G-Protein Signaling: A New Branch in an Old Pathway

A recent study provides evidence for a new branch of the yeast mating pathway in which a G-protein alpha subunit directly activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase at endosomes

Ultrasensitive Responses and Specificity in Cell Signaling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Interconnected cell signaling pathways are able to efficiently and accurately transmit a multitude of different signals, despite an inherent potential for undesirable levels of cross-talk. To ensure that an appropriate response is produced, biological systems have evolved network-level mechanisms that insulate pathways from crosstalk and prevent 'leaking' or 'spillover' between pathways. Many signaling pathways have been shown to respond in an ultrasensitive (switch-like) fashion to graded input, and this behavior may influence specificity. The relationship of ultrasensitivity to signaling specificity has not been extensively explored.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We studied the behavior of simple mathematical models of signaling networks composed of two interconnected pathways that share an intermediate component, asking if the two pathways in the network could exhibit both <it>output specificity </it>(preferentially activate their own output) and <it>input fidelity </it>(preferentially respond to their own input). Previous results with weakly-activated pathways indicated that neither mutual specificity nor mutual fidelity were obtainable in the absence of an insulating mechanism, such as cross-pathway inhibition, combinatorial signaling or scaffolding/compartmentalization. Here we found that mutual specificity is obtainable for hyperbolic or ultrasensitive pathways, even in the absence of an insulating mechanism. However, mutual fidelity is impossible at steady-state, even if pathways are hyperbolic or ultrasensitive. Nevertheless, ultrasensitivity does provide advantages in attaining specificity and fidelity to networks that contain an insulating mechanism. For networks featuring cross-pathway inhibition or combinatorial signaling, ultrasensitive activation can increase specificity in a limited way, and can only be utilized by one of the two pathways. In contrast, for networks featuring scaffolding/compartmentalization, ultrasensitive activation of both pathways can dramatically improve network specificity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There are constraints to obtaining performance objectives associated with signaling specificity; such constraints may have influenced the evolution of signal transduction networks. Notably, input fidelity (preferential response to an authentic input) is a more difficult objective to achieve than output specificity (preferential targeting to an authentic output). Indeed, mutual fidelity is impossible in the absence of an insulating mechanism, even if pathways are ultrasensitive. Ultrasensitivity does, however, significantly enhance the performance of several insulating mechanisms. In particular, the ultrasensitive activation of both pathways can provide substantial improvement to networks containing scaffolding/compartmentalization.</p

Noise filtering tradeoffs in spatial gradient sensing and cell polarization response

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cells sense chemical spatial gradients and respond by polarizing internal components. This process can be disrupted by gradient noise caused by fluctuations in chemical concentration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We investigated how external gradient noise affects spatial sensing and response focusing on noise-filtering and the resultant tradeoffs. First, using a coarse-grained mathematical model of gradient-sensing and cell polarity, we characterized three negative consequences of noise: Inhibition of the extent of polarization, degradation of directional accuracy, and production of a noisy output polarization. Next, we explored filtering strategies and discovered that a combination of positive feedback, multiple signaling stages, and time-averaging produced good results. There was an important tradeoff, however, because filtering resulted in slower polarization. Simulations demonstrated that a two-stage filter-amplifier resulted in a balanced outcome. Then, we analyzed the effect of noise on a mechanistic model of yeast cell polarization in response to gradients of mating pheromone. This analysis showed that yeast cells likely also combine the above three filtering mechanisms into a filter-amplifier structure to achieve impressive spatial-noise tolerance, but with the consequence of a slow response time. Further investigation of the amplifier architecture revealed two positive feedback loops, a fast inner and a slow outer, both of which contributed to noise-tolerant polarization. This model also made specific predictions about how orientation performance depended upon the ratio between the gradient slope (signal) and the noise variance. To test these predictions, we performed microfluidics experiments measuring the ability of yeast cells to orient to shallow gradients of mating pheromone. The results of these experiments agreed well with the modeling predictions, demonstrating that yeast cells can sense gradients shallower than 0.1% μm^-1, approximately a single receptor-ligand molecule difference between front and back, on par with motile eukaryotic cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Spatial noise impedes the extent, accuracy, and smoothness of cell polarization. A combined filtering strategy implemented by a filter-amplifier architecture with slow dynamics was effective. Modeling and experimental data suggest that yeast cells employ these elaborate mechanisms to filter gradient noise resulting in a slow but relatively accurate polarization response.</p

A conserved protein interaction network involving the yeast MAP kinases Fus3 and Kss1

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) Fus3 and Kss1 bind to multiple regulators and substrates. We show that mutations in a conserved docking site in these MAPKs (the CD/7m region) disrupt binding to an important subset of their binding partners, including the Ste7 MAPK kinase, the Ste5 adaptor/scaffold protein, and the Dig1 and Dig2 transcriptional repressors. Supporting the possibility that Ste5 and Ste7 bind to the same region of the MAPKs, they partially competed for Fus3 binding. In vivo, some of the MAPK mutants displayed reduced Ste7-dependent phosphorylation, and all of them exhibited multiple defects in mating and pheromone response. The Kss1 mutants were also defective in Kss1-imposed repression of Ste12. We conclude that MAPKs contain a structurally and functionally conserved docking site that mediates an overall positively acting network of interactions with cognate docking sites on their regulators and substrates. Key features of this interaction network appear to have been conserved from yeast to humans

A metabolite binding protein moonlights as a bile- responsive chaperone

Bile salts are secreted into the gastrointestinal tract to aid in the absorption of lipids. In addition, bile salts show potent antimicrobial activity in part by mediating bacterial protein unfolding and aggregation. Here, using a protein folding sensor, we made the surprising discovery that the Escherichia coli periplasmic glycerol- 3- phosphate (G3P)- binding protein UgpB can serve, in the absence of its substrate, as a potent molecular chaperone that exhibits anti- aggregation activity against bile salt- induced protein aggregation. The substrate G3P, which is known to accumulate in the later compartments of the digestive system, triggers a functional switch between UgpB’s activity as a molecular chaperone and its activity as a G3P transporter. A UgpB mutant unable to bind G3P is constitutively active as a chaperone, and its crystal structure shows that it contains a deep surface groove absent in the G3P- bound wild- type UgpB. Our work illustrates how evolution may be able to convert threats into signals that first activate and then inactivate a chaperone at the protein level in a manner that bypasses the need for ATP.SynopsisThe periplasmic glycerol- 3- phosphate binding protein, UgpB, was found to have dual functions, as a metabolite binding protein and as a bile- responsive molecular chaperone. Stomach- acid induced stripping of its glycerol- 3- phosphate substrate functions as a switch that activates the chaperone activity of UgpB.A tripartite periