The VPS1 protein is a dynamin-like GTPase required for sorting proteins to the yeast vacuole

Cytokinin Inhibits Fungal Development and Virulence by Targeting the Cytoskeleton and Cellular Trafficking

Cytokinin (CK) is an important plant developmental regulator, having activities in many aspects of plant life and response to the environment. CKs are involved in diverse processes in the plant, including stem cell maintenance, vascular differentiation, growth and branching of roots and shoots, leaf senescence, nutrient balance, and stress tolerance. In some cases, phytopathogens secrete CKs. It has been suggested that to achieve pathogenesis in the host, CK-secreting biotrophs manipulate CK signaling to regulate the host cell cycle and nutrient allocation. CK is known to induce host plant resistance to several classes of phytopathogens from a few works, with induced host immunity via salicylic acid signaling suggested to be the prevalent mechanism for this host resistance. Here, we show that CK directly inhibits the growth, development, and virulence of fungal phytopathogens. Focusing on Botrytis cinerea (Bc), we demonstrate that various aspects of fungal development can be reversibly inhibited by CK. We also found that CK affects both budding and fission yeast in a similar manner. Investigating the mechanism by which CK influences fungal development, we conducted RNA next-generation sequencing (RNA-NGS) on mock- and CK-treated B. cinerea samples, finding that CK alters the cell cycle, cytoskeleton, and endocytosis. Cell biology experiments demonstrated that CK affects cytoskeleton components and cellular trafficking in Bc, lowering endocytic rates and endomembrane compartment sizes, likely leading to reduced growth rates and arrested developmental programs. Mutant analyses in yeast confirmed that the endocytic pathway is altered by CK. Our work uncovers a remarkably conserved role for a plant growth hormone in fungal biology, suggesting that pathogen-host interactions resulted in fascinating molecular adaptations on fundamental processes in eukaryotic biology.

Regulation of dynamin family proteins by post-translational modifications

Dynamin superfamily proteins comprising classical dynamins and related proteins are membrane remodelling agents involved in several biological processes such as endocytosis, maintenance of organelle morphology and viral resistance. These large GTPases couple GTP hydrolysis with membrane alterations such as fission, fusion or tubulation by undergoing repeated cycles of self-assembly/disassembly. The functions of these proteins are regulated by various post-translational modifications that affect their GTPase activity, multimerization or membrane association. Recently, several reports have demonstrated variety of such modifications providing a better understanding of the mechanisms by which dynamin proteins influence cellular responses to physiological and environmental cues. In this review, we discuss major post-translational modifications along with their roles in the mechanism of dynamin functions and implications in various cellular processes.

A Genome-Wide Screen with Nicotinamide to Identify Sirtuin-Dependent Pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Sirtuins are evolutionarily conserved NAD-dependent deacetylases that catalyze the cleavage of NAD(+) into nicotinamide (NAM), which can act as a pan-sirtuin inhibitor in unicellular and multicellular organisms. Sirtuins regulate processes such as transcription, DNA damage repair, chromosome segregation, and longevity extension in yeast and metazoans. The founding member of the evolutionarily conserved sirtuin family, SIR2, was first identified in budding yeast. Subsequent studies led to the identification of four yeast SIR2 homologs HST1, HST2, HST3, and HST4. Understanding the downstream physiological consequences of inhibiting sirtuins can be challenging since most studies focus on single or double deletions of sirtuins, and mating defects in SIR2 deletions hamper genome-wide screens. This represents an important gap in our knowledge of how sirtuins function in highly complex biological processes such as aging, metabolism, and chromosome segregation. In this report, we used a genome-wide screen to explore sirtuin-dependent processes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by identifying deletion mutants that are sensitive to NAM. We identified 55 genes in total, 36 of which have not been previously reported to be dependent on sirtuins. We find that genome stability pathways are particularly vulnerable to loss of sirtuin activity. Here, we provide evidence that defects in sister chromatid cohesion renders cells sensitive to growth in the presence of NAM. The results of our screen provide a broad view of the biological pathways sensitive to inhibition of sirtuins, and advance our understanding of the function of sirtuins and NAD(+) biology.

Characterization of a Novel Prevacuolar Compartment in Neurospora crassa

Using confocal microscopy, we observed ring-like organelles, similar in size to nuclei, in the hyphal tip of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. These organelles contained a subset of vacuolar proteins. We hypothesize that they are novel prevacuolar compartments (PVCs). We examined the locations of several vacuolar enzymes and of fluorescent compounds that target the vacuole. Vacuolar membrane proteins, such as the vacuolar ATPase (VMA-1) and the polyphosphate polymerase (VTC-4), were observed in the PVCs. A pigment produced by adenine auxotrophs, used to visualize vacuoles, also accumulated in PVCs. Soluble enzymes of the vacuolar lumen, alkaline phosphatase and carboxypeptidase Y, were not observed in PVCs. The fluorescent molecule Oregon Green 488 carboxylic acid diacetate, succinimidyl ester (carboxy-DFFDA) accumulated in vacuoles and in a subset of PVCs, suggesting maturation of PVCs from the tip to distal regions. Three of the nine Rab GTPases in N. crassa, RAB-2, RAB-4, and RAB-7, localized to the PVCs. RAB-2 and RAB-4, which have similar amino acid sequences, are present in filamentous fungi but not in yeasts, and no function has previously been reported for these Rab GTPases in fungi. PVCs are highly pleomorphic, producing tubular projections that subsequently become detached. Dynein and dynactin formed globular clusters enclosed inside the lumen of PVCs. The size, structure, dynamic behavior, and protein composition of the PVCs appear to be significantly different from those of the well-studied prevacuolar compartment of yeasts.

A dynamin 1-, dynamin 3- and clathrin-independent pathway of synaptic vesicle recycling mediated by bulk endocytosis

The exocytosis of synaptic vesicles (SVs) elicited by potent stimulation is rapidly compensated by bulk endocytosis of SV membranes leading to large endocytic vacuoles (‘bulk’ endosomes). Subsequently, these vacuoles disappear in parallel with the reappearance of new SVs. We have used synapses of dynamin 1 and 3 double knock-out neurons, where clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is dramatically impaired, to gain insight into the poorly understood mechanisms underlying this process. Massive formation of bulk endosomes was not defective, but rather enhanced, in the absence of dynamin 1 and 3. The subsequent conversion of bulk endosomes into SVs was not accompanied by the accumulation of clathrin coated buds on their surface and this process proceeded even after further clathrin knock-down, suggesting its independence of clathrin. These findings support the existence of a pathway for SV reformation that bypasses the requirement for clathrin and dynamin 1/3 and that operates during intense synaptic activity.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01621.001

Neurons propagate electrical signals from one cell to the next using small molecules called neurotransmitters. These molecules are held inside small compartments called synaptic vesicles. Once a neuron receives an electrical stimulus, the membranes that enclose the synaptic vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane that encloses the neuron. This releases the neurotransmitters, which then trigger an electrical signal in the neighboring cell. Once the neurotransmitters are released, the vesicle membrane is rapidly reinternalized from the plasma membrane in a process called endocytosis and then recycled, ready for the next round of signal transmission.

The process of synaptic vesicle membrane endocytosis and recycling has been studied extensively, and several different mechanisms by which it occurs have been identified. The best understood relies on a protein called clathrin, and is thought to be essential for nervous system function. Recently, however, a mechanism of vesicle membrane endocytosis that does not involve clathrin was identified. This mechanism, called bulk endocytosis, involves reinternalizing large regions of the cell plasma membrane to generate large compartments called vacuoles, from which new synaptic vesicles eventually form. This mechanism has been observed when neurons fire at high frequency. The cellular processes underlying bulk endocytosis are not well understood, although several studies suggest proteins called dynamins are important.

Wu et al. simulated the conditions a cell experiences during high levels of activity in neurons that lacked the two major dynamins present at the synapses between neurons—dynamin 1 and dynamin 3. In these neurons, robust bulk endocytosis occurred, suggesting that these two major neuronal dynamins do not play a role in this process. Furthermore, formation of vesicles from the vacuoles generated by bulk endocytosis appeared to be clathrin-independent. These findings point to the occurrence of a pathway of synaptic vesicle recycling that bypasses the need for dynamin 1 and 3 as well as for clathrin.

To reconcile these results with previously published work, Wu et al. propose that dynamins may only be required for processes that also require clathrin. But how are vesicles recycled during bulk endocytosis if dynamins are not involved? There are currently few leads to base alternative mechanisms on. Further work is required to unravel this mystery, and to provide insights into how clathrin-dependent and independent recycling processes are linked during high neuronal activity.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01621.002

Cell-free reconstitution of vacuole membrane fragmentation reveals regulation of vacuole size and number by TORC1

The size and copy number of an organelle depend on an equilibrium of membrane fusion and fission. In vitro reconstitution of yeast vacuole fission and fusion shows that TORC1 selectively stimulates fission but does not change fusion activity. This explains the morphological transitions of yeast vacuoles in response to nutrient availability.

Size and copy number of organelles are influenced by an equilibrium of membrane fusion and fission. We studied this equilibrium on vacuoles—the lysosomes of yeast. Vacuole fusion can readily be reconstituted and quantified in vitro, but it had not been possible to study fission of the organelle in a similar way. Here we present a cell-free system that reconstitutes fragmentation of purified yeast vacuoles (lysosomes) into smaller vesicles. Fragmentation in vitro reproduces physiological aspects. It requires the dynamin-like GTPase Vps1p, V-ATPase pump activity, cytosolic proteins, and ATP and GTP hydrolysis. We used the in vitro system to show that the vacuole-associated TOR complex 1 (TORC1) stimulates vacuole fragmentation but not the opposing reaction of vacuole fusion. Under nutrient restriction, TORC1 is inactivated, and the continuing fusion activity then dominates the fusion/fission equilibrium, decreasing the copy number and increasing the volume of the vacuolar compartment. This result can explain why nutrient restriction not only induces autophagy and a massive buildup of vacuolar/lysosomal hydrolases, but also leads to a concomitant increase in volume of the vacuolar compartment by coalescence of the organelles into a single large compartment.

