Isolation and functional analysis of sporulation-induced transcribed sequences from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Characterizing pathogenic processes in Batten disease: Use of small eukaryotic model systems

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are neurodegenerative disorders. Nevertheless, small model organisms, including those lacking a nervous system, have proven invaluable in the study of mechanisms that underlie the disease and in studying the functions of the conserved proteins associated to each disease. From the single-celled yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, to the worm, Caenorhabditis elegans and the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, biochemical and, in particular, genetic studies on these organisms have provided insight into the NCLs.

Identification of yeast meiosis-specific genes by differential display

Meiosis, a specialized cell division process, occurs in all sexually reproducing organisms. During this process a diploid cell undergoes a single round of DNA replication followed by two rounds of nuclear division to produce four haploid gametes. In yeast, the meiotic products are packaged into four spores that are enclosed in a sac known as an ascus. To enhance our understanding of the meiotic developmental pathway and spore formation, we followed differential expression of genes in meiotic versus vegetatively growing cells in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Such comparative analyses have identified five different classes of genes that are expressed at different stages of the sporulation program. We identified several meiosis-specific genes including some already known to be induced during meiosis. Here we describe one of these previously uncharacterized genes, SSP1, which plays an essential role in meiosis and spore formation. SSP1 is induced midway through meiosis, and the homozygous mutant-diploid cells fail to sporulate. In ssp1 cells, meiosis is delayed, nuclei fragment after meiosis II, and viability declines rapidly. The ssp1 defect is not related to a microtubule-cytoskeletal-dependent event and is independent of two rounds of meiotic divisions. Our results suggest that Ssp1 is likely to function in a pathway that controls meiotic nuclear divisions and coordinates meiosis and spore formation. Functional analysis of other uncharacterized genes is underway.

Molecular basis of cell integrity and morphogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In fungi and many other organisms, a thick outer cell wall is responsible for determining the shape of the cell and for maintaining its integrity. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been a useful model organism for the study of cell wall synthesis, and over the past few decades, many aspects of the composition, structure, and enzymology of the cell wall have been elucidated. The cell wall of budding yeasts is a complex and dynamic structure; its arrangement alters as the cell grows, and its composition changes in response to different environmental conditions and at different times during the yeast life cycle. In the past few years, we have witnessed a profilic genetic and molecular characterization of some key aspects of cell wall polymer synthesis and hydrolysis in the budding yeast. Furthermore, this organism has been the target of numerous recent studies on the topic of morphogenesis, which have had an enormous impact on our understanding of the intracellular events that participate in directed cell wall synthesis. A number of components that direct polarized secretion, including those involved in assembly and organization of the actin cytoskeleton, secretory pathways, and a series of novel signal transduction systems and regulatory components have been identified. Analysis of these different components has suggested pathways by which polarized secretion is directed and controlled. Our aim is to offer an overall view of the current understanding of cell wall dynamics and of the complex network that controls polarized growth at particular stages of the budding yeast cell cycle and life cycle.

Molecular cloning of chromosome I DNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: analysis of the genes in the FUN38-MAK16-SPO7 region

Transcribed regions on a 42-kb segment of chromosome I from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were mapped. Polyadenylated transcripts corresponding to eight previously characterized genes (MAK16, LTE1, CCR4, FUN30, FUN31, TPD3, DEP1, and CYS3) and eight new genes were identified. All transcripts were present at one to four copies per cell except for one which was significantly less abundant. This region has been sequenced, and the sizes, locations, and orientations of the transcripts were in nearly perfect agreement with the open reading frames. Disruptions in eight genes identified solely on the basis of a transcribed region, FUN38, FUN25, FUN26, FUN28, FUN30, FUN31, FUN33, and FUN34, indicated that all were nonessential for growth on rich medium at 30 degrees C. Disruption of FUN30, a gene closely related to RAD16 and RAD54, surprisingly resulted in increased resistance to UV irradiation. No additional phenotypes, other than slow growth, were observed for all other mutants. The distribution of essential genes on chromosome I is discussed.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SPR1 gene encodes a sporulation-specific exo-1,3-beta-glucanase which contributes to ascospore thermoresistance

