Expressing Multi-subunit Complexes Using biGBac

Regulation by the RNA-binding protein Unkempt at its effector interface

How RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) convey regulatory instructions to the core effectors of RNA processing is unclear. Here, we document the existence and functions of a multivalent RBP-effector interface. We show that the effector interface of a conserved RBP with an essential role in metazoan development, Unkempt, is mediated by a novel type of 'dual-purpose' peptide motifs that can contact two different surfaces of interacting proteins. Unexpectedly, we find that the multivalent contacts do not merely serve effector recruitment but are required for the accuracy of RNA recognition by Unkempt. Systems analyses reveal that multivalent RBP-effector contacts can repurpose the principal activity of an effector for a different function, as we demonstrate for the reuse of the central eukaryotic mRNA decay factor CCR4-NOT in translational control. Our study establishes the molecular assembly and functional principles of an RBP-effector interface.

Recombinant cyclin B-Cdk1-Suc1 capable of multi-site mitotic phosphorylation in vitro

Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) complexed with cyclin B phosphorylates multiple sites on hundreds of proteins during mitosis. However, it is not fully understood how multi-site mitotic phosphorylation by cyclin B-Cdk1 controls the structures and functions of individual substrates. Here we develop an easy-to-use protocol to express recombinant vertebrate cyclin B and Cdk1 in insect cells from a single baculovirus vector and to purify their complexes with excellent homogeneity. A series of in-vitro assays demonstrate that the recombinant cyclin B-Cdk1 can efficiently and specifically phosphorylate the SP and TP motifs in substrates. The addition of Suc1 (a Cks1 homolog in fission yeast) accelerates multi-site phosphorylation of an artificial substrate containing TP motifs. Importantly, we show that mitosis-specific multi-subunit and multi-site phosphorylation of the condensin I complex can be recapitulated in vitro using recombinant cyclin B-Cdk1-Suc1. The materials and protocols described here will pave the way for dissecting the biochemical basis of critical mitotic processes that accompany Cdk1-mediated large-scale phosphorylation.

A paradigm for regulation at the effector interface with RNA-binding proteins

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are key regulators of gene expression, but how RBPs convey regulatory instructions to the core effectors of RNA processing is unclear. Here we document the existence and functions of a multivalent RBP-effector interface. We show that the effector interface of a deeply conserved RBP with an essential role in metazoan development, Unkempt, is mediated by a novel type of 'dual-purpose' peptide motifs that can contact two different surfaces of interacting proteins. Unexpectedly, we find that the multivalent contacts do not merely serve effector recruitment but are required for the accuracy of RNA recognition by the recruiting RBP. Systems analyses reveal that multivalent RBP-effector contacts can repurpose the principal activity of an effector for a different function, as we demonstrate for reuse of the central eukaryotic mRNA decay factor CCR4-NOT in translational control. Our study establishes the molecular assembly and functional principles of an RBP-effector interface, with implications for the evolution and function of RBP-operated regulatory networks.

DNA-directed termination of RNA polymerase II transcription

RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription involves initiation from a promoter, transcriptional elongation through the gene, and termination in the terminator region. In bacteria, terminators often contain specific DNA elements provoking polymerase dissociation, but RNAPII transcription termination is thought to be driven entirely by protein co-factors. We used biochemical reconstitution, single-molecule studies, and genome-wide analysis in yeast to study RNAPII termination. Transcription into natural terminators by pure RNAPII results in spontaneous termination at specific sequences containing T-tracts. Single-molecule analysis indicates that termination involves pausing without backtracking. The "torpedo" Rat1-Rai1 exonuclease (XRN2 in humans) greatly stimulates spontaneous termination but is ineffectual on other paused RNAPIIs. By contrast, elongation factor Spt4-Spt5 (DSIF) suppresses termination. Genome-wide analysis further indicates that termination occurs by transcript cleavage at the poly(A) site exposing a new 5' RNA-end that allows Rat1-Rai1 loading, which then catches up with destabilized RNAPII at specific termination sites to end transcription.

Taxol acts differently on different tubulin isotypes

Taxol is a small molecule effector that allosterically locks tubulin into the microtubule lattice. We show here that taxol has different effects on different single-isotype microtubule lattices. Using in vitro reconstitution, we demonstrate that single-isotype α1β4 GDP-tubulin lattices are stabilised and expanded by 10 µM taxol, as reported by accelerated microtubule gliding in kinesin motility assays, whereas single-isotype α1β3 GDP-tubulin lattices are stabilised but not expanded. This isotype-specific action of taxol drives gliding of segmented-isotype GDP-taxol microtubules along convoluted, sinusoidal paths, because their expanded α1β4 segments try to glide faster than their compacted α1β3 segments. In GMPCPP, single-isotype α1β3 and α1β4 lattices both show accelerated gliding, indicating that both can in principle be driven to expand. We therefore propose that taxol-induced lattice expansion requires a higher taxol occupancy than taxol-induced stabilisation, and that higher taxol occupancies are accessible to α1β4 but not α1β3 single-isotype lattices.

