The eta7/csn3-3 Auxin Response Mutant of Arabidopsis Defines a Novel Function for the CSN3 Subunit of the COP9 Signalosome

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an eight subunit protein complex conserved in all higher eukaryotes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the CSN regulates auxin response by removing the ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8/RUB1 from the CUL1 subunit of the SCF^TIR1/AFB ubiquitin-ligase (deneddylation). Previously described null mutations in any CSN subunit result in the pleiotropic cop/det/fus phenotype and cause seedling lethality, hampering the study of CSN functions in plant development. In a genetic screen to identify enhancers of the auxin response defects conferred by the tir1-1 mutation, we identified a viable csn mutant of subunit 3 (CSN3), designated eta7/csn3-3. In addition to enhancing tir1-1 mutant phenotypes, the csn3-3 mutation alone confers several phenotypes indicative of impaired auxin signaling including auxin resistant root growth and diminished auxin responsive gene expression. Unexpectedly however, csn3-3 plants are not defective in either the CSN-mediated deneddylation of CUL1 or in SCF^TIR1-mediated degradation of Aux/IAA proteins. These findings suggest that csn3-3 is an atypical csn mutant that defines a novel CSN or CSN3-specific function. Consistent with this possibility, we observe dramatic differences in double mutant interactions between csn3-3 and other auxin signaling mutants compared to another weak csn mutant, csn1-10. Lastly, unlike other csn mutants, assembly of the CSN holocomplex is unaffected in csn3-3 plants. However, we detected a small CSN3-containing protein complex that is altered in csn3-3 plants. We hypothesize that in addition to its role in the CSN as a cullin deneddylase, CSN3 functions in a distinct protein complex that is required for proper auxin signaling.     

The COP9 signalosome promotes degradation of Cyclin E during early Drosophila oogenesis

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an eight-subunit complex that regulates multiple signaling and cell cycle pathways. Here we link the CSN to the degradation of Cyclin E, which promotes the G1-S transition in the cell cycle and then is rapidly degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Using CSN4 and CSN5/Jab1 mutants, we show that the CSN acts during Drosophila oogenesis to remove Nedd8 from Cullin1, a subunit of the SCF ubiquitin ligase. Overexpression of Cyclin E causes similar defects as mutations in CSN or SCF(Ago) subunits: extra divisions or, in contrast, cell cycle arrest and polyploidy. Because the phenotypes are so similar and because CSN and Cyclin E mutations reciprocally suppress each other, Cyclin E appears to be the major target of the CSN during early oogenesis. Genetic interactions among CSN, SCF, and proteasome subunits further confirm CSN involvement in ubiquitin-mediated Cyclin E degradation.     

The COP9 signalosome interacts with SCF UFO and participates in Arabidopsis flower development

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is involved in multiple developmental processes. It interacts with SCF ubiquitin ligases and deconjugates Nedd8/Rub1 from cullins (deneddylation). CSN is highly expressed in Arabidopsis floral tissues. To investigate the role of CSN in flower development, we examined the expression pattern of CSN in developing flowers. We report here that two csn1 partially deficient Arabidopsis strains exhibit aberrant development of floral organs, decline of APETALA3 (AP3) expression, and low fertility in addition to defects in shoot and inflorescence meristems. We show that UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS (UFO) forms a SCF(UFO) complex, which is associated with CSN in vivo. Genetic interaction analysis indicates that CSN is necessary for the gain-of-function activity of the F-box protein UFO in AP3 activation and in floral organ transformation. Compared with the previously reported csn5 antisense and csn1 null mutants, partial deficiency of CSN1 causes a reduction in the level of CUL1 in the mutant flowers without an obvious defect in CUL1 deneddylation. We conclude that CSN is an essential regulator of Arabidopsis flower development and suggest that CSN regulates Arabidopsis flower development in part by modulating SCF(UFO)-mediated AP3 activation.     

