Identification and molecular cloning of germinal vesicle lamin B3 in goldfish (Carassius auratus) oocytes

In vitro characterization of the RS motif in N-terminal head domain of goldfish germinal vesicle lamin B3 necessary for phosphorylation of the p34cdc2 target serine by SRPK1

The nuclear envelopes surrounding the oocyte germinal vesicles of lower vertebrates (fish and frog) are supported by the lamina, which consists of the protein lamin B3 encoded by a gene found also in birds but lost in the lineage leading to mammals. Like other members of the lamin family, goldfish lamin B3 (gfLB3) contains two putative consensus phosphoacceptor p34cdc2 sites (Ser-28 and Ser-398) for the M-phase kinase to regulate lamin polymerization on the N- and C-terminal regions flanking a central rod domain. Partial phosphorylation of gfLB3 occurs on Ser-28 in the N-terminal head domain in immature oocytes prior to germinal vesicle breakdown, which suggests continual rearrangement of lamins by a novel lamin kinase in fish oocytes. We applied the expression-screening method to isolate lamin kinases by using phosphorylation site Ser-28-specific monoclonal antibody and a vector encoding substrate peptides from a goldfish ovarian cDNA library. As a result, SRPK1 was screened as a prominent lamin kinase candidate. The gfLB3 has a short stretch of the RS repeats (9-SRASTVRSSRRS-20) upstream of the Ser-28, within the N-terminal head. This stretch of repeats is conserved among fish lamin B3 but is not found in other lamins. In vitro phosphorylation studies and GST-pull down assay revealed that SRPK1 bound to the region of sequential RS repeats (9–20) with affinity and recruited serine into the active site by a grab-and-pull manner. These results indicate SRPK1 may phosphorylate the p34cdc2 site in the N-terminal head of GV-lamin B3 at the RS motifs, which have the general property of aggregation.

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SRPK1 was screened as a prominent lamin kinase candidate from goldfish ovary.

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The goldfish lamin B3 (LB3) has RS repeats upstream of the cdc2 target site.

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The RS repeats are conserved among fish LB3s but are not found in other lamins.

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SRPK1 binds to the RS repeats with affinity and phosphorylates cdc2 site by a grab-and-pull manner.

The lamin protein family

The lamins are the major architectural proteins of the animal cell nucleus. Lamins line the inside of the nuclear membrane, where they provide a platform for the binding of proteins and chromatin and confer mechanical stability. They have been implicated in a wide range of nuclear functions, including higher-order genome organization, chromatin regulation, transcription, DNA replication and DNA repair. The lamins are members of the intermediate filament (IF) family of proteins, which constitute a major component of the cytoskeleton. Lamins are the only nuclear IFs and are the ancestral founders of the IF protein superfamily. Lamins polymerize into fibers forming a complex protein meshwork in vivo and, like all IF proteins, have a tripartite structure with two globular head and tail domains flanking a central α-helical rod domain, which supports the formation of higher-order polymers. Mutations in lamins cause a large number of diverse human diseases, collectively known as the laminopathies, underscoring their functional importance.

Phosphorylation of the p34(cdc2) target site on goldfish germinal vesicle lamin B3 before oocyte maturation

The nuclear membranes surrounding fish and frog oocyte germinal vesicles (GVs) are supported by the lamina, an internal, mesh-like structure that consists of the protein lamin B3. The mechanisms by which lamin B3 is transported into GVs and is assembled to form the nuclear lamina are not well understood. In this study, we developed a heterogeneous microinjection system in which wild-type or mutated goldfish GV lamin B3 (GFLB3) was expressed in Escherichia coli, biotinylated, and microinjected into Xenopus oocytes. The localization of the biotinylated GFLB3 was visualized by fluorescence confocal microscopy. The results of these experiments indicated that the N-terminal domain plays important roles in both nuclear transport and assembly of lamin B3 to form the nuclear lamina. The N-terminal domain includes a major consensus phosphoacceptor site for the p34(cdc2) kinase at amino acid residue Ser-28. To investigate nuclear lamin phosphorylation, we generated a monoclonal antibody (C7B8D) against Ser-28-phosphorylated GFLB3. Two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis of GV protein revealed two major spots of lamin B3 with different isoelectric points (5.9 and 6.1). The C7B8D antibody recognized the pI-5.9 spot but not the pI-6.1 spot. The former spot disappeared when the native lamina was incubated with lambda phage protein phosphatase (lambda-PP), indicating that a portion of the lamin protein was already phosphorylated in the goldfish GV-stage oocytes. GFLB3 that had been microinjected into Xenopus oocytes was also phosphorylated in Xenopus GV lamina, as judged by Western blotting with C7B8D. Thus, lamin phosphorylation appears to occur prior to oocyte maturation in vivo in both these species. Taken together, our results suggest that the balance between phosphorylation by interphase lamin kinases and dephosphorylation by phosphatases regulates the conformational changes in the lamin B3 N-terminal head domain that in turn regulates the continual in vivo rearrangement and remodeling of the oocyte lamina.

Molecular cloning and expression of cDNA coding for four spliced isoforms of casein kinase Ialpha in goldfish oocytes

Casein kinase I (CKI) is a member of the serine/threonine protein kinases and located in a separate group within the superfamily of eukaryotic protein kinases. CKI isoforms regulate several checkpoints of the cell cycle and meiosis. In higher eukaryotes, CKIalpha has four isoforms produced through the alternative splicing of two short inserts. Here, we report the cloning, sequencing and expression of four alternatively spliced isoforms of CKIalpha from goldfish ovary. The cloned cDNAs were 2099-3002-bp long and classified as CKIalpha, CKIalphaS, CKIalphaL and CKIalphaLS. It was revealed that two major (3.0 and 2.0 kb) messages were strongly expressed in the ovary. Four isoforms are expressed in previtellogenic to vitellogenic oocytes. In the huge nucleus of the oocyte, referred to as the germinal vesicle, CKIalphaS is dominant and CKIalphaL is expressed at a detectable level. Immunoblot analysis revealed that CKIalpha and CKIalphaS are major products in both immature and mature oocytes. These two isoforms were expressed in a tissue-dependent manner.

Intranuclear membrane structure formations by CaaX-containing nuclear proteins

The nuclear lamina is a protein meshwork lining the nucleoplasmic face of the nuclear envelope. Association of lamins with the inner nuclear membrane is mediated by specific modifications in the CaaX motif at their C-termini. B-type lamins are permanently isoprenylated whereas lamin A loses its modification by a lamin A-specific processing step after incorporation into the lamina. Lamins are differentially expressed during development and tissue differentiation. Here we show that an increased synthesis of lamins B1 and B2 in amphibian oocytes induces the formation of intranuclear membrane structures that form extensive arrays of stacked cisternae. These 'lamin membrane arrays' are attached to the inner nuclear membrane but are not continuous with it. Induction of this membrane proliferation depends on CaaX-specific posttranslational modification. Moreover, in transfected HeLa cells, chimeric GFP containing a nuclear localization signal and a C-terminal CaaX motif of N-Ras induces intranuclear membrane stacks that resemble those induced by lamins and ER-like cisternae that are induced in the cytoplasm upon increased synthesis of integral ER membrane proteins. Implications for the synthesis of CaaX-containing proteins are discussed and the difference from intranuclear fibrous lamina annulate lamellae formations is emphasized.

The lamina-associated polypeptide 2 (LAP2) isoforms beta, gamma and omega of zebrafish: developmental expression and behavior during the cell cycle

Zebrafish lamina-associated polypeptides 2 (ZLAP2) beta, gamma and omega have in common an N-terminal region with a LEM domain, and in the C-terminal half of the molecule a lamina binding domain and a membrane spanning sequence. The maternally synthesized omega is the largest isoform and the only LAP2 present in the rapidly dividing embryonic cells up to the gastrula stage. ZLAP2omega levels decrease during development, concomitant with the increase of the somatic isoforms ZLAP2beta and gamma. In somatic zebrafish cells ZLAP2gamma is the predominant isoform, whereas only small amounts of ZLAP2beta are present. During early embryonic development, ZLAP2omega becomes associated with mitotic chromosomes before anaphase. The surface of these chromosomes is decorated with vesicles, and each chromosome assembles its own nuclear envelope at the end of mitosis (karyomere formation). Ectopically expressed ZLAP2omega-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein targets vesicles to mitotic chromosomes in Xenopus A6 cells, suggesting that ZLAP2omega is involved in karyomere formation during early zebrafish development. When ZLAP2beta and gamma were expressed as GFP fusion proteins in Xenopus A6 cells, the beta- but not the gamma-isoform was found in association with mitotic chromosomes, and ZLAP2beta-containing chromosomes were decorated with vesicles. Further analysis of ZLAP2-GFP fusion proteins containing only distinct domains of the ZLAP2 isoforms revealed that the common N-terminal region in conjunction with beta- or omega-specific sequences mediate binding to mitotic chromosomes in vivo.

