|
Advertisement | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 278, Issue 32, 30074-30082, August 8, 2003
The Kelch Repeat Protein, Tea1, Is a Potential Substrate Target of the p21-activated Kinase, Shk1, in the Fission Yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe* ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() **
From the
Received for publication, March 14, 2003 , and in revised form, April 25, 2003.
The p21-activated kinase (PAK) homolog, Shk1, is a critical component of a multifunctional Ras/Cdc42/PAK complex required for viability, polarized growth and cell shape, and sexual differentiation in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Substrate targets of the Shk1 kinase have not previously been described. Here we show that the S. pombe cell polarity factor, Tea1, is directly phosphorylated by Shk1 in vitro. We demonstrate further that Tea1 is phosphorylated in S. pombe cells and that its level of phosphorylation is significantly reduced in cells defective in Shk1 function. Consistent with a role for Tea1 as a potential downstream effector of Shk1, we show that a tea1 null mutation rescues the Shk1 hyperactivity-induced lethal phenotype caused by loss of function of the essential Shk1 inhibitor, Skb15. All phenotypes associated with Skb15 loss, including defects in actin cytoskeletal organization, chromosome segregation, and cytokinesis, are suppressed by tea1 , suggesting that Tea1 is a potential mediator of multiple
Shk1 functions. S. pombe cells carrying a weak hypomorphic allele of
shk1 together with a tea1 mutation exhibit a
cytokinesis defective phenotype that is significantly more severe than that
observed in the respective single mutants, providing evidence that Shk1 and
Tea1 cooperate to regulate cytokinesis. In addition, we show that S.
pombe cells carrying the orb2-34 allele of shk1 exhibit
a pattern of monopolar growth similar to that observed in tea1
cells, suggesting that Shk1 and Tea1 may regulate one or more common processes
involved in the regulation of polarized cell growth. Taken together, our
results strongly implicate Tea1 as a potential substrate-effector of the Shk1
kinase.
p21-activated kinases (PAKs)1 are highly conserved serine/threonine kinases that bind to and, in some cases, are stimulated by the Rho-type GTPases, Cdc42, and Rac (reviewed in Refs. 1 and 2). PAKs have been implicated in the regulation of diverse processes in eukaryotic organisms, including actin cytoskeletal organization (35), microtubule dynamics (68), cell morphology, and motility (3, 912), growth factor-induced signaling pathways (10, 1315), cell cycle control (1618), neurological function (19), stress response (20, 21), and apoptosis (16, 22). However, the underlying mechanisms by which PAKs contribute to the regulation of these various processes are not well understood. We are using the rod-shaped fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, as a model organism for studying PAK function and regulation. Two PAK family kinases, Shk1 (Pak1 and Orb2) (3, 10, 18) and Shk2 (Pak2) (23, 24), have been identified in S. pombe. Shk1 is an essential protein required for polarized growth and cell shape, proper cell cycle control, normal actin and microtubule cytoskeletal organization, and sexual differentiation in S. pombe (3, 7, 8, 10, 17, 2527). Loss of Shk2 function results in no discernable phenotypic defects under normal growth conditions and genetic experiments indicate that it is largely redundant in function with Shk1 (23, 24). Genetic and molecular data indicate that Shk1 is an effector for the single Cdc42 GTPase homolog in S. pombe (3, 10, 23). Both proteins are essential for viability, cell polarity, and normal mating response (3, 10, 25). Cdc42 and Shk1 function downstream of the single fission yeast Ras homolog, Ras1, which is also required for normal morphology and mating of S. pombe cells, but which unlike Cdc42 and Shk1, is not required for cell viability (3, 10, 26, 28, 29). Ras1 interacts with Cdc42 via GTP-dependent complex formation with the presumptive Cdc42 guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Scd1 (26). Like Ras1, Scd1 is required for normal cell shape and mating, but not viability of S. pombe cells.