The Arabidopsis COP9 signalosome is essential for G2 phase progression and genomic stability

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is required for the full activity of cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRLs) in eukaryotes. CSN exerts its function on CRLs by removing the ubiquitin-related NEDD8 conjugate from the cullin subunit of CRLs. CSN seems, thereby, to control CRL disassembly or CRL subunit stability. In Arabidopsis thaliana, loss of CSN function leads to constitutive photomorphogenic (cop) seedling development and a post-germination growth arrest. The underlying molecular cause of this growth arrest is currently unknown. Here, we show that Arabidopsis csn mutants are delayed in G2 phase progression. This cell cycle arrest correlates with the induction of the DNA damage response pathway and is suggestive of the activation of a DNA damage checkpoint. In support of this hypothesis, we detected gene conversion events in csn mutants that are indicative of DNA double-strand breaks. DNA damage is also apparent in mutants of the NEDD8 conjugation pathway and in mutants of the E3 ligase subunits CULLIN4, COP1 and DET1, which share phenotypes with csn mutants. In summary, our data suggest that Arabidopsis csn mutants undergo DNA damage, which might be the cause of the delay in G2 cell cycle progression.     

Deletion mutants in COP9/signalosome subunits in fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe display distinct phenotypes

The COP9/signalosome complex is highly conserved in evolution and possesses significant structural similarity to the 19S regulatory lid complex of the proteasome. It also shares limited similarity to the translation initiation factor eIF3. The signalosome interacts with multiple cullins in mammalian cells. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the Csn1 subunit is required for the removal of covalently attached Nedd8 from Pcu1, one of three S. pombe cullins. It remains unclear whether this activity is required for all the functions ascribed to the signalosome. We previously identified Csn1 and Csn2 as signalosome subunits in S. pombe. csn1 and csn2 null mutants are DNA damage sensitive and exhibit slow DNA replication. Two further putative subunits, Csn4 and Csn5, were identified from the S. pombe genome database. Herein, we characterize null mutations of csn4 and csn5 and demonstrate that both genes are required for removal of Nedd8 from the S. pombe cullin Pcu1 and that their protein products associate with Csn1 and Csn2. However, neither csn4 nor csn5 null mutants share the csn1 and csn2 mutant phenotypes. Our data suggest that the subunits of the signalosome cannot be considered as a distinct functional unit and imply that different subunits of the signalosome mediate distinct functions.     

COP9 signalosome subunit 7 from Arabidopsis interacts with and regulates the small subunit of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR2)

The COP9 Signalosome protein complex (CSN) is a pleiotropic regulator of plant development and contains eight-subunits. Six of these subunits contain the PCI motif which mediates specific protein interactions necessary for the integrity of the complex. COP9 complex subunit 7 (CSN7) contains an N-terminal PCI motif followed by a C-terminal extension which is also necessary for CSN function. A yeast-interaction trap assay identified the small subunit of ribonucelotide reductase (RNR2) from Arabidopsis as interacting with the C-terminal section of CSN7. This interaction was confirmed in planta by both bimolecular fluorescence complementation and immuoprecipitation assays with endogenous proteins. The subcellular localization of RNR2 was primarily nuclear in meristematic regions, and cytoplasmic in adult cells. RNR2 was constitutively nuclear in csn7 mutant seedlings, and was also primarily nuclear in wild type seedlings following exposure to UV-C. These two results correlate with constitutive expression of several DNA-damage response genes in csn7 mutants, and to increased tolerance of csn7 seedlings to UV-C treatment. We propose that the CSN is a negative regulator of RNR activity in Arabidopsis.     

Loss of the CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC9 signalosome subunit 5 is sufficient to cause the cop/det/fus mutant phenotype in Arabidopsis

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) was originally identified based on the constitutively photomorphogenic/de-etiolated/fusca (cop/det/fus) mutants from Arabidopsis thaliana. CSN is evolutionary conserved, and its subunit 5 (CSN5) mediates the deconjugation of NEDD8 from the cullin subunit of E3 ubiquitin ligases (deneddylation). Here, we report on Arabidopsis mutants deficient in CSN5 function. We show that these mutants are phenotypically indistinguishable from the previously described cop/det/fus mutants of other CSN subunits. However, we also show that these mutants retain the CSN complex (lacking CSN5), and this finding is in contrast with the previously described CSN subunit mutants, which lack the CSN complex. We therefore conclude that loss of CSN5 as part of CSN is sufficient to cause the cop/det/fus mutant phenotype. Furthermore, we show that mutants defective in CSN5 as well as mutants defective in CSN are unable to deneddylate the Arabidopsis cullins AtCUL1, AtCUL3A, and AtCUL4. Because these are representative cullin subunits of the three cullin-containing E3 families present in Arabidopsis, we postulate that the cop/det/fus mutant phenotype may be the result of the defects caused by impaired CSN5-dependent deneddylation of cullin-containing E3s.     

