Genetic approaches to the identification of interactions between membrane proteins in yeast

The recent sequencing of entire eukaryotic genomes has renewed the interest in identifying and characterizing all gene products that are expressed in a given organism. The characterization of unknown gene products is facilitated by the knowledge of its binding partners. Thus, a novel protein may be classified by identifying previously characterized proteins that interact with it. If such an approach is carried out on a large scale, it may allow the rapid characterization of the thousands of predicted open reading frames identified by recent sequencing projects. Currently, the yeast two-hybrid system is the most widely used genetic assay for the detection of protein-protein interactions. The yeast two-hybrid system has become popular because it requires little individual optimization and because, as compared to conventional biochemical methods, the identification and characterization of protein-protein interactions can be completed in a relatively short time span. In this review, we briefly discuss the yeast two-hybrid system and its application to large scale screening studies that aim at deciphering all protein-protein interactions taking place in a given cell type or organism. We then focus on a class of proteins that is unsuitable for conventional yeast two-hybrid systems, namely integral membrane proteins and membrane-associated proteins, and describe several novel genetic systems that combine the advantages of the yeast two-hybrid system with the potential to identify interaction partners of membrane-associated proteins in their natural setting.     

GENETIC APPROACHES TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MEMBRANE PROTEINS IN YEAST

ABSTRACT

The recent sequencing of entire eukaryotic genomes has renewed the interest in identifying and characterizing all gene products that are expressed in a given organism. The characterization of unknown gene products is facilitated by the knowledge of its binding partners. Thus, a novel protein may be classified by identifying previously characterized proteins that interact with it. If such an approach is carried out on a large scale, it may allow the rapid characterization of the thousands of predicted open reading frames identified by recent sequencing projects. Currently, the yeast two-hybrid system is the most widely used genetic assay for the detection of protein–protein interactions. The yeast two-hybrid system has become popular because it requires little individual optimization and because, as compared to conventional biochemical methods, the identification and characterization of protein–protein interactions can be completed in a relatively short time span. In this review, we briefly discuss the yeast two-hybrid system and its application to large scale screening studies that aim at deciphering all protein–protein interactions taking place in a given cell type or organism. We then focus on a class of proteins that is unsuitable for conventional yeast two-hybrid systems, namely integral membrane proteins and membrane-associated proteins, and describe several novel genetic systems that combine the advantages of the yeast two-hybrid system with the potential to identify interaction partners of membrane-associated proteins in their natural setting.     

酵母双杂交系统在膜蛋白相互作用研究中的应用

膜相关蛋白约占细胞总蛋白质中的1/3,它们大都参与了细胞的诸多生理、病理过程和药物反应机理。研究膜蛋白的相互作用对于揭示细胞的生命活动规律及寻找药物作用靶标都有重要的意义。由于膜蛋白本身的特性及其难以进入核内等原因,经典的酵母双杂交技术并不适用于检测膜蛋白间的相互作用。针对在活细胞中研究膜蛋白相互作用的需要,近年来国际上先后发展了一系列用于膜蛋白相互作用研究的酵母双杂交新系统,并取得了许多重要发现。     

A combined yeast/bacteria two-hybrid system: development and evaluation

Two-hybrid screening is a standard method used to identify and characterize protein-protein interactions and has become an integral component of many proteomic investigations. The two-hybrid system was initially developed using yeast as a host organism. However, bacterial two-hybrid systems have also become common laboratory tools and are preferred in some circumstances, although yeast and bacterial two-hybrid systems have never been directly compared. We describe here the development of a unified yeast and bacterial two-hybrid system in which a single bait expression plasmid is used in both organismal milieus. We use a series of leucine zipper fusion proteins of known affinities to compare interaction detection using both systems. Although both two-hybrid systems detected interactions within a comparable range of interaction affinities, each demonstrated unique advantages. The yeast system produced quantitative readout over a greater dynamic range than that observed with bacteria. However, the phenomenon of "autoactivation" by baits was less of a problem in the bacterial system than in the yeast. Both systems identified physiological interactors for a library screen with a cI-Ras test bait; however, non-identical interactors were obtained in yeast and bacterial screens. The ability to rapidly shift between yeast and bacterial systems provided by these new reagents should provide a marked advantage for two-hybrid investigations. In addition, the modified expression vectors we describe in this report should be useful for any application requiring facile expression of a protein of interest in both yeast and bacteria.     

A Drosophila protein-interaction map centered on cell-cycle regulators

Background  

Maps depicting binary interactions between proteins can be powerful starting points for understanding biological systems. A proven technology for generating such maps is high-throughput yeast two-hybrid screening. In the most extensive screen to date, a Gal4-based two-hybrid system was used recently to detect over 20,000 interactions among Drosophila proteins. Although these data are a valuable resource for insights into protein networks, they cover only a fraction of the expected number of interactions.     