Genetic interactions between a phospholipase A2 and the Rim101 pathway components in S. cerevisiae reveal a role for this pathway in response to changes in membrane composition and shape

Modulating composition and shape of biological membranes is an emerging mode of regulation of cellular processes. We investigated the global effects that such perturbations have on a model eukaryotic cell. Phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)s), enzymes that cleave one fatty acid molecule from membrane phospholipids, exert their biological activities through affecting both membrane composition and shape. We have conducted a genome-wide analysis of cellular effects of a PLA(2) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system. We demonstrate functional genetic and biochemical interactions between PLA(2) activity and the Rim101 signaling pathway in S. cerevisiae. Our results suggest that the composition and/or the shape of the endosomal membrane affect the Rim101 pathway. We describe a genetically and functionally related network, consisting of components of the Rim101 pathway and the prefoldin, retromer and SWR1 complexes, and predict its functional relation to PLA(2) activity in a model eukaryotic cell. This study provides a list of the players involved in the global response to changes in membrane composition and shape in a model eukaryotic cell, and further studies are needed to understand the precise molecular mechanisms connecting them.

TRP_2, a lipid/trafficking domain that mediates diacylglycerol-induced vesicle fusion

We recently modeled transient receptor potential (TRP) channels using the Gestalt Domain Detection Algorithm-Basic Local Alignment Tool (GDDA-BLAST), which derives structural, functional, and evolutionary information from primary amino acid sequences using phylogenetic profiles ( Ko, K. D., Hong, Y., Chang, G. S., Bhardwaj, G., van Rossum, D. B., and Patterson, R. L. (2008) Physics Arch. Quant. Methods arXiv: 0806.2394v1 ). Herein we test our functional predictions for the TRP_2 domain of TRPC3; a domain of unknown function that is conserved in all TRPC channels. Our functional models of this domain identify both lipid binding and trafficking activities. In this study, we reveal: (i) a novel structural determinant of ion channel sensitivity to lipids, (ii) a molecular mechanism for the difference between diacylglycerol (DAG)-sensitive and DAG-insensitive TRPC subfamilies, and (iii) evidence that TRPC3 can comprise part of the vesicle fusion machinery. Indeed, the TRPC3 TRP_2 domain mediates channel trafficking to the plasma membrane and binds to plasma membrane lipids. Further, mutations in TRP_2, which alter lipid binding, also disrupt the DAG-mediated fusion of TRPC3-containing vesicles with the plasma membrane without disrupting SNARE interactions. Importantly, these data agree with the known role of DAG in membrane destabilization, which facilitates SNARE-dependent synaptic vesicle fusion ( Villar, A. V., Goni, F. M., and Alonso, A. (2001) FEBS Lett. 494, 117-120 and Goni, F. M., and Alonso, A. (1999) Prog. Lipid Res. 38, 1-48 ). Taken together, functional models generated by GDDA-BLAST provide a computational platform for deriving domain functionality, which can have in vivo and mechanistic relevance.

Specific Antiviral Activity Demonstrated by TGTP, A Member of a New Family of Interferon-Induced GTPases

The GTPase superfamily includes a diversity of molecules whose functions are regulated through the binding and hydrolysis of GTP. This superfamily can be segregated into families of functionally related molecules that typically share amino acid sequence similarity within and around the nucleotide-binding domains. A new family of putative GTPases, including IRG-47, LRG-47, IGTP, and TGTP/Mg21, has recently emerged that share significant sequence identity (25–40%). Expression of these molecules has been shown to be selectively induced by IFN-γ and in some cases by IFN-αβ or bacterial LPS. This induction pattern implicates these putative GTPases as part of the innate defense of cells to infection, but their role in such defense has not yet been defined. We have previously described the cloning of TGTP and now confirm its intrinsic activity as a GTPase. We found that TGTP is strongly induced by endogenous IFN-αβ produced in response to standard lipofection of plasmid DNA or polyinosinic polycytidilic acid. The ability of endogenously produced IFN-αβ to efficiently induce expression of TGTP under these conditions suggested that TGTP might participate in defense against viral infection. This proposal was borne out when TGTP-transfected L cells displayed relative resistance to plaque formation by vesicular stomatitis virus but not herpes simplex virus. This observation places TGTP among a small family of innate antiviral agents and has implications for the functions of other members of this family of GTPases.