Interactions of the Trichoderma reesei rho3 with the secretory pathway in yeast and T. reesei

We recently isolated from the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei (Hypocrea jecorina) a gene encoding RHOIII as a multicopy suppressor of the yeast temperature-sensitive secretory mutation, sec15-1. To characterize this gene further, we tested its ability to suppress other late-acting secretory mutations. The growth defect of yeast strains with sec1-1, sec1-11, sec3-2, sec6-4 and sec8-9 mutations was suppressed. Expression of rho3 also improved the impaired actin organization of sec15-1 cells at +38 degrees C. Overproduction of yeast Rho3p using the same expression vector as T. reesei RHOIII appeared to be toxic in sec3-101, sec5-24, sec8-9, sec10-2 and sec15-1 cells. When expressed from the GAL1 promoter, RHO3 suppressed the growth defect of sec1 at the restrictive temperature and inhibited the growth of sec3-101 at the permissive temperature. Disruption of the rho3 gene in the T. reesei genome did not affect the hyphal or colony morphology nor the cellular cytoskeleton organization. Furthermore, the growth of T. reesei was not affected on glucose by the rho3 disruption. Instead, both growth and protein secretion of T. reesei in cellulose cultures was remarkably decreased in rho3 disruptant strains when compared with the parental strain. These results suggest that rho3 is involved in secretion processes in T. reesei.     

Effects of inactivation and constitutive expression of the unfolded- protein response pathway on protein production in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

One strategy to obtain better yields of secreted proteins has been overexpression of single endoplasmic reticulum-resident foldases or chaperones. We report here that manipulation of the unfolded-protein response (UPR) pathway regulator, HAC1, affects production of both native and foreign proteins in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The effects of HAC1 deletion and overexpression on the production of a native protein, invertase, and two foreign proteins, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase and Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase EGI, were studied. Disruption of HAC1 caused decreases in the secretion of both alpha-amylase (70 to 75% reduction) and EGI (40 to 50% reduction) compared to the secretion by the parental strain. Constitutive overexpression of HAC1 caused a 70% increase in alpha-amylase secretion but had no effect on EGI secretion. The invertase levels were twofold higher in the strain overexpressing HAC1. Also, the effect of the active form of T. reesei hac1 was tested in S. cerevisiae. hac1 expression caused a 2.4-fold increase in the secretion of alpha-amylase in S. cerevisiae and also slight increases in invertase and total protein production. Overexpression of both S. cerevisiae HAC1 and T. reesei hac1 caused an increase in the expression of the known UPR target gene KAR2 at early time points during cultivation.     

Functions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae 14-3-3 proteins in response to DNA damage and to DNA replication stress

Two members of the 14-3-3 protein family, involved in key biological processes in different eukaryotes, are encoded by the functionally redundant Saccharomyces cerevisiae BMH1 and BMH2 genes. We produced and characterized 12 independent bmh1 mutant alleles, whose presence in the cell as the sole 14-3-3 source causes hypersensitivity to genotoxic agents, indicating that Bmh proteins are required for proper response to DNA damage. In particular, the bmh1-103 and bmh1-266 mutant alleles cause defects in G1/S and G2/M DNA damage checkpoints, whereas only the G2/M checkpoint is altered by the bmh1-169 and bmh1-221 alleles. Impaired checkpoint responses correlate with the inability to maintain phosphorylated forms of Rad53 and/or Chk1, suggesting that Bmh proteins might regulate phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of these checkpoint kinases. Moreover, several bmh1 bmh2Delta mutants are defective in resuming DNA replication after transient deoxynucleotide depletion, and all display synthetic effects when also carrying mutations affecting the polalpha-primase and RPA DNA replication complexes, suggesting a role for Bmh proteins in DNA replication stress response. Finally, the bmh1-169 bmh2Delta and bmh1-170 bmh2Delta mutants show increased rates of spontaneous gross chromosomal rearrangements, indicating that Bmh proteins are required to suppress genome instability.     