A number of genes have been shown to be transcribed specifically during sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, yet their developmental function is unknown. The SPR1 gene is transcribed during only the late stages of sporulation. We have sequenced the SPR1 gene and found that it has extensive DNA and protein sequence homology to the S. cerevisiae EXG1 gene which encodes an exo-1,3-beta-glucanase expressed during vegetative growth (C. R. Vasquez de Aldana, J. Correa, P. San Segundo, A. Bueno, A. R. Nebrada, E. Mendez, and F. del Ray, Gene 97:173-182, 1991). We show that spr1 mutant cells do not hydrolyze p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside or laminarin in a whole-cell assay for exo-1,3-beta-glucanases. In addition to the absence of this enzymatic activity, spr1 mutant spores exhibit reduced thermoresistance relative to isogenic wild-type spores. These observations are consistent with the notion that SPR1 encodes a sporulation-specific exo-1,3-beta-glucanase.

DMC1: a meiosis-specific yeast homolog of E. coli recA required for recombination, synaptonemal complex formation, and cell cycle progression

DMC1 is a new meiosis-specific yeast gene. Dmc1 protein is structurally similar to bacterial RecA proteins. dmc1 mutants are defective in reciprocal recombination, accumulate double-strand break (DSB) recombination intermediates, fail to form normal synaptonemal complex (SC), and arrest late in meiotic prophase. dmc1 phenotypes are consistent with a functional relationship between Dmc1 and RecA, and thus eukaryotic and prokaryotic mechanisms for homology recognition and strand exchange may be related. dmc1 phenotypes provide further evidence that recombination and SC formation are interrelated processes and are consistent with a requirement for DNA-DNA interactions during SC formation. dmc1 mutations confer prophase arrest. Additional evidence suggests that arrest occurs at a meiosis-specific cell cycle "checkpoint" in response to a primary defect in prophase chromosome metabolism. DMC1 is homologous to yeast's RAD51 gene, supporting the view that mitotic DSB repair has been recruited for use in meiotic chromosome metabolism.

Isolation and characterization of sporulation-specific promoters in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A library of random yeast genomic DNA:lacZ fusions has been constructed using an episomal yeast-Escherichia coli shuttle vector (pCS1). Plasmid pCS1 requires insertion of a promoter and an in frame ATG codon upstream of its resident truncated lacZ gene to regulate expression in yeast. Yeast genomic DNA fragments of 4-6 kb were generated by partial digestion with Sau3A and ligated into the unique BamHI site of plasmid pCS1 to generate a library of 5 x 10(4) individual E. coli transformants. This library was screened to identify promoter-lacZ fusions that were expressed uniquely during sporulation. Of 342 yeast transformants that exhibited beta-galactosidase activity, two were found to express the lacZ gene in a sporulation-specific manner. This paper presents the characterization of two genomic yeast DNA fragments containing promoters that control lacZ expression during the sporulation process. Expression from the promoter present in plasmid pJC18 occurred from 11-21 hours into the sporulation process, while the promoter in plasmid pJC217 was active from 4-14 hours. Staining of nuclear DNA to correlate nuclear morphology with timing of gene expression showed when each of these promoters was active in terms of the morphological stages of sporulation.

Functional analysis of the sporulation-specific SPR6 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The SPR6 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a moderately abundant RNA that is present at high levels only during sporulation. The gene contains a long open reading frame that could encode a hydrophilic protein approximately 21 kDa in size. This protein is probably produced by the yeast, because the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli is expressed during sporulation when fused to SPR6 in the expected reading frame. SPR6 is inessential for sporulation; mutants that lack SPR6 activity sporulate normally and produce viable ascospores. Nonetheless, the SPR6 gene encodes a function that is relevant to sporulating cells; the wild-type allele can enhance sporulation in strains that are defective for several SPR functions. SPR6 is located on chromosome V, 14.4 centimorgans centromere-distal to MET6.