In addition to Cdc42, Shk1 function is positively modulated by at least 3
other nonessential proteins, Scd2
(26,
27), Skb1
(17,
29), and Skb5
(30). Scd2 binds directly to
Scd1, Cdc42, and Shk1, and appears to function as a scaffold that positively
modulates protein-protein interactions between Scd1 and Cdc42 and between
Cdc42 and Shk1 (10,
26). Like ras1 While substantial progress has been made toward elucidating mechanisms of Shk1 regulation in S. pombe, downstream targets of the Shk1 kinase have not yet been described. Previous studies have demonstrated that Shk1 is a regulator of actin cytoskeletal organization in S. pombe (3, 18, 33). Newly divided S. pombe cells grow initially in a monopolar fashion from their "old ends." Subsequently, via a process referred to as new end takeoff (NETO), they initiate growth from the new end created by the cell division and continue to grow in a bipolar fashion until the onset of mitosis (34). Cortical F-actin patches are localized to the growing ends of S. pombe cells, initially to the old ends, then to both ends after NETO (35). Loss of Shk1 function, either by deletion of the shk1 gene or by overexpression of a kinase defective Shk1 mutant protein, results in the formation of spheroidal cells that exhibit a largely random distribution of cortical F-actin patches (3, 10).2 By contrast, S. pombe cells rendered hyperactive in Shk1 function as a result of loss of function of the essential Shk1 inhibitor, Skb15, are often branched and/or hyperelongated, and exhibit hyperaccumulations of F-actin in the cytoplasmic space, septum-forming region, and/or cell tips (7). An interesting hypomorphic allele of shk1, orb2-34, was identified by Verde et al. (18, 33). S. pombe cells carrying the orb2-34 mutation are viable but monopolar for growth and likewise localize cortical F-actin patches only to the single growing cell tip (36). Experiments analyzing the localization of cortical cell markers in orb2-34 cells suggest that Shk1 may play a role in the process whereby fission yeast cells recognize their ends as sites for growth (36). In addition to regulating F-actin cytoskeletal organization, Shk1 is also required for proper organization of both the interphase microtubule cytoskeleton and the mitotic microtubule spindle in S. pombe cells (8). As microtubules play an important role in the establishment of cell polarity in S. pombe (37, 38), it is possible that the regulation of polarized growth by Shk1 involves both actin and microtubule-dependent processes.
Consistent with its roles as a regulator of cytoskeletal organization and cell polarity, the Shk1 protein has been shown to localize to the cell ends, septum-forming region, and microtubules in S. pombe cells (8). This pattern of subcellular localization overlaps with that of other known regulators of polarized growth in S. pombe, including the kelch repeat protein, Tea1 (37). While not deleterious to cell growth, loss of Tea1 results in defects in actin and microtubule cytoskeletal organization and cell morphology (33, 37). Similar to S. pombe mutants carrying the orb2-34 allele of shk1, cells carrying a null mutation in the tea1 gene exhibit a monopolar growth defect (37). We and other investigators recently showed that a null mutation in the tea1 gene causes growth inhibitory phenotypes when combined with loss of function mutations in genes encoding components of the Ras/Cdc42/Shk1 complex in S. pombe, including ras1, scd1, and shk1 (8, 39). These findings raised the possibility that the Ras/Cdc42/Shk1 pathway might interact functionally with Tea1. In this article, we provide evidence that Tea1 is a potential downstream substrate target of the Shk1 kinase.