Fission yeast COP9/signalosome suppresses cullin activity through recruitment of the deubiquitylating enzyme Ubp12p

The COP9/signalosome (CSN) is known to remove the stimulatory NEDD8 modification from cullins. The activity of the fission yeast cullins Pcu1p and Pcu3p is dramatically stimulated when retrieved from csn mutants but inhibited by purified CSN. This inhibition is independent of cullin deneddylation but mediated by the CSN-associated deubiquitylating enzyme Ubp12p, which forms a complex with Pcu3p in a CSN-dependent manner. In ubp12 mutants, as in csn mutants, Pcu3p activity is stimulated. CSN is required for efficient targeting of Ubp12p to the nucleus, where both cullins reside. Finally, the CSN/Ubp12p pathway maintains the stability of the Pcu1p-associated substrate-specific adaptor protein Pop1p. We propose that CSN/Ubp12p-mediated deubiquitylation creates an environment for the safe de novo assembly of cullin complexes by counteracting the autocatalytic destruction of adaptor proteins.     

Novel aspects of COP9 signalosome functions revealed through analysis of hypomorphic csn mutants

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is a conserved eukaryotic protein complex implicated in the regulation of cullin-RING type E3 ubiquitin ligases by cleaving the small peptide RUB/Nedd8 from cullins. However, detailed analysis of CSN physiological functions in Arabidopsis has been hampered by the early seedling-lethality of csn null mutants. We and others have now identified a number of viable hypomorphic csn mutants which start to reveal novel CSN-dependent activities in adult Arabidopsis plants.¹ Here, we present a detailed comparative analysis of the csn5a-1 and csn2-5 mutants as a mean to improve understanding of CSN functions in plant cells. Our observations point to CSN-independent activities of CSN5 and suggest a role of the CSN in cytoskeleton assembly/organization.Key words: Arabidopsis, root skewing, CSN, COP9 signalosome, SCF, ubiquitin, TIR1, auxin     

Role of individual subunits of the Neurospora crassa CSN complex in regulation of deneddylation and stability of cullin proteins

The Cop9 signalosome (CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved multifunctional complex that controls ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation in eukaryotes. We found seven CSN subunits in Neurospora crassa in a previous study, but only one subunit, CSN-2, was functionally characterized. In this study, we created knockout mutants for the remaining individual CSN subunits in N. crassa. By phenotypic observation, we found that loss of CSN-1, CSN-2, CSN-4, CSN-5, CSN-6, or CSN-7 resulted in severe defects in growth, conidiation, and circadian rhythm; the defect severity was gene-dependent. Unexpectedly, CSN-3 knockout mutants displayed the same phenotype as wild-type N. crassa. Consistent with these phenotypic observations, deneddylation of cullin proteins in csn-1, csn-2, csn-4, csn-5, csn-6, or csn-7 mutants was dramatically impaired, while deletion of csn-3 did not cause any alteration in the neddylation/deneddylation state of cullins. We further demonstrated that CSN-1, CSN-2, CSN-4, CSN-5, CSN-6, and CSN-7, but not CSN-3, were essential for maintaining the stability of Cul1 in SCF complexes and Cul3 and BTB proteins in Cul3-BTB E3s, while five of the CSN subunits, but not CSN-3 and CSN-5, were also required for maintaining the stability of SKP-1 in SCF complexes. All seven CSN subunits were necessary for maintaining the stability of Cul4-DDB1 complexes. In addition, CSN-3 was also required for maintaining the stability of the CSN-2 subunit and FWD-1 in the SCF(FWD-1) complex. Together, these results not only provide functional insights into the different roles of individual subunits in the CSN complex, but also establish a functional framework for understanding the multiple functions of the CSN complex in biological processes.     