Functional and physical interactions between yeast 14-3-3 proteins, acetyltransferases, and deacetylases in response to DNA replication perturbations

The highly conserved 14-3-3 proteins participate in many biological processes in different eukaryotes. The BMH1 and BMH2 genes encode the two functionally redundant Saccharomyces cerevisiae 14-3-3 isoforms. In this work we provide evidence that defective 14-3-3 functions not only impair the ability of yeast cells to sustain DNA replication in the presence of sublethal concentrations of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) or hydroxyurea (HU) but also cause S-phase checkpoint hyperactivation. Inactivation of the catalytic subunit of the histone acetyltransferase NuA4 or of its interactor Yng2, besides leading to S-phase defects and persistent checkpoint activation in the presence of genotoxic agents, is lethal for bmh mutants. Conversely, the lack of the histone deacetylase subunit Rpd3 or Sin3 partially suppresses the hypersensitivity to HU of bmh mutants and restores their ability to complete DNA replication in the presence of MMS or HU. These data strongly suggest that reduced acetyltransferase functionality might account for the S-phase defects of bmh mutants in the presence of genotoxic agents. Consistent with a role of 14-3-3 proteins in acetyltransferase and deacetylase regulation, we find that acetylation of H3 and H4 histone tails is reduced in temperature-sensitive bmh mutants shifted to the restrictive temperature. Moreover, Bmh proteins physically interact, directly or indirectly, with the Esa1 acetyltransferase throughout the cell cycle and with the Rpd3 deacetylase specifically during unperturbed S phase and after HU treatment. Taken together, our results highlight a novel role for 14-3-3 proteins in the regulation of histone acetyltransferase and deacetylase functions in the response to replicative stress.     

Effects of Inactivation and Constitutive Expression of the Unfolded- Protein Response Pathway on Protein Production in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

One strategy to obtain better yields of secreted proteins has been overexpression of single endoplasmic reticulum-resident foldases or chaperones. We report here that manipulation of the unfolded-protein response (UPR) pathway regulator, HAC1, affects production of both native and foreign proteins in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The effects of HAC1 deletion and overexpression on the production of a native protein, invertase, and two foreign proteins, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens α-amylase and Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase EGI, were studied. Disruption of HAC1 caused decreases in the secretion of both α-amylase (70 to 75% reduction) and EGI (40 to 50% reduction) compared to the secretion by the parental strain. Constitutive overexpression of HAC1 caused a 70% increase in α-amylase secretion but had no effect on EGI secretion. The invertase levels were twofold higher in the strain overexpressing HAC1. Also, the effect of the active form of T. reesei hac1 was tested in S. cerevisiae. hac1 expression caused a 2.4-fold increase in the secretion of α-amylase in S. cerevisiae and also slight increases in invertase and total protein production. Overexpression of both S. cerevisiae HAC1 and T. reesei hac1 caused an increase in the expression of the known UPR target gene KAR2 at early time points during cultivation.     

Budding yeast 14-3-3 proteins contribute to the robustness of the DNA damage and spindle checkpoints

Cells respond to DNA or mitotic spindle damage by activating specific pathways that halt the cell cycle to allow for possible repair. Here, we report that inactivation of one of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae 14-3-3 proteins, Bmh1, as well as the bmh1-S189P bmh2 mutant, failed to exhibit normal spindle damage-induced cell cycle delay and conferred hypersensitivity to benomyl or nocodazole. These defects were additive with those conferred by the bub2 and mad2 spindle checkpoint mutations. Following cdc13-1-induced DNA damage, the 14-3-3 response was additive with those provided by the Mec1 (ATR-related)-controlled Rad53 (CHK2-related) and Chk1 (CHK1-related) checkpoint pathways and also distinct from the PKA (Protein Kinase A)-controlled response. Therefore, the budding yeast 14-3-3 proteins contribute to the robustness of the two major mitotic checkpoints and, by doing so, may also ensure optimal coordination between the responses to two distinct types of damage.     