Yeast strains, Manipulation, and Genetic and Cytological AnalysesS. pombe strains used for this study were the wild-type strain SP870 (h90 ade6-210 leu1-32 ura4-D18) (from D. Beach), nmt1-skb15 (h90 skb15::ura4::nmt1-skb15-ADE2 ade6-210 leu1-32 ura4-D18) (7), nmt1-shk1K415R (h90 shk1::ura4::nmt1-shk1K415R-ADE2 ade6-210 leu1-32 ura4-D18) (8), SP90TEA1U (h90 tea1::ura4 ade6 210 leu1-32 ura4-D18) (a gift from E. Chang), nmt1-skb15 tea1
(h90 skb15::ura4::nmt1-skb15-ADE2
teal::ura4 ade6-210 leu1-32 ura4-D18) (this study)
nmt1-shk1K415R tea1 (h90
shk1::ura4::nmt1-shk1K415R-ADE2 tea1::ura4
ade6-210 leu1-32 ura4-D18) (this study). Standard yeast culture media and
genetic methods were used (40,
41). S. pombe
cultures were grown in either YEAU (0.5% yeast extract, 3% dextrose, 75
mg/liter adenine, 75 mg/liter uracil), or synthetic minimal medium (EMM) with
appropriate supplements (40).
Yeast were transformed by the lithium acetate procedure
(41). F-actin
(rhodamine-phalloidin), DNA (DAPI), and cell wall (calcofluor) staining of
S. pombe cells were performed as described
(40). PlasmidsThe oligonucleotide primers 5'-AAACCCTCGAGTCTGCAGATGTCC-CCTATACTAGGT and 5'-AGGAAGATCTGTCGACGGATCCGATTTTGGAGGAT were used to amplify the glutathione S-transferase (GST) protein coding sequence using the plasmid pRP259 (42) as a template. The PCR product was digested with XhoI and BglII then ligated to XhoI-BamHI digested pREP4X (43), producing pREP4XGST, which was used for expressing GST fusion proteins from the thiamine repressible nmt1 promoter (43) in S. pombe cells. pREP3XTea1, which was used for overexpressing tea1 from the nmt1 promoter, was a gift from Eric Chang (Baylor College of Medicine). The oligonucleotide primers 5'-TGGTGGATCCTCTCTTTAAAGGAGTAATGTCT and 5'-TATAGAGCTCATCGTCGAATATTTACACTATGT were used to amplify the tea1 protein coding sequence by PCR using a pREP3XTea1 plasmid as a template. The tea1 PCR product was digested with BamHI and SacI for cloning into the corresponding sites of pREP4XGST and the BglII and SacI sites of pREP4XHA (31), thus producing pREP4XGST-Tea1 and pREP4XHA-Tea1, respectively, and by BamHI and Ecl136II for cloning into the BamHI and SmaI sites of pRP259 to generate the plasmid pGST-Tea1. pREP4XGST-Tea1 and pREP4XHA-Tea1 were used for expressing GST-Tea1 and triple hemagglutinin (HA)-Tea1, respectively, from the nmt1 promoter in S. pombe, while pGST-Tea1 was used to express GST-Tea1 in bacteria. pTrcHisShk1 has been described and was used to express polyhistidine-tagged Shk1 (His6-Shk1) in bacterial cells (30).
Preparation of Yeast Cell Lysates, Immunoprecipitations, and in Vitro
Kinase AssaysS. pombe cells transformed with pREP4XHA or
pREP4XHA-Tea1 were grown in EMM containing 50 µM thiamine
(EMM+thi) to mid-log phase, washed twice with EMM lacking thiamine (EMM-thi),
then subcultured into EMM-thi and grown for 24 h prior to the preparation of
cell lysates as described
(23). HA immune complexes were
isolated by incubating yeast lysate (1 mg of total protein) with 5 µl of
anti-HA monoclonal antibody 12CA5 ascites
(44) and 25 µl of packed
protein A agarose beads (Roche Applied Science), which had been
preequilibrated with YLB, on an orbital rotator for2hat4 °C. Immune
complexes were washed three times with YLB and once with kinase buffer (50
mM HEPES, pH 7.4, 10 mM MgCl2, 2
mM MnCl2, 1 mM dithiothreitol). Kinase
reactions were performed by resuspending 12.5 µl of packed immune complex
beads with 25 µl of kinase buffer containing 20 µM ATP, 0.4
µCi/µl of [ In Vivo 32P Labeling ExperimentsIn vivo 32P labeling experiments for the analysis of Tea1 phosphorylation in S. pombe cells were performed essentially as described (45). Briefly, S. pombe wild-type and nmt1-shk1K415R cells transformed with either pREP4XGST or pREP4XGST-Tea1 were grown in EMM containing 50 µM thiamine to mid-log phase, then subcultured into phosphate-free EMM supplemented with 1 mM phosphate and grown for about 3.5 generations. Cells were then resuspended at 2 x 106 cells/ml in fresh EMM containing 50 mM phosphate. 5 ml of each cell suspension was incubated with 1 mCi of [32P]orthophosphate (104 Ci/mmol) (NEX054, PerkinElmer Life Sciences), labeled for 4 h, and then mixed with 50 ml of unlabeled carrier cells. Radiolabeled cells were lysed and GST fusion proteins purified as previously described (17). GST proteins were resolved by SDS-PAGE followed by Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining and subsequent autoradiography of the gels.