The COP9 signalosome and its role in plant development

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved multiprotein complex with a role in the regulation of cullin-RING type E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRLs). CSN exerts its function on E3 ligases by deconjugating the ubiquitin-related protein NEDD8 from the CRL cullin subunit. Thereby, CSN has an impact on multiple CRL-dependent processes. In recent years, advances have been made in understanding the structural organisation and biochemical function of CSN: Crystal structure analysis and mass spectrometry-assisted studies have come up with first models of the pair-wise and complex interactions of the 8 CSN subunits. Based on the analysis of mutant phenotypes, it can now be taken as an accepted fact that – at least in plants –the major biochemical function of CSN resides in its deneddylation activity, which is mediated by CSN subunit 5 (CSN5). Furthermore, it could be demonstrated that CSN function and deneddylation are required but not essential for CRL-mediated processes, and models for the role of neddylation and deneddylation in controlling CRL activity are emerging. Significant advances have also been made in identifying pathways that are growth restricting in the Arabidopsis csn mutants. Recently it has been shown that a G2 phase arrest, possibly due to genomic instability, restricts growth in Arabidopsis csn mutants. This review provides an update on recent advances in understanding CSN structure and function and summarises the current knowledge on its role in plant development and cell cycle progression.     

DELLA proteins restrain germination and elongation growth in Arabidopsis thaliana COP9 signalosome mutants

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved multiprotein complex with an essential role in the development of higher eukaryotes. CSN deconjugates the ubiquitin-related modifier NEDD8 from the cullin subunit of cullin-RING type E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRLs), and CSN-mediated cullin deneddylation is required for full CRL activity. Although several plant E3 CRL functions have been shown to be compromised in Arabidopsis csn mutants, none of these functions have so far been shown to limit growth in these mutants. Here, we examine the role of CSN in the context of the E3 ubiquitin ligase SCF^{SLEEPY1 (SLY1)}, which promotes gibberellic acid (GA)-dependent responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. We show that csn mutants are impaired in GA- and SCF^SLY1-dependent germination and elongation growth, and we show that these defects correlate with an accumulation and reduced turnover of an SCF^SLY1-degradation target, the DELLA protein REPRESSOR-OF-ga1-3 (RGA). Genetic interaction studies between csn mutants and loss-of-function alleles of RGA and its functional homologue GIBBERELLIC ACID INSENSITIVE (GAI) further reveal that RGA and GAI repress defects of germination in strong csn mutants. In addition, we find that these two DELLA proteins are largely responsible for the elongation defects of a weak csn5 mutant allele. We thus conclude that an impairment of SCF^SLY1 is at least in part causative for the germination and elongation defects of csn mutants, and suggest that DELLA proteins are major growth repressors in these mutants.     

The CSN/COP9 Signalosome Regulates Synaptonemal Complex Assembly during Meiotic Prophase I of Caenorhabditis elegans

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a conserved protein structure that holds homologous chromosome pairs together throughout much of meiotic prophase I. It is essential for the formation of crossovers, which are required for the proper segregation of chromosomes into gametes. The assembly of the SC is likely to be regulated by post-translational modifications. The CSN/COP9 signalosome has been shown to act in many pathways, mainly via the ubiquitin degradation/proteasome pathway. Here we examine the role of the CSN/COP9 signalosome in SC assembly in the model organism C. elegans. Our work shows that mutants in three subunits of the CSN/COP9 signalosome fail to properly assemble the SC. In these mutants, SC proteins aggregate, leading to a decrease in proper pairing between homologous chromosomes. The reduction in homolog pairing also results in an accumulation of recombination intermediates and defects in repair of meiotic DSBs to form the designated crossovers. The effect of the CSN/COP9 signalosome mutants on synapsis and crossover formation is due to increased neddylation, as reducing neddylation in these mutants can partially suppress their phenotypes. We also find a marked increase in apoptosis in csn mutants that specifically eliminates nuclei with aggregated SC proteins. csn mutants exhibit defects in germline proliferation, and an almost complete pachytene arrest due to an inability to activate the MAPK pathway. The work described here supports a previously unknown role for the CSN/COP9 signalosome in chromosome behavior during meiotic prophase I.     

COP9 signalosome components play a role in the mating pheromone response of S. cerevisiae

A family of genetically and structurally homologous complexes, the proteasome lid, Cop9 signalosome (CSN) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3, mediate different regulatory pathways. The CSN functions in numerous eukaryotes as a regulator of development and signaling, yet until now no evidence for a complex has been found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We identified a group of proteins, including a homolog of Csn5/Jab1 and four uncharacterized PCI components, that interact in a manner suggesting they form a complex analogous to the CSN in S. cerevisiae. These newly identified subunits play a role in adaptation to pheromone signaling. Deletants for individual subunits enhance pheromone response and increase mating efficiency. Overexpression of individual subunits or a human homolog mitigates sst2-induced pheromone sensitivity. Csi1, a novel CSN interactor, exhibits opposite phenotypes. Deletants also accumulate Cdc53/cullin in a Rub1-modified form; however, this role of the CSN appears to be distinct from that in the mating pathway.     

Drosophila lin-52 acts in opposition to repressive components of the Myb-MuvB/dREAM complex

The Drosophila melanogaster Myb-MuvB/dREAM complex (MMB/dREAM) participates in both the activation and repression of developmentally regulated genes and origins of DNA replication. Mutants in MMB subunits exhibit diverse phenotypes, including lethality, eye defects, reduced fecundity, and sterility. Here, we used P-element excision to generate mutations in lin-52, which encodes the smallest subunit of the MMB/dREAM complex. lin-52 is required for viability, as null mutants die prior to pupariation. The generation of somatic and germ line mutant clones indicates that lin-52 is required for adult eye development and for early embryogenesis via maternal effects. Interestingly, the maternal-effect embryonic lethality, larval lethality, and adult eye defects could be suppressed by mutations in other subunits of the MMB/dREAM complex. These results suggest that a partial MMB/dREAM complex is responsible for the lethality and eye defects of lin-52 mutants. Furthermore, these findings support a model in which the Lin-52 and Myb proteins counteract the repressive activities of the other members of the MMB/dREAM complex at specific genomic loci in a developmentally controlled manner.     

The COP9 signalosome regulates cell proliferation of Dictyostelium discoideum

Regulated protein destruction involving SCF (Skp1/Cullin/F-box, E3 ubiquitin ligase) complexes is required for multicellular development of Dictyostelium discoideum. Dynamic modification of cullin by nedd8 is required for the proper action of SCF. The COP9 signalosome (CSN), first identified in a signaling pathway for light response in plants, functions as a large multi-protein complex that regulates cullin neddylation in eukaryotes. Still, there is extreme sequence divergence of CSN subunits of the yeasts in comparison to the multicellular plants and animals. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have identified the CSN5 subunit as a potential interacting partner of a cell surface receptor of Dictyostelium. We further identified and characterized all 8 CSN subunits in Dictyostelium discoideum. Remarkably, despite the ancient origin of Dictyostelium, its CSN proteins cluster very closely with their plant and animal counterparts. We additionally show that the Dictyostelium subunits, like those of other systems are capable of multi-protein interactions within the CSN complex. Our data also indicate that CSN5 (and CSN2) are essential for cell proliferation in Dictyostelium, a phenotype similar to that of multicellular organisms, but distinct from that of the yeasts. Finally, we speculate on a potential role of CSN in cullin function and regulated protein destruction during multicellular development of Dictyostelium.     

The Organization of a CSN5-containing Subcomplex of the COP9 Signalosome

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is an evolutionarily conserved multi-protein complex that interfaces with the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and plays critical developmental roles in both animals and plants. Although some subunits are present only in an ∼320-kDa complex-dependent form, other subunits are also detected in configurations distinct from the 8-subunit holocomplex. To date, the only known biochemical activity intrinsic to the complex, deneddylation of the Cullin subunits from Cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases, is assigned to CSN5. As an essential step to understanding the structure and assembly of a CSN5-containing subcomplex of the CSN, we reconstituted a CSN4-5-6-7 subcomplex. The core of the subcomplex is based on a stable heterotrimeric association of CSN7, CSN4, and CSN6, requiring coexpression in a bacterial reconstitution system. To this heterotrimer, we could then add CSN5 in vitro to reconstitute a quaternary complex. Using biochemical and biophysical methods, we identified pairwise and combinatorial interactions necessary for the formation of the CSN4-5-6-7 subcomplex. The subcomplex is stabilized by three types of interactions: MPN-MPN between CSN5 and CSN6, PCI-PCI between CSN4 and CSN7, and interactions mediated through the CSN6 C terminus with CSN4 and CSN7. CSN8 was also found to interact with the CSN4-6-7 core. These data provide a strong framework for further investigation of the organization and assembly of this pivotal regulatory complex.