A two-hybrid dual bait system to discriminate specificity of protein interactions.

Biological regulatory systems require the specific organization of proteins into multicomponent complexes. Two hybrid systems have been used to identify novel components of signaling networks based on interactions with defined partner proteins. An important issue in the use of two-hybrid systems has been the degree to which interacting proteins distinguish their biological partner from evolutionarily conserved related proteins and the degree to which observed interactions are specific. We adapted the basic two-hybrid strategy to create a novel dual bait system designed to allow single-step screening of libraries for proteins that interact with protein 1 of interest, fused to DNA binding domain A (LexA), but do not interact with protein 2, fused to DNA binding domain B (lambda cI). Using the selective interactions of Ras and Krev-1(Rap1A) with Raf, RalGDS, and Krit1 as a model, we systematically compared LexA- and cI-fused baits and reporters. The LexA and cI baitr reporter systems are well matched for level of bait expression and sensitivity range for interaction detection and allow effective isolation of specifically interacting protein pairs against a nonspecific background. These reagents should prove useful to refine the selectivity of library screens, to reduce the isolation of false positives in such screens, and to perform directed analyses of sequence elements governing the interaction of a single protein with multiple partners.     

发展中的酵母杂交体系

酵母杂交体系包括双杂交、反向双杂交和三杂交等体系。双杂交作为一种新兴的体内研究蛋白质之间相互作用的方法,已经得到了广泛的应用。而反向双杂交和三杂交系统是在双杂交基础上发展起来的两种新技术。反向双杂交除了筛选突变株,以获取蛋白质结合的信息外,还能发现可导致已知蛋白质间特异相互作用发生解离的肽类或其他小分子物质,进一步分析蛋白质间作用位点、调控。三杂交系统则在蛋白质与小分子配基之间以及多种蛋白质之间相     

Role of the carboxy terminus of Escherichia coli FtsA in self-interaction and cell division

The role of the carboxy terminus of the Escherichia coli cell division protein FtsA in bacterial division has been studied by making a series of short sequential deletions spanning from residue 394 to 420. Deletions as short as 5 residues destroy the biological function of the protein. Residue W415 is essential for the localization of the protein into septal rings. Overexpression of the ftsA alleles harboring these deletions caused a coiled cell phenotype previously described for another carboxy-terminal mutation (Gayda et al., J. Bacteriol. 174:5362-5370, 1992), suggesting that an interaction of FtsA with itself might play a role in its function. The existence of such an interaction was demonstrated using the yeast two-hybrid system and a protein overlay assay. Even these short deletions are sufficient for impairing the interaction of the truncated FtsA forms with the wild-type protein in the yeast two-hybrid system. The existence of additional interactions between FtsA molecules, involving other domains, can be postulated from the interaction properties shown by the FtsA deletion mutant forms, because although unable to interact with the wild-type and with FtsADelta1, they can interact with themselves and cross-interact with each other. The secondary structures of an extensive deletion, FtsADelta27, and the wild-type protein are indistinguishable when analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and moreover, FtsADelta27 retains the ability to bind ATP. These results indicate that deletion of the carboxy-terminal 27 residues does not alter substantially the structure of the protein and suggest that the loss of biological function of the carboxy-terminal deletion mutants might be related to the modification of their interacting properties.     

The use of yeast two-hybrid screens in studies of protein:protein interactions involved in trafficking

The yeast two-hybrid system has provided a convenient means to both screen for proteins that interact with a protein of interest and to characterise the known interaction between two proteins. Several groups with an interest in the molecular mechanisms that underlie discrete steps along trafficking pathways have exploited the yeast two-hybrid system. Here, we provide a brief background to the technology, attempt to point out some of the pitfalls and benefits of the different systems that can be employed, and mention some of the areas (within the trafficking field) where yeast two-hybrid interaction assays have been particularly informative.     

用于蛋白质间相互作用研究的新型双杂交系统

近年来,一些不依赖于转录因子活性的新型双杂交系统相继建立,如分离的泛素系统、蛋白质片段互补分析、阻遏物重构分析和SOS恢复系统等。同利用转录因子活性的酵母双杂交系统相似,这些方法也利用了一些活性蛋白的结构与功能特点来研究蛋白质间相互作用,这些活性蛋白不是转录因子,但也可在结构上进行分离可通过重构使其生物活性得以恢复。由于这些新型双杂交系统的各自特点,使得它们成为酵母双杂交系统的有益补充和研究蛋白质间相互作用的有力工具。     

A novel approach for the identification of protein-protein interaction with integral membrane proteins