Shk1 Directly Phosphorylates Tea1 in VitroPrevious studies have shown that Tea1 is associated with high molecular weight protein complexes in S. pombe cells (37, 46). To investigate whether Tea1 or Tea1-associated proteins are phosphorylated by the Shk1 kinase in vitro, we constructed the plasmid pREP4XHA-Tea1 for expressing HA-tagged Tea1 protein (HA-Tea1) in S. pombe cells. HA-Tea1 complexes were immunoprecipitated from S. pombe cell lysates (Fig. 1A) and the immune complexes were incubated in kinase reactions with recombinant His6-Shk1 protein, which was purified from bacterial cells. As shown in Fig. 1B, we observed that HA-Tea1 was more heavily phosphorylated in kinase reactions containing His6-Shk1 than in reactions lacking His6-Shk1. These results suggest that Tea1 is either phosphorylated directly by Shk1 or by a Tea1-associated protein kinase that is stimulated by Shk1. Shk1 kinase activity, as measured by autophosphorylation, was also potentially stimulated slightly by the Tea1 complex, although it is possible that partially degraded Tea1 phosphoproteins comigrated with Shk1 (see HA immunoblot in right panel). Additional phosphoprotein bands detected in the kinase reactions may likewise have been phospho-Tea1 degradation products.
We next performed kinase assays using purified bacterially expressed proteins to determine whether Tea1 is directly phosphorylated by Shk1. The plasmid pGST-Tea1 was constructed for expressing GST-Tea1 in bacterial cells. GST-Tea1 protein was purified from bacterial cell lysates and incubated in in vitro kinase reactions with bacterially expressed His6-Shk1. We observed that GST-Tea1, but not GST, was phosphorylated in kinase reactions containing His6-Shk1 but not in reactions lacking His6-Shk1 (Fig. 1B). The level of Shk1 kinase activity, as measured by autophosphorylation, was not markedly affected by GST-Tea1 in these experiments (Fig. 1B). These results demonstrate that Tea1 is a direct in vitro substrate of the Shk1 kinase. Tea1 Is Phosphorylated in S. pombe Cells in a Shk1-dependent FashionExperiments were performed to determine whether Tea1 is phosphorylated in S. pombe cells and, if so, whether its phosphorylation is dependent on Shk1. The plasmid pREP4XGST-Tea1 was constructed for expressing a GST-Tea1 fusion protein from the nmt1 promoter (43). Wild-type S. pombe cells expressing either GST or GST-Tea1 were metabolically labeled with [32P]orthophosphate. 32P-labeled cells were lysed, and GST fusion proteins were purified from the cell lysates and subjected to SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. As shown in Fig. 2A, GST-Tea1 but not GST, was labeled by 32P in vivo, thus demonstrating for the first time that Tea1 is phosphorylated in S. pombe cells.