Molecular cloning of chromosome I DNA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: isolation, characterization and regulation of the SPO7 sporulation gene

SPO7 is one of several previously identified genes from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is required for sporulation but not for vegetative growth. The SPO7 gene has been cloned by functional complementation and physically mapped 15-16 kb to the left of CEN1. Gene-disruption experiments confirmed that the cloned gene was the bona fide SPO7 gene. SPO7 codes for a 0.95-kb transcript that is expressed at approximately the same level in both vegetative and sporulating cells. The gene was sequenced and has the capacity to encode a 259-amino acid protein that does not appear to be related to other known proteins.

Characterization and localization of the sporulation glucoamylase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Glucoamylase (SGA) was purified approximately 250-fold from sporulating Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. The partially purified enzyme was active against glycogen, starch, maltotriose and maltose. It exhibited maximum catalytic activity against glycogen at pH 5.5. The enzyme appears to be glycosylated, because it bound to lentil-lectin Sepharose. SGA was expressed in vegetatively growing cells under the control of the GAL1 promoter, and the cellular location of the enzymatic activity determined by fractionation techniques. SGA was preferentially recovered in fractions which were enriched for the vacuolar hydrolases, carboxypeptidase Y and alpha-mannosidase.

Dependence of inessential late gene expression on early meiotic events in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

SPR3 is one of at least nine genes which are expressed in sporulating Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells at the time of meiosis I. We show below that strains homozygous for null alleles of SPR3 are capable of normal meiosis and the production of viable ascospores. We have also monitored SPR3 expression in a series of strains that are defective in meiotic development, using an SPR3:lacZ fusion carried on a single copy plasmid. beta-Galactosidase activity occurred at wild-type levels in diploid strains homozygous for mutations in spo13, rad50, rad57 and cdc9, but was greatly reduced in strains carrying cdc8 or spo7 defects. We conclude that SPR3 expression is a valid monitor of early meiotic development, even though the gene is inessential for the sporulation process.

Identification and characterization of mutations affecting sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mutations affecting the synthesis of the sporulation amyloglucosidase were isolated in a homothallic strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, SCMS7-1. Two were found, both of which were deficient in sporulation at 34 degrees. One, SL484, sporulated to 50% normal levels at 30 degrees but less than 5% at 34 degrees or 22 degrees. The other, SL641, failed to sporulate at any temperature. Both mutants were blocked before premeiotic DNA synthesis, and both complemented spo1, spo3, and spo7. Genetic analysis of the mutation in SL484 indicated linkage to TRP5 and placed the gene 10 map units from TRP5 on chromosome VII. A plasmid containing an insert which complements the mutation in SL484 fails to complement SL641. We therefore conclude that these two mutations are in separate genes and we propose to call these genes SPO17 and SPO18. These two genes are (with SPO7, SPO8, and SPO9) among the earliest identified in the sporulation pathway and may interact directly with the positive and negative regulators RME and IME.

Transcriptional regulation of sporulation genes in yeast

The relative transcription rates of three sporulation-regulated genes of yeast (SPR1, SPR2 and SPR3) were determined at intervals during sporulation, using a filter binding assay. The binding of in vivo labeled RNA to the corresponding DNAs increased 3- to 12-fold at the time of meiosis I, in parallel with the accumulation of the SPR transcripts. SPR1 and SPR3 mRNA abundance increased from less than 0.7 to 130 and 90 copies per cell, respectively, between the time of shift to sporulation medium and the initiation of spore formation. This represented a 150-to 200-fold increase in the steady-state levels of these RNAs. Similarly, the levels of beta-galactosidase present in sporulating cells harboring fusions between SPR3 and Escherichia coli lacZ increased at least 700-fold. We conclude that SPR1, SPR2 and SPR3 transcription is modulated during sporulation, possibly in response to earlier events in the process.