Genes coding for intermediate filament proteins: common features and unexpected differences in the genomes of humans and the teleost fish Fugu rubripes

We screened the genomic sequences of the teleost fish Fugu rubripes for genes that encode cytoplasmic intermediate filament (IF) proteins. Here, we compare the number of genes per subfamily (I to IV) as well as the gene mapping in the human and fish genomes. There are several unexpected differences. F. rubripes has a sizeable excess of keratin type I genes over keratin type II genes. Four of the six keratin type II genes map close to four keratin type I genes. Thus, a single keratin II gene cluster (as in mammals) seems excluded. Although a continuous genome sequence is not yet available for F. rubripes, it is difficult to see how all 19 keratin type I genes can be collected as in the human genome into a single cluster without the presence of type II genes and various unrelated genes. F. rubripes has more type III and type IV genes than humans. Some of the type IV genes acquired additional novel intron positions. One gene even harbors (in addition to the two type IV introns) three novel introns and three introns usually present only in mammalian and F. rubripes type I-III genes. This mixture of type IV and type I-III intron positions poses a problem for the traditional view that the first type IV gene arose in evolution by a mRNA-mediated translocation event. In the 42 F. rubripes genes analysed here, there are several differences in intron patterns compared with mammalian genes. Most correspond to additional introns in the fish genes. A search for genes encoding nuclear lamins reveals the four established fish lamins (A, B1, B2 and LIII) as well as an unexpected second lamin A.

Conservation of the gene structure and membrane-targeting signals of germ cell-specific lamin LIII in amphibians and fish

Targeting of nuclear lamins to the inner nuclear membrane requires CaaX motif-dependent posttranslational isoprenylation and carboxyl methylation. We previously have shown that two variants of lamin LIII (i.e., LIII and LIIIb) in amphibian oocytes are generated by alternative splicing and differ greatly in their membrane association. An extra cysteine residue (as a potential palmitoylation site) and a basic cluster in conjunction with the CaaX motif function as secondary targeting signals responsible for stable membrane association of lamin LIIIb. cDNA sequencing and genomic analysis of the zebrafish Danio rerio lamin LIII uncovers a remarkable conservation of the genomic organization and of the two secondary membrane-targeting signals in amphibians and fish. The expression pattern of lamin LIII genes is also conserved between amphibians and fish. Danio lamin LIII is expressed in diplotene oocytes. It is absent from male germ cells but is expressed in Sertoli cells of the testis. In addition, we provide sequence information of the entire coding sequence of zebrafish lamin A, which allows comparison of all major lamins from representatives of the four classes of vertebrates.

Somatic lamins in germinal vesicles of goldfish (Carassius auratus) vitellogenic oocytes

In fish and amphibians, B-type lamins are divided into somatic (B1, B2) and oocyte-type (B3) lamins. In this study, we purified nuclear lamins from rainbow trout erythrocytes, raised an anti-lamin monoclonal antibody (L-200) that recognizes goldfish somatic-lamins, and isolated cDNAs encoding goldfish B-type lamins (B1 and B2) from a goldfish cell culture cDNA library. Goldfish B-type lamins are structurally similar to lamins found in other vertebrates with minor amino acid substitutions in the conserved region. Western blot analysis showed that goldfish oocytes contained mainly GV-lamin B3 as well as some somatic lamins. Laser-confocal microscope observations revealed that lamin B3 was present only in GV nuclear lamina, whereas somatic lamins were present in dense fibrillar structures throughout nuclear gels of isolated GVs. Similar nuclear filamentous structures were also observed in GVs of paraffin embedded oocytes. Epitope mapping indicated that L-200 recognized a conserved region containing a short stretch of the alpha-helix coiled-coil rod domain (Y(E/Q)(Q/E)LL). A similar motif is also present in other cytoplasmic intermediate filaments (i.e., vimentin, desmin, peripherin and GFAP). Taken together, these findings suggest that lamins or lamin-related intermediate filaments are an important component of the interior architecture of goldfish vitellogenic oocyte nuclei (GVs).