To determine whether Tea1 phosphorylation in vivo is dependent on Shk1, we expressed GST-Tea1 in an S. pombe mutant in which the endogenous shk1 gene is replaced by a sequence from which a kinase deficient form of Shk1, Shk1K415R, is expressed from a weak allele of the nmt1 promoter (8, 27, 43). Wild-type and shk1K415R cells expressing GST-Tea1 were labeled with 32P and the degree of 32P incorporation into GST-Tea1 in each strain was determined. As shown in Fig. 2B, the degree of 32P labeling observed for GST-Tea1 was significantly greater in wild-type S. pombe cells than in shk1K415R cells. These results demonstrate that Shk1 is required for Tea1 phosphorylation in vivo and, when considered together with the above results showing that Tea1 is directly phosphorylated by Shk1 in vitro, implicate Tea1 as a potential Shk1 substrate in S. pombe.
Genetic Evidence Implicating Tea1 as an Effector of Shk1 Function in S.
pombeThe above molecular data implicate Tea1 as a potential
downstream target of the Shk1 kinase. We reasoned that if Tea1 is a mediator
of Shk1 function, then loss of Tea1 function might suppress phenotypic defects
resulting from Shk1 hyperactivity. We therefore determined whether phenotypes
associated with loss of the essential Shk1 inhibitor, Skb15, are affected by a
null mutation in the tea1 gene. For our analyses, we utilized an
S. pombe strain, nmt1-skb15, in which the skb15
gene is conditionally expressed from the thiamine-repressible nmt1
promoter (7). The
nmt1-skb15 strain is indistinguishable from wild-type S.
pombe cells on media lacking thiamine. However, on thiamine containing
media, the nmt1-skb15 strain is inviable and recapitulates phenotypes
of the skb15 null mutant
(7). We constructed an
nmt1-skb15 tea1
When grown in thiamine-containing medium, nmt1-skb15 cultures
display a variety of morphological defects, including a significant frequency
of multiseptated, highly branched, severely deformed, and greatly enlarged
and/or elongated cells (Fig.
3B, panel ii)
(7). The frequency of enlarged
cells, multiseptated cells, and cells with elongated branches was markedly
lower in nmt1-skb15 tea1 Taken together, the above results demonstrate that cell growth and morphological defects caused by loss of Skb15 function are dependent on the presence of Tea1. As Skb15 is an inhibitor of Shk1 and genetic and molecular data suggest that phenotypes associated with loss of Skb15 function are attributable in toto to hyperactivation of Shk1, these results implicate Tea1 as a potential downstream effector of the Shk1 kinase.
Tea1 Potentially Mediates Multiple Shk1
FunctionsCytological analyses were performed to assess the degree
to which the tea1
In addition to defects in F-actin organization, nmt1-skb15
cultures exhibit a high frequency of cells (>40%) with significant
hyperaccumulations of cell wall material (chitin-rich deposits), particularly
at the septum-forming region (Fig. 4,
E and F)
(7). As in the case of actin
cytoskeletal defects, we found that the tea1
nmt1-skb15 cells also exhibit severe mitotic defects in thiamine
containing media (7). In
comparison to wild-type S. pombe cells
(Fig. 5A), mitotic
spindles in nmt1-skb15 cells are often hyperelongated and/or attached
to multiple fragments of chromosomal material
(Fig. 5B)
(7), the latter phenotype being
indicative of defective nuclear segregation. These defects were not observed
in nmt1-skb15 tea1
Evidence That Shk1 and Tea1 Cooperate to Regulate Cytokinesis in S.
