiments, have the potential for allowing the simple use of all oligos of six nucleotides or longer in meaningful hybridizations. We also present the hybridization discrimination theory that provides the conceptual framework for understanding these results.