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J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 278, Issue 45, 44727-44734, November 7, 2003
Ume1p Represses Meiotic Gene Transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through Interaction with the Histone Deacetylase Rpd3p*![]() From the Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111
Received for publication, August 5, 2003 , and in revised form, September 2, 2003.
Ume1p is a member of a conserved protein family including RbAp48 that associates with histone deacetylases. Consistent with this finding, Ume1p is required for the full repression of a subset of meiotic genes during vegetative growth in budding yeast. In addition to mitotic cell division, this report describes a new role for Ume1p in meiotic gene repression in precommitment sporulating cultures returning to vegetative growth. However, Ume1p is not required to re-establish repression as part of the meiotic transient transcription program. Mutational analysis revealed that two conserved domains (NEE box and a WD repeat motif) are required for Ume1p-dependent repression. Co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed that both the NEE box and the WD repeat motif are essential for normal Rpd3p binding. Finally, Ume1p-Rpd3p association is dependent on the global co-repressor Sin3p. Moreover, this activity was localized to one of the four paired amphipathic-helix domains of Sin3p shown previously to be required for transcriptional repression. These findings support a model that Ume1p binding to Rpd3p is required for its repression activity. In addition, these results suggest that Rpd3-Ume1p-Sin3p comprises an interdependent complex required for mediating transcriptional repression.
In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the induction of meiosis is controlled by a combination of cell type and environmental cues. Specifically, only strains heterozygous at the MAT locus that are deprived of nitrogen and a fermentable carbon source will initiate meiotic development (for a review, see Refs. 1 and 2). Many genes required for meiosis are repressed during vegetative growth but exhibit a precise pattern of mRNA accumulation and decline during specific junctures in this process (3, 4). Six genes were identified (UME1-6) that are required for the vegetative repression of several genes normally transcribed early in meiosis (e.g. SPO11, SPO13) (5, 6). Subsequent studies revealed that these factors can be divided into two repression systems. One system is composed of a cyclin-cyclin-dependent kinase (Ume3p/Srb11p-Ume5p/Srb10p) (7-10) that co-localizes with the RNA polymerase II holoenzyme mediator complex (10). The second repression system operates through the URS1 promoter element found in several early meiotic genes (11-14). Ume6p binds URS1 directly (15) and represses early meiotic gene expression through recruitment of the histone deacetylase (HDAC)1 Rpd3p (16) and the Isw2 chromatin remodeling complex (17, 18). Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies have confirmed the role of histone deacetylation in Ume6p-dependent repression (19, 20). Recruitment of Rpd3p by Ume6p is mediated through the Ume4p/Sin3p co-repressor (16). Sin3p contains four paired amphipathic helix (PAH) domains that direct protein-protein interactions (21). Deletion analysis found that of these domains, only PAH3 was required for repression of many mitotic genes (22). A more recent study found that PAH2 directs Ume6p binding (23), indicating that these domains are performing independent, but coordinated, functions. However, Ume6p does not regulate many genes that are controlled by Rpd3p or Isw2 (17, 18). Therefore, the early meiotic genes represent a select subset of loci that are controlled by all six of the UME factors.
As indicated above, Rpd3p, Ume6p, and Isw2 activities have been studied in some detail. However, little is known about the role of the co-repressor Ume1p in controlling meiotic gene expression. Ume1p binds Rpd3p in vivo (24), suggesting that it plays a role in chromatin deacetylation. However, the functional significance of this association has not been determined. The present study analyzes the requirement of Ume1p for meiotic gene repression at different stages of the yeast life cycle. In addition to mitotic cell division, Ume1p is also necessary for the rapid repression of precommitment meiotic cells returning to growth. Structure/function analysis revealed that two conserved domains shared between Ume1p and the human HDAC-binding protein p48 are required for repression and Rpd3p binding in vivo. The stable association between Rpd3p and Ume1p requires PAH3 of the Sin3p co-repressor. These studies provide a functional role for the conserved domains in the p48-Ume1p protein family. In addition, our findings suggest that Ume1p-Rpd3p-Sin3p comprise an interdependent complex that mediates transcriptional repression.
Strains and MediaThe strains used in this study are listed in Table I. All growth and sporulation procedures have been described (25). Meiotic progression was followed by staining samples with the DNA-specific stain 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole as described (26). The completion of meiosis I and meiosis II was determined by the appearance of binucleated and tetranucleated cells, respectively.
Plasmids and S1 Protection ProbesThe plasmid containing the spo13-lacZ reporter gene (p(spo13)28) has been described elsewhere (14). The null allele of UME1 (ume1-2) was constructed by substituting the coding region of UME1 with the URA3 selectable marker via one-step transplacement (27). The antisense riboprobe used to detect the 3' end of the UME1 mRNA in S1 protection assays was derived from pBN34, a minimal subclone inserted into pRS314 (28). pBN34 was digested with PstI and transcribed with T7 RNA polymerase to produce a run-off antisense riboprobe. The probes for SPO13 and ACT1 have been described previously (29). To construct the various UME1 derivatives, site-directed mutagenesis was performed on single-stranded DNA prepared from a centromeric plasmid containing the wild-type UME1 gene (pMM112). The NEE box deletion utilized an oligomer (5'-GACAACAAAATAAAATCAATACCCTCATTA-3') that corresponds to bp +25 to +81 with respect to the initiator ATG with amino acids 14-22 deleted (pMM140). Trp-306 and Asp-307 were each changed to alanines (pMM168) using an oligomer 5'-GGGGCTCTCAAGGTTGCTGCTATACGTGCAGTTATC-3'. A single HA epitope tag was then introduced immediately downstream of the start codon into pMM112, pMM140, and pMM168 using oligomer 5'-TAATCACTTAAAATGTACCCATACGACGTCCCAGACTACGCTAGCACTTTAGATATT-3' to generate pMM143, pMM144, and pMM145, respectively. All mutagenesis constructs were verified by sequence analysis.
Cloning and Sequence Analysis of UME1 and ume1-1The UME1 gene was cloned by complementing the aberrant mitotic expression phenotype of a spo13-lacZ reporter gene in a ume1-1 mutant RSY81 (5). A yeast single-copy library (a gift from M. Rose, Princeton University) was introduced into RSY81 that harbored p(spo13)28. Of Meiotic/Return-to-Growth S1 Protection AssaysReturn-to-growth assays were performed essentially as described previously (29). Diploid cultures were induced to enter meiosis and then either allowed to complete sporulation or challenged with glucose (final concentration 2%) during peak accumulation of SPO13 mRNA prior to meiotic commitment. Time points were taken prior to, and following, the addition of glucose. Total RNA was prepared and probed for SPO13 mRNA using S1 protection assays (31). The SPO13 transcript levels were quantitated using phosphorimaging (Fuji Inc.) and compared with actin (ACT1) controls. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine the SPO13 mRNA decay rate. At least three experiments were performed for each strain, and only curves with an r value >0.9 were included in the calculation.
Western Blot/Immunoprecipitation StudiesProtein extracts were prepared from either mid-log phase or meiotic cultures as described elsewhere (7). 250 µg and 1 mg of soluble protein were immunoprecipitated for protein detection and co-immunoprecipitation experiments, respectively. Straight Western blot analysis was conducted on 50 µg of soluble protein. The immunoprecipitates were collected with Protein A-Sepharose and then washed several times with PBST (phosphate-buffered saline plus Tween 20 at 0.2%) and subjected to standard SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting to Immobilon P (Millipore). Ume1p-HA was detected by probing these blots with a high affinity rat monoclonal antibody directed at the HA epitope (Roche Applied Science). Rpd3p was detected using rabbit
Isolation of UME1A DNA fragment containing the coding region of UME1 was isolated by complementing the ume1-1 mutant phenotype (see "Experimental Procedures" for details). The nucleotide sequence of the minimum complementary fragment (pMM112) was determined. Analysis of the DNA sequence revealed a single large open reading frame encoding a 460-amino-acid protein (Ume1p) of a predicted molecular mass of 51 kDa. Three pieces of evidence indicate that the authentic UME1 gene was isolated. A strain carrying a deletion for the only large open reading frame in this clone was mated to a ume1-1 strain containing a spo13-lacZ reporter p(spo13)28. The resulting diploid strain still displayed the ume1 phenotype as determined by the aberrant mitotic expression of the reporter (i.e. the recessive ume1-1 allele was not complemented by the null strain). This diploid was then sporulated and subjected to tetrad analysis. Of 10 tetrads analyzed, all of the meiotic products still exhibited aberrant mitotic spo13-lacZ -galactosidase activity, indicating that no recombination between ume1-1 and the deletion allele occurred. Finally, if the UME1 gene was isolated, then the ume1-1 locus should carry a mutation. To address this issue, the ume1-1 allele was isolated and subjected to DNA sequence analysis (see "Experimental Procedures"). Sequence analysis of three independent isolates from RSY81 revealed an identical nucleotide deletion at position +1431, which resulted in a frameshift and stop codon one residue later at amino acid 215. The combined genetic and molecular results demonstrate that the UME1 gene was isolated.
Ume1p Represses SPO13 Transcription in Cultures Utilizing Fermentable or Non-fermentable Carbon SourcesTo further analyze the role of UME1 in meiotic gene expression, a null allele was constructed (ume1-2, see "Experimental Procedures" for details). Viable spores harboring this allele were recovered, indicating that UME1 is dispensable for vegetative growth. Moreover, growth curves generated from wild-type and ume1-2 cultures revealed no difference in generation times in medium containing either a fermentable or a non-fermentable carbon source (data not shown). To determine the effects on SPO13 expression in a null versus a ume1-1 strain, S1 protection assays were performed on isogenic UME1 and ume1-2 strains. These experiments revealed an elevated level of SPO13 mRNA in mutant vegetative cultures as compared with wild type (Fig. 1A). Quantitation of these experiments revealed a 6-fold increase in SPO13 mRNA levels, a value observed previously for the ume1-1 allele (5). These results suggest that truncation of Ume1p past amino acid 215 destroys the activity of this factor (see below). The derepression associated with loss of Ume1p activity is
A previous report found that UME2 and UME5 represses SPO13 expression in the presence of glucose but not in acetate medium (8). To investigate the role of glucose in UME1 activity, we measured SPO13 expression in wild-type and ume1 mutant strains growing in medium containing glucose or acetate as the carbon source. At least three independent UME1 (RSY333) and ume1-2 (MMY2-2A) cultures harboring a spo13-lacZ reporter gene (p(spo13)28) were grown to mid-log phase in either synthetic dextrose or synthetic acetate medium. The cells were harvested, and Ume1p Is Not Required to Re-establish Repression of Early Meiotic GenesPrevious studies have found that sin3 (5), rpd3 (33), and ume6 (15) mutants all arrest prior to meiosis I, whereas ume3/srb11 mutants exhibit more subtle meiotic phenotypes (34). To investigate the role of UME1 in meiosis, both molecular and cytological parameters were examined in homozygous ume1-2/ume1-2 (MMY2) and heterozygous UME1/ume1-2 (MMY1) diploids induced to undergo synchronous meiotic divisions. No significant differences were observed in the timing of either the first or the second meiotic divisions as determined by the appearance of bi- and tetranucleated cells during the meiotic time course (data not shown). MMY2 produced asci at a rate similar to wild type although spore viability was slightly reduced from 95% in the wild type as compared with 81% for the mutant. These results suggest that Ume1p may play a modest role in spore viability. To evaluate the impact of Ume1p on early meiotic gene expression, the levels of SPO13 mRNA were monitored during a meiotic time course experiment. Samples were taken prior to the shift to sporulation medium (0 h) and continued throughout meiosis and spore formation. SPO13 mRNA levels were determined from total RNA preparations using S1 nuclease protection assays as described in Fig. 1. These S1 protection assays were not exposed to film sufficiently to detect the aberrant vegetative SPO13 transcripts as these experiments were intended to observe the mRNA accumulation kinetics during meiosis. These experiments found that SPO13 expression patterns were similar between the wild type and mutant (Fig. 2A). A small, but reproducible, elevation in SPO13 mRNA levels was observed in the mutant as compared with wild type in early time points (e.g. 3 h). These results suggest that SPO13 induction occurs more rapidly in the ume1 mutant. However, no differences were observed in the kinetics of SPO13 re-repression (9-24 h). These results suggest that the repression system utilized to silence early meiotic genes is different in vegetative cultures than in cells completing the meiotic program.
UME1 Is Required for the Normal Return-to-Growth Response in Precommitment Meiotic CellsEarly meiotic genes are rapidly repressed when glucose is added to meiotic cultures prior to the commitment point (29). To examine whether Ume1p plays a role in this response, isogenic diploids harboring either the wild-type or the null allele of UME1 were induced to enter meiosis but then challenged with glucose (2% final concentration) 6 h following shift to sporulation medium. This time point represents the peak of SPO13 mRNA accumulation (Fig. 2A) and is before the acquisition of commitment. Samples were taken prior to (0 min) and at intervals following the addition of glucose. Total RNA was prepared from these samples, and the levels of SPO13 mRNA were determined by S1 analysis (Fig. 2B). In the wild type, the half-life of SPO13 mRNA following the addition of glucose was calculated to be 4.2 min (three experiments, Fig. 2C). A similar value was reported previously (29). However, the ume1-2 mutant exhibited a 2.2-fold increase (9.3 min, three experiments) in the half-life of SPO13 mRNA. Previous studies reported that Ume1p does not affect SPO13 half-life under these conditions (29). Therefore, these results indicate that Ume1p is involved in the rapid repression of SPO13 transcription when precommitment meiotic cells return to vegetative growth.
Glucose Stimulates UME1 Transcript LevelsUme1p represses meiotic gene expression in vegetatively growing cells and in precommitment meiotic cells returning to growth. To determine whether this factor is itself subject to transcriptional regulation, UME1 mRNA levels were measured when SPO13 expression switched from an induced to a repressed state. Specifically, UME1 mRNA levels were followed when precommitment meiotic cultures were challenged with glucose. The results from these experiments indicated that UME1 mRNA levels increased
Ume1p Association with the Histone Deacetylase Rpd3p Requires the Conserved NEE Box MotifPrevious studies have found that Ume1p and p48 associate with Rpd3p and the human histone deacetylase HDAC1, respectively (24, 36). Ume1p shares homology to a family of proteins including p48, a factor that associates with the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein Rb (37), the human histone deacetylase HDAC1 (36), and the chromatin assembly factor CAF-1 (38). Additional members of this family include a human protein of unknown function (p46) and a yeast protein (Msi1p) that, when overexpressed, is able to suppress the phenotypes associated with constitutively active Ras2p (39). A high degree of similarity between these proteins is observed in the amino-terminal region (Fig. 4A) with one region (NEEYKIWKK, indicated by bracket) particularly well conserved among these family members. To determine whether this region is required for Ume1p-Rpd3p interaction, co-immunoprecipitation studies were performed with a derivative lacking these core residues (NEE box, see "Experimental Procedures" for details). The UME1-HA and UME1NEE
The other conserved feature within this family is a repeated WD motif (40) that directs specific protein-protein interactions (41). WD repeats were originally observed in
Sin3p PAH3 Is Required for Ume1p-Rpd3p Association in VivoSin3p is the global co-repressor that tethers Rpd3p to the DNA-binding protein Ume6p (16). Sin3p directs repression through one of its four PAH domains, PAH3 (22). One model consistent with these results is that association of Sin3p to the Ume1p-Rpd3p complex is important for repression activity. As a first step to investigate this possibility, we determined whether any of the PAH domains are required for the stable association of Ume1p and Rpd3p. SIN3 was deleted in the RSY10 background, and the plasmids containing wild-type SIN3 or the various PAH deletion derivatives were introduced ((22), a gift from D. Stillman, University of Utah). Co-immunoprecipitation studies were performed as just described probing for Ume1p in Rpd3p immunoprecipitates. Interestingly, the Rpd3p-Ume1p interaction was markedly reduced in the strain harboring the PAH3 mutant (
Ume1p-dependent Repression Requires Both the NEE Box and the WD Domain RepeatThe results just described indicate that the NEE box, and to a lesser extent the WD repeat, are required for Ume1p-Rpd3p association in vivo. We next addressed the impact that these mutations had on Ume1p-dependent repression. The UME1NEE
This report describes the characterization of the transcriptional repressor Ume1p. Ume1p binds the histone deacetylase Rpd3p and is required for the repression of early meiotic genes during vegetative growth. We demonstrate that Ume1p is required for early meiotic gene repression in vegetative cultures regardless of the carbon source and in precommitment meiotic cells returning to mitotic cell division. Our finding that Ume1p is not required to re-establish repression following meiotic induction of these genes suggests that Ume1p functions primarily in cells undergoing mitotic cell division. Ume1p contains two functional motifs (NEE box and WD repeat) that are conserved with the human histone deacetylase HDAC1-binding protein p48 (36). Although both elements are required for normal association with Rpd3p, the NEE box is essential for this interaction. In addition, both mutants are defective for the vegetative repression of the early meiotic gene SPO13. These findings suggest that Rpd3p association is important for Ume1p repression activity. Finally, we demonstrate an unexpected requirement of the global co-repressor Sin3p in maintenance of the Ume1p-Rpd3p complex in vivo. These results suggest the existence of a multisubunit repression complex whose integrity requires the participation of all its members.