pombeIn our microscopic analyses of tea1
In light of the above findings, we decided to reexamine
shk1
Analysis of the Monopolar Growth Defect of S. pombe Cells Carrying the
orb2-34 Mutant Allele of shk1S. pombe mutants carrying the
orb2-34 allele of shk1 are unable to activate a bipolar
phase of growth after cell division, as is the case for cells carrying a
deletion of the tea1 gene. tea1
Overexpression of tea1 Is Inhibitory to the Growth of shk1-deficient S. pombe CellsWe next determined the consequences of overexpressing tea1 in shk1-defective S. pombe cells. Wild-type and nmt1-shk1K415R cells were transformed with a tea1 overexpression plasmid, pREP3XTea1, in which the Tea1 protein coding sequence is expressed from the nmt1 promoter, or with the control plasmid, pREP3X. As shown in Fig. 8, tea1 overexpression had only a modest inhibitory effect on the growth of wild-type S. pombe cells. In contrast, it was highly inhibitory to the growth of nmt1-shk1K415R cells. Microscopic analyses revealed a high incidence of multiseptated cells in tea1 overexpressing nmt1-shk1K415R cultures similar to that detected in nmt1-shk1K415R tea1 (data not shown). Thus, overproduction of Tea1 has cytotoxic effects on the nmt1-shk1K415R mutant similar to those caused by the tea1 null mutation. A possible explanation for these results is that the high levels of non-phosphorylated Tea1 protein that are produced when tea1 is overexpressed in shk1 defective cells result in dominant inhibitory effects on processes regulated by the Shk1 and Tea1 proteins. These results provide additional genetic evidence for functional interaction between the Shk1 and Tea1 proteins.
An important goal in understanding the function of Ras/Cdc42/PAK complex in fission yeast is to identify the pertinent substrates of the PAK kinase. In this article, we have provided evidence that the kelch repeat protein, Tea1, is a potential substrate target of the PAK kinase, Shk1. Both proteins regulate cell polarity and are localized to the cell ends, septum, and microtubules. Tea1 was found to exist as a phosphoprotein in S. pombe cells and its phosphorylation was substantially dependent on the presence of Shk1. Tea1 was also directly phosphorylated by Shk1 in vitro, suggesting that it is likely to be a direct substrate of Shk1 in S. pombe cells. Genetic interactions support this molecular interaction and place Tea1 downstream of Shk1. First, a null mutation in the tea1 gene strongly suppresses phenotypes of S. pombe cells rendered hyperactive for Shk1 function as a consequence of loss of the essential Shk1 inhibitor, Skb15. Second, a strain carrying the tea1 null mutation together with a mutation that severely attenuates Shk1 function causes a synthetic interaction. Additional evidence suggesting that Shk1 and Tea1 may regulate one or more common processes involved the regulation of cell polarity comes from our observations that S. pombe cells carrying a non-lethal hypomorphic allele of shk1, orb2-34, exhibit a pattern of monopolar growth that strongly resembles that resulting from the tea1
mutation. Although our attempts to coprecipitate Shk1 and Tea1 proteins from
S. pombe cells have not been successful, it is possible that these
proteins associate only transiently, as might be expected for a protein
kinase-substrate interaction. Nevertheless, our molecular and genetic data
provide strong evidence that Tea1 is downstream target of Shk1. While our findings provide compelling evidence implicating Tea1 as a biological substrate and effector of Shk1, the mechanistic contribution of Shk1 phosphorylation to Tea1 function remains to be determined. Roles for Shk1 phosphorylation in regulating the subcellular localization and/or protein-protein interactions of Tea1 can be envisaged. Indeed, in a particular shk1 mutant strain, orb2-34, Tea1 is sometimes unevenly distributed at the cell poles, suggesting a potential role for Shk1 in regulating Tea1 localization (37). Tea1 has been shown to associate with the actin binding protein, Bud6, in a large protein complex (46). Like Shk1 and Tea1, Bud6 is localized to the cell ends and septum-forming region of S. pombe cells (46). It is reasonable to speculate that Tea1, through its interaction with Bud6, mediates actin cytoskeletal organizing functions of Shk1. It will be interesting to determine whether Shk1 phosphorylation defective Tea1 mutant proteins exhibit defects in subcellular localization, complex formation with Bud6, or the ability to properly regulate cytoskeletal organization and cell polarity. It is possible that Shk1 and Tea1 have a dynamic interaction in which both proteins contribute to function(s) of the other. For example, Shk1 localizes to illicit growth tips produced by tea1 mutant cells, suggesting that Tea1 may contribute to the regulation of Shk1 localization (8). Although mechanistic details remain to be elucidated, our findings provide an important insight into what are likely to be highly complex mechanisms by which the Ras/Cdc42/Shk1 complex regulates cytoskeletal organization, cell growth polarization, and cytokinesis in fission yeast.