The 14-3-3 protein homologues from Saccharomyces cerevisiae,Bmh1p and Bmh2p,have cruciform DNA-binding activity and associate in vivo with ARS307

We have previously shown that, in human cells, cruciform DNA-binding activity is due to 14-3-3 proteins (Todd, A., Cossons, N., Aitken, A., Price, G. B., and Zannis-Hadjopoulos, M. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 14317-14325). Here, wild-type and single- and double-knockout nuclear extracts from the 14-3-3 Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologues Bmh1p and Bmh2p were analyzed for similar cruciform-binding activities in relation to these proteins. The Bmh1p-Bmh2p heterodimer, present in the wild-type strain, bound efficiently to cruciform-containing DNA in a structure-specific manner because cruciform DNA efficiently competed with the formation of the complex, whereas linear DNA did not. In contrast, the band-shift ability of the Bmh1p-Bmh1p and Bmh2p-Bmh2p homodimers present in the bmh2(-) and bmh1(-) single-knockout cells, respectively, was reduced by approximately 93 and 82%, respectively. The 14-3-3 plant homologue GF14 was also able to bind to cruciform DNA, suggesting that cruciform-binding activity is a common feature of the family of 14-3-3 proteins across species. Bmh1p and Bmh2p were found to associate in vivo with the yeast autonomous replication sequence ARS307, as assayed by formaldehyde cross-linking, followed by immunoprecipitation with anti-Bmh1p/Bmh2p antibody and conventional PCR. In agreement with the finding of an association of Bmh1p and Bmh2p with ARS307, another immunoprecipitation experiment using 2D3, an anti-cruciform DNA monoclonal antibody, revealed the presence of cruciform-containing DNA in ARS307.     

Glycoprotein hypersecretion alters the cell wall in Trichoderma reesei strains expressing the Saccharomyces cerevisiae dolichylphosphate mannose synthase gene

Expression of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae DPM1 gene (coding for dolichylphosphate mannose synthase) in Trichoderma reesei (Hypocrea jecorina) increases the intensity of protein glycosylation and secretion and causes ultrastructural changes in the fungal cell wall. In the present work, we undertook further biochemical and morphological characterization of the DPM1-expressing T. reesei strains. We established that the carbohydrate composition of the fungal cell wall was altered with an increased amount of N-acetylglucosamine, suggesting an increase in chitin content. Calcofluor white staining followed by fluorescence microscopy indicated changes in chitin distribution. Moreover, we also observed a decreased concentration of mannose and alkali-soluble beta-(1,6) glucan. A comparison of protein secretion from protoplasts with that from mycelia showed that the cell wall created a barrier for secretion in the DPM1 transformants. We also discuss the relationships between the observed changes in the cell wall, increased protein glycosylation, and the greater secretory capacity of T. reesei strains expressing the yeast DPM1 gene.     

Overexpression of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RER2 gene in Trichoderma reesei affects dolichol dependent enzymes and protein glycosylation

Protein secretion in Trichoderma reesei could be stimulated by overexpression of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae DPM1 gene encoding dolichyl phosphate mannose synthase (DPMS) a key enzyme in the O-glycosylation pathway. The secreted proteins were glycosylated to the wild type level. On the other hand, the elevated concentration of GDP-mannose, a direct substrate for DPMS, resulting from overexpression in T. reesei of the mpg1 gene coding for guanyltransferase, did not affect secretion of proteins but did affect the degree of their O- and N-glycosylation. In this paper, we examined the effects of dolichol, an indispensable carrier of sugar residues in protein glycosylation, on the synthesis of glycosylated proteins. An increase in dolichol synthesis was obtained by overexpression of the yeast gene encoding cis-prenyltransferase, the first enzyme of the mevalonate pathway committed to dolichol biosynthesis. We observed that, an increased concentration of dolichol resulted in an increased expression of the dpm1 gene and DPMS activity and in overglycosylation of secreted proteins.     