Structure of the endosomal Commander complex linked to Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome

The Commander complex is required for endosomal recycling of diverse transmembrane cargos and is mutated in Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome. It comprises two sub-assemblies: Retriever composed of VPS35L, VPS26C, and VPS29; and the CCC complex which contains twelve subunits: COMMD1-COMMD10 and the coiled-coil domain-containing (CCDC) proteins CCDC22 and CCDC93. Combining X-ray crystallography, electron cryomicroscopy, and in silico predictions, we have assembled a complete structural model of Commander. Retriever is distantly related to the endosomal Retromer complex but has unique features preventing the shared VPS29 subunit from interacting with Retromer-associated factors. The COMMD proteins form a distinctive hetero-decameric ring stabilized by extensive interactions with CCDC22 and CCDC93. These adopt a coiled-coil structure that connects the CCC and Retriever assemblies and recruits a 16th subunit, DENND10, to form the complete Commander complex. The structure allows mapping of disease-causing mutations and reveals the molecular features required for the function of this evolutionarily conserved trafficking machinery.

BICD2 phosphorylation regulates dynein function and centrosome separation in G2 and M

The activity of dynein is regulated by a number of adaptors that mediate its interaction with dynactin, effectively activating the motor complex while also connecting it to different cargos. The regulation of adaptors is consequently central to dynein physiology but remains largely unexplored. We now describe that one of the best-known dynein adaptors, BICD2, is effectively activated through phosphorylation. In G2, phosphorylation of BICD2 by CDK1 promotes its interaction with PLK1. In turn, PLK1 phosphorylation of a single residue in the N-terminus of BICD2 results in a structural change that facilitates the interaction with dynein and dynactin, allowing the formation of active motor complexes. Moreover, modified BICD2 preferentially interacts with the nucleoporin RanBP2 once RanBP2 has been phosphorylated by CDK1. BICD2 phosphorylation is central for dynein recruitment to the nuclear envelope, centrosome tethering to the nucleus and centrosome separation in the G2 and M phases of the cell cycle. This work reveals adaptor activation through phosphorylation as crucial for the spatiotemporal regulation of dynein activity.

CTCF is a DNA-tension-dependent barrier to cohesin-mediated loop extrusion

In eukaryotes, genomic DNA is extruded into loops by cohesin1. By restraining this process, the DNA-binding protein CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) generates topologically associating domains (TADs)2,3 that have important roles in gene regulation and recombination during development and disease1,4-7. How CTCF establishes TAD boundaries and to what extent these are permeable to cohesin is unclear8. Here, to address these questions, we visualize interactions of single CTCF and cohesin molecules on DNA in vitro. We show that CTCF is sufficient to block diffusing cohesin, possibly reflecting how cohesive cohesin accumulates at TAD boundaries, and is also sufficient to block loop-extruding cohesin, reflecting how CTCF establishes TAD boundaries. CTCF functions asymmetrically, as predicted; however, CTCF is dependent on DNA tension. Moreover, CTCF regulates cohesin's loop-extrusion activity by changing its direction and by inducing loop shrinkage. Our data indicate that CTCF is not, as previously assumed, simply a barrier to cohesin-mediated loop extrusion but is an active regulator of this process, whereby the permeability of TAD boundaries can be modulated by DNA tension. These results reveal mechanistic principles of how CTCF controls loop extrusion and genome architecture.

Cryo-EM structure of the fully assembled Elongator complex

Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules are essential to decode messenger RNA codons during protein synthesis. All known tRNAs are heavily modified at multiple positions through post-transcriptional addition of chemical groups. Modifications in the tRNA anticodons are directly influencing ribosome decoding and dynamics during translation elongation and are crucial for maintaining proteome integrity. In eukaryotes, wobble uridines are modified by Elongator, a large and highly conserved macromolecular complex. Elongator consists of two subcomplexes, namely Elp123 containing the enzymatically active Elp3 subunit and the associated Elp456 hetero-hexamer. The structure of the fully assembled complex and the function of the Elp456 subcomplex have remained elusive. Here, we show the cryo-electron microscopy structure of yeast Elongator at an overall resolution of 4.3 Å. We validate the obtained structure by complementary mutational analyses in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we determined various structures of the murine Elongator complex, including the fully assembled mouse Elongator complex at 5.9 Å resolution. Our results confirm the structural conservation of Elongator and its intermediates among eukaryotes. Furthermore, we complement our analyses with the biochemical characterization of the assembled human Elongator. Our results provide the molecular basis for the assembly of Elongator and its tRNA modification activity in eukaryotes.