How is UME1 itself regulated? UME1 mRNA levels increase
Individually, Rpd3p, Sin3p, and Ume6p regulate diverse gene sets (13, 50-52). However, only a small number of genes including those transcribed early in meiosis have been shown to be regulated by the Ume1p-Sin3p-Rpd3p-Ume6p histone deacetylase complex (5, 15, 24, 33, 53). These findings suggest that, similar to other systems (54), meiosis-specific gene expression profiles are generated through the use of unique combinations of common factors. To correctly assemble these complexes, signals must be present to direct specific protein-protein interactions. Previous studies have revealed a central role for the function of the PAH domains of Sin3p in organizing this complex. PAH3 and an adjacent region of Sin3p mediate the interaction with the HDAC (Fig. 7) (36) and are required for most of the Sin3p-dependent repression studied to date (22). A more recent study found that PAH2 is required for Ume6p association (23). Moreover, Sin3p mutants lacking PAH2 are defective for SPO13 repression in vegetative cultures.2 These findings indicate that the individual PAH domains compartmentalize Sin3p interactions. We demonstrate that the conserved NEE box and WD repeat domains are required for normal Ume1p-Rpd3p association. The NEE box is highly conserved in other proteins that associate with a variety of histone deacetylases, suggesting that this region may be performing similar roles in other systems. The finding that substituting alanines at one WD motif significantly destabilized Ume1p suggests several possibilities. First, these mutations may cause Ume1p misfolding, thus inducing degradation. Alternatively, Ume1p destabilization may be due to the inability to correctly associate with another factor. The stabilization of transcription factors via heterodimer formation has been seen in several systems (e.g. the a1-
A recent report using chromatin immunoprecipitations found that Ume1p and Rpd3 co-localized at Alternatively, the differences in meiotic phenotypes may suggest that Ume1p is not required for Rpd3p deacetylase activity per se. Rather, Ume1p may be involved in some other aspect of transcriptional repression and uses Rpd3p association to localize itself to the promoter. For example, Ume1p may be involved in stabilizing repression complexes or interacting with additional factors at the early meiotic promoter. One possible interactor is the factor that binds the auxiliary repression element (ARE). This element, in conjunction with URS1, mediates the vegetative repression of the meiotic gene HSP82 (13). This study found that mutating the ARE resulted in aberrant vegetative expression of HSP82 reporter gene. The SPO13 promoter has an ARE (Fig. 7) that is required for vegetative repression and is bound by a factor(s) as determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assays.2 The finding that the WD domain is required for repression, but not essential for full Rpd3p association, may suggest that this domain directs Ume1p association to another protein. Given the high density of factors at this site, potential partners include histones, Sin3p, or the ARE-binding protein(s). Identifying all the factors that bind the early meiotic gene promoter, and characterizing their functions, should shed light on this question.
The nucleotide sequence(s) reported in this paper has been submitted to the GenBankTM/EBI Data Bank with accession number(s) U10280 [GenBank] .
* This work was supported in part by Grant MCB-9513479 from the National Science Foundation and GM57842 from the National Institutes of Health (to R. S.), Grant CA-06927 from the National Cancer Institute, and an appropriation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 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.
1 The abbreviations used are: HDAC, histone deacetylase; PAH, paired amphipathic helix; HA, hemagglutinin; ARE, auxiliary repression element.
2 M. J. Mallory and R. Strich, unpublished results.
We thank John Burch, Erica Golemis, and Kevin Ryder for helpful discussions and critical readings of the manuscript. We also thank Tony Yeung for advice in the synthesis of the oligonucleotides used in this study.
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