绿色木霉纤维素酶CBHII基因的分子克隆

本文以噬菌体lambda EMBL3 DNA为载体,通过克隆绿色木酶(Trichoderma viride)高分子量基因组DNA的部分酶解片段,并将重组分子进行体外包装后侵染Escherichia.coli K802,由此构建了绿色木霉基因文库。以李氏木霉(Trichoderma reesei)纤维素酶CBHII基因的末端片段为探针,用轮迥噬菌斑原位杂交从文库中筛选出CBHII基因的阳性克隆5个,随机取其中3个克隆用上述探针作斑点杂交,结果进一步证明克隆了全长或近全长的绿色木霉CBHII基因,用李氏木霉CBHI基因的末端片段探针作斑点杂交,结果提示CBHI与CBHII基因的末端序列之间无同源性存在。从斑点杂交的阳性克隆中提取DNA,酶切鉴定插入片段的长度,并克隆于质粒pUC19,Southern杂交结果证明获得了含绿色木霉CBHII基因的重组质粒pCBHII-14。     

Direct involvement of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate in secretion in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The SEC14 gene encodes an essential phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) transfer protein required for formation of Golgi-derived secretory vesicles in yeast. Suppressor mutations that rescue temperature-sensitive sec14 mutants provide an approach for determining the role of Sec14p in secretion. One suppressor, sac1-22, causes accumulation of PtdIns(4)P. SAC1 encodes a phosphatase that can hydrolyze PtdIns(4)P and certain other phosphoinositides. These findings suggest that PtdIns(4)P is limiting in sec14 cells and that elevation of PtdIns(4)P production can suppress the secretory defect. Correspondingly, we found that PtdIns(4)P levels were decreased significantly in sec14-3 mutants shifted to 37 degrees C and that sec14-3 cells could grow at an otherwise nonpermissive temperature (34 degrees C) when carrying a plasmid overexpressing PIK1, encoding one of two essential PtdIns 4-kinases. This effect is specific because overexpression of the other PtdIns 4-kinase gene (STT4) or a PtdIns 3-kinase gene (VPS34) did not rescue sec14-3 cells. To further address Pik1p function in secretion, two different pik1(ts) mutants were examined. Upon shift to restrictive temperature (37 degrees C), the PtdIns(4)P levels dropped by about 60% in both pik1(ts) strains within 1 h. During the same period, cells displayed a reduction (40-50%) in release of a secreted enzyme (invertase). However, similar treatment did not effect maturation of a vacuolar enzyme (carboxypeptidase Y). These findings indicate that, first, PtdIns(4)P limitation is a major contributing factor to the secretory defect in sec14 cells; second, Sec14p function is coupled to the action of Pik1p, and; third, PtdIns(4)P has an important role in the Golgi-to-plasma membrane stage of secretion.     

Cloning and functional analysis of the dpm2 and dpm3 genes from Trichoderma reesei expressed in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae dpm1Δ mutant strain

In Trichoderma reesei, dolichyl phosphate mannose (dpm) synthase, a key enzyme in the O-glycosylation process, requires three proteins for full activity. In this study, the dpm2 and dpm3 genes coding for the DPMII and DPMIII subunits of T. reesei DPM synthase were cloned and functionally analyzed after expression in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae dpm1Δ [genotype (BY4743; his3Δ1; /leu2Δ0; lys2Δ0; /ura3Δ0; YPR183w::kanMX4] mutant. It was found that apart from the catalytic subunit DPMI, the DPMIII subunit is also essential to form an active DPM synthase in yeast. Additional expression of the DPMII protein, considered to be a regulatory subunit of DPM synthase, decreased the enzymatic activity. We also characterized S. cerevisiae strains expressing the dpm1, 2, 3 or dpm1, 3 genes and analyzed the consequences of dpm expression on protein O-glycosylation in vivo and on the cell wall composition.