HSP90-CDC37-PP5 forms a structural platform for kinase dephosphorylation

Activation of client protein kinases by the HSP90 molecular chaperone system is affected by phosphorylation at multiple sites on HSP90, the kinase-specific co-chaperone CDC37, and the kinase client itself. Removal of regulatory phosphorylation from client kinases and their release from the HSP90-CDC37 system depends on the Ser/Thr phosphatase PP5, which associates with HSP90 via its N-terminal TPR domain. Here, we present the cryoEM structure of the oncogenic protein kinase client BRAF^V600E bound to HSP90-CDC37, showing how the V600E mutation favours BRAF association with HSP90-CDC37. Structures of HSP90-CDC37-BRAF^V600E complexes with PP5 in autoinhibited and activated conformations, together with proteomic analysis of its phosphatase activity on BRAF^V600E and CRAF, reveal how PP5 is activated by recruitment to HSP90 complexes. PP5 comprehensively dephosphorylates client proteins, removing interaction sites for regulatory partners such as 14-3-3 proteins and thus performing a 'factory reset' of the kinase prior to release.

Biochemical Characterization of the TINTIN Module of the NuA4 Complex Reveals Allosteric Regulation of Nucleosome Interaction

Trimer Independent of NuA4 involved in Transcription Interactions with Nucleosomes (TINTIN) is an integral module of the essential yeast lysine acetyltransferase complex NuA4 that plays key roles in transcription regulation and DNA repair. Composed of Eaf3, Eaf5, and Eaf7, TINTIN mediates targeting of NuA4 to chromatin through the chromodomain-containing subunit Eaf3 that is shared with the Rpd3S histone deacetylase complex. How Eaf3 mediates chromatin interaction in the context of TINTIN and how is it different from what has been observed in Rpd3S is unclear. Here, we reconstituted recombinant TINTIN and its subassemblies and characterized their biochemical and structural properties. Our coimmunoprecipitation, AlphaFold2 modeling, and hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) analyses revealed that the Eaf3 MRG domain contacts Eaf7 and this binding induces conformational changes throughout Eaf3. Nucleosome-binding assays showed that Eaf3 and TINTIN interact non-specifically with the DNA on nucleosomes. Furthermore, integration into TINTIN enhances the affinity of Eaf3 toward nucleosomes and this improvement is a result of allosteric activation of the Eaf3 chromodomain. Negative stain electron microscopy (EM) analysis revealed that TINTIN binds to the edge of nucleosomes with increased specificity in the presence of H3K36me3. Collectively, our work provides insights into the dynamics of TINTIN and the mechanism by which its interactions with chromatin are regulated.

Biochemical and Structural Characterization of Human Core Elongator and Its Subassemblies

Conserved from yeast to humans and composed of six core subunits (Elp1-Elp6), Elongator is a multiprotein complex that catalyzes the modification of the anticodon loop of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and in turn regulates messenger RNA decoding efficiency. Previous studies showed that yeast Elongator consists of two subassemblies (yElp1/2/3 and yElp4/5/6) and adopts an asymmetric overall architecture. Yet, much less is known about the structural properties of the orthologous human Elongator. Furthermore, the order in which the different Elongator subunits come together to form the full assembly as well as how they coordinate with one another to catalyze tRNA modification is not fully understood. Here, we purified recombinant human Elongator subunits and subassemblies and examined them by single-particle electron microscopy. We found that the human Elongator complex is assembled from two subcomplexes that share similar overall morphologies as their yeast counterparts. Complementary co-purification and pulldown assays revealed that the scaffolding subunit human ELP1 (hELP1) has stabilizing effects on the human ELP3 catalytic subunit. Furthermore, the peripheral hELP2 subunit appears to enhance the integrity and substrate-binding ability of the dimeric hELP1/2/3. Lastly, we found that hELP4/5/6 is recruited to hELP1/2/3 via hELP3. Collectively, our work generated insights into the assembly process of core human Elongator and the coordination of different subunits within this complex.