The findings of this study suggest that Tea1 is likely to have more diverse
functions than previously suspected. Consistent with a role for Tea1 in
cytokinesis, tea1 mutants were observed to have a mild cytokinesis
defective phenotype (e.g. multiseptated cells), and tea1
shk1 mutants (this study), as well as tea1 ras1 and tea1
scd1 double mutants (39),
exhibit very strong cytokinesis defective phenotypes. A role for Shk1 in
cytokinesis was originally suggested from studies by Ottilie et al.
(3) and has been substantiated
by the findings of this study. The mechanistic contribution(s) of Shk1 and
Tea1 to cytokinesis remain to be determined. Our results suggest
shk1 Shk1 has multiple cellular functions and is essential for the viability of S. pombe cells. Because it is a nonessential protein, if Tea1 is indeed a Shk1 effector, as our findings suggest, then it cannot be the only Shk1 effector in S. pombe. Nevertheless, our results showing that loss of Tea1 function causes a growth inhibitory phenotype when combined with mutations that partially inactivate Shk1 suggest that Tea1 contributes to an essential function(s) of Shk1. If this is the case, then Tea1 is likely to share overlapping essential function(s) with at least one other Shk1 effector. Alternatively, Shk1 and Tea1 may function as part of a dynamic, multiprotein complex, which as a whole is essential for cell viability, but which contains at least some individual components, such as Tea1, that are dispensable under normal growth conditions. Interestingly, a second Tea1-related kelch repeat protein, Tea3, has recently been identified in S. pombe (48). Like Tea1, Tea3 is a nonessential protein that contributes to the regulation of both cell polarity and cytokinesis. It will be interesting to determine whether Tea1 and Tea3 share overlapping and perhaps essential functions that will account for the important multiple functions of the Ras/Cdc42/PAK complex in fission yeast. In animal cells, kelch repeat proteins have been found at focal adhesions (49) as well as ring canals, which are actin-based structures derived from arrested cleavage furrows (50). PAKs have likewise been shown to associate with focal complexes (51) and, more recently, to the cleavage furrow in animal cells (6). Furthermore, recent work in the amphibian, Xenopus laevis, has provided evidence that PAKs, in addition to their established roles as actin cytoskeletal regulators, also contribute to the regulation of microtubule dynamics in animal cells, as is the case in fission yeast (6). It will be of great interest to determine whether Tea1-like kelch repeat proteins mediate functions of PAKs involved in regulating actin and/or microtubule-dependent processes in higher eukaryotes.
* This study was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants R01GM53239 (to S. M.) and R01GM56836 (to F. C.), a project support grant from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Center (to S. M.), a Nikon Fellowship at the Marine Biological Laboratories (to F. C.), American Cancer Society Research Project Grant RPG-00-044-01-CCG (to F. V.), Human Frontier Science Program Grant RG0295 (to F. V.), and the University of Miami Sylvester Cancer Center (to F. V.). The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
** To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel.: 713-745-2032; Fax: 713-794-4394; E-mail:smarcus{at}mdacc.tmc.edu.
1 The abbreviations used are: PAK, p21-activated kinases; GST, glutathione
S-transferase; HA, hemagglutinin; DAPI,
4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole.
2 P. Yang and S. Marcus, unpublished results.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Advertisement | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||