Protein-protein interaction plays a major role in all biological processes. The currently available genetic methods such as the two-hybrid system and the protein recruitment system are relatively limited in their ability to identify interactions with integral membrane proteins. Here we describe the development of a reverse Ras recruitment system (reverse RRS), in which the bait used encodes a membrane protein. The bait is expressed in its natural environment, the membrane, whereas the protein partner (the prey) is fused to a cytoplasmic Ras mutant. Protein-protein interaction between the proteins encoded by the prey and the bait results in Ras membrane translocation and activation of a viability pathway in yeast. We devised the expression of the bait and prey proteins under the control of dual distinct inducible promoters, thus enabling a rapid selection of transformants in which growth is attributed solely to specific protein-protein interaction. The reverse RRS approach greatly extends the usefulness of the protein recruitment systems and the use of integral membrane proteins as baits. The system serves as an attractive approach to explore novel protein-protein interactions with high specificity and selectivity, where other methods fail.     

Analysis of protein interactions with two-hybrid system in cultured insect cells

Many biological processes are usually coupled to the formation of protein complexes. The yeast two-hybrid system is a powerful tool for analyzing protein-protein interactions. Different patterns of protein modifications, such as glycosylation, phosphorylation, and acetylation, may affect the ability of proteins to interact. In this study, we developed the two-hybrid system that can be used in insect cells. To validate the insect two-hybrid (I2H) system, we analyzed and confirmed the known oligomer or dimer formation of silkworm Rad51 or RPA2-RPA3, respectively. The results established the feasibility of the I2H system for efficient analysis of protein interaction under conditions that closely reflect the normal physiological environment.     

Molecular and cellular approaches for the detection of protein-protein interactions: latest techniques and current limitations

Homotypic and heterotypic protein interactions are crucial for all levels of cellular function, including architecture, regulation, metabolism, and signaling. Therefore, protein interaction maps represent essential components of post-genomic toolkits needed for understanding biological processes at a systems level. Over the past decade, a wide variety of methods have been developed to detect, analyze, and quantify protein interactions, including surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, NMR, yeast two-hybrid screens, peptide tagging combined with mass spectrometry and fluorescence-based technologies. Fluorescence techniques range from co-localization of tags, which may be limited by the optical resolution of the microscope, to fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based methods that have molecular resolution and can also report on the dynamics and localization of the interactions within a cell. Proteins interact via highly evolved complementary surfaces with affinities that can vary over many orders of magnitude. Some of the techniques described in this review, such as surface plasmon resonance, provide detailed information on physical properties of these interactions, while others, such as two-hybrid techniques and mass spectrometry, are amenable to high-throughput analysis using robotics. In addition to providing an overview of these methods, this review emphasizes techniques that can be applied to determine interactions involving membrane proteins, including the split ubiquitin system and fluorescence-based technologies for characterizing hits obtained with high-throughput approaches. Mass spectrometry-based methods are covered by a review by Miernyk and Thelen (2008; this issue, pp. 597–609 ). In addition, we discuss the use of interaction data to construct interaction networks and as the basis for the exciting possibility of using to predict interaction surfaces.     

Protein-protein interaction networks: from interactions to networks

The goal of interaction proteomics that studies the protein-protein interactions of all expressed proteins is to understand biological processes that are strictly regulated by these interactions. The availability of entire genome sequences of many organisms and high-throughput analysis tools has led scientists to study the entire proteome (Pandey and Mann, 2000). There are various high-throughput methods for detecting protein interactions such as yeast two-hybrid approach and mass spectrometry to produce vast amounts of data that can be utilized to decipher protein functions in complicated biological networks. In this review, we discuss recent developments in analytical methods for large-scale protein interactions and the future direction of interaction proteomics.     

A novel approach for the identification of protein–protein interaction with integral membrane proteins

Protein–protein interaction plays a major role in all biological processes. The currently available genetic methods such as the two-hybrid system and the protein recruitment system are relatively limited in their ability to identify interactions with integral membrane proteins. Here we describe the development of a reverse Ras recruitment system (reverse RRS), in which the bait used encodes a membrane protein. The bait is expressed in its natural environment, the membrane, whereas the protein partner (the prey) is fused to a cytoplasmic Ras mutant. Protein–protein interaction between the proteins encoded by the prey and the bait results in Ras membrane translocation and activation of a viability pathway in yeast. We devised the expression of the bait and prey proteins under the control of dual distinct inducible promoters, thus enabling a rapid selection of transformants in which growth is attributed solely to specific protein–protein interaction. The reverse RRS approach greatly extends the usefulness of the protein recruitment systems and the use of integral membrane proteins as baits. The system serves as an attractive approach to explore novel protein–protein interactions with high specificity and selectivity, where other methods fail.