The EB1-Kinesin-14 complex is required for efficient metaphase spindle assembly and kinetochore bi-orientation

Kinesin-14s are conserved molecular motors required for high-fidelity chromosome segregation, but their specific contributions to spindle function have not been fully defined. Here, we show that key functions of budding yeast Kinesin-14 Cik1-Kar3 are accomplished in a complex with Bim1 (yeast EB1). Genetic complementation of mitotic phenotypes identifies a novel KLTF peptide motif in the Cik1 N-terminus. We show that this motif is one element of a tripartite binding interface required to form a high-affinity Bim1–Cik1-Kar3 complex. Lack of Bim1-binding by Cik1-Kar3 delays cells in mitosis and impairs microtubule bundle organization and dynamics. Conversely, constitutive targeting of Cik1-Kar3 to microtubule plus ends induces the formation of nuclear microtubule bundles. Cells lacking the Bim1–Cik1-Kar3 complex rely on the conserved microtubule bundler Ase1/PRC1 for metaphase spindle organization, and simultaneous loss of plus-end targeted Kar3 and Ase1 is lethal. Our results reveal the contributions of an EB1–Kinesin-14 complex for spindle formation as a prerequisite for efficient kinetochore clustering and bi-orientation.

Assembly of the asymmetric human γ-tubulin ring complex by RUVBL1-RUVBL2 AAA ATPase

The microtubule nucleator γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC) is essential for the function of microtubule organizing centers such as the centrosome. Since its discovery over two decades ago, γTuRC has evaded in vitro reconstitution and thus detailed structure-function studies. Here, we show that a complex of RuvB-like protein 1 (RUVBL1) and RUVBL2 "RUVBL" controls assembly and composition of γTuRC in human cells. Likewise, RUVBL assembles γTuRC from a minimal set of core subunits in a heterologous coexpression system. RUVBL interacts with γTuRC subcomplexes but is not part of fully assembled γTuRC. Purified, reconstituted γTuRC has nucleation activity and resembles native γTuRC as revealed by its cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure at ~4.0-Å resolution. We further use cryo-EM to identify features that determine the intricate, higher-order γTuRC architecture. Our work finds RUVBL as an assembly factor that regulates γTuRC in cells and allows production of recombinant γTuRC for future in-depth mechanistic studies.

InteBac: An integrated bacterial and baculovirus expression vector suite

The successful production of recombinant protein for biochemical, biophysical, and structural biological studies critically depends on the correct expression organism. Currently, the most commonly used expression organisms for structural studies are Escherichia coli (~70% of all PDB structures) and the baculovirus/ insect cell expression system (~5% of all PDB structures). While insect cell expression is frequently successful for large eukaryotic proteins, it is relatively expensive and time-consuming compared to E. coli expression. Frequently the decision to carry out a baculovirus project means restarting cloning from scratch. Here we describe an integrated system that allows simultaneous cloning into E. coli and baculovirus expression vectors using the same PCR products. The system offers a flexible array of N- and C-terminal affinity, solubilization and utility tags, and the speed allows expression screening to be completed in E. coli, before carrying out time and cost-intensive experiments in baculovirus. Importantly, we describe a means of rapidly generating polycistronic bacterial constructs based on the hugely successful biGBac system, making InteBac of particular interest for researchers working on recombinant protein complexes.

DNA loop extrusion by human cohesin

Eukaryotic genomes are folded into loops and topologically associating domains, which contribute to chromatin structure, gene regulation, and gene recombination. These structures depend on cohesin, a ring-shaped DNA-entrapping adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) complex that has been proposed to form loops by extrusion. Such an activity has been observed for condensin, which forms loops in mitosis, but not for cohesin. Using biochemical reconstitution, we found that single human cohesin complexes form DNA loops symmetrically at rates up to 2.1 kilo-base pairs per second. Loop formation and maintenance depend on cohesin's ATPase activity and on NIPBL-MAU2, but not on topological entrapment of DNA by cohesin. During loop formation, cohesin and NIPBL-MAU2 reside at the base of loops, which indicates that they generate loops by extrusion. Our results show that cohesin and NIPBL-MAU2 form an active holoenzyme that interacts with DNA either pseudo-topologically or non-topologically to extrude genomic interphase DNA into loops.

SmartBac, a new baculovirus system for large protein complex production

Recent revolution of cryo-electron microscopy has opened a new door to solve high-resolution structures of macromolecule complexes without crystallization while how to efficiently obtain homogenous macromolecule complex sample is therefore becoming a bottleneck. Here we report SmartBac, an easy and versatile system for constructing large-sized transfer plasmids used to generate recombinant baculoviruses that express large multiprotein complexes in insect cells. The SmartBac system integrates the univector plasmid-fusion system, Gibson assembly method and polyprotein strategy to construct the final transfer plasmid. The fluorescent proteins are designed co-expressed with the target to monitor transfection and expression efficiencies. A scheme of screening an optimal tagged subunit for efficient purification is provided. Six large multiprotein complexes including the human exocyst complex and dynactin complex were successfully expressed and purified, suggesting a great potential of SmartBac system for its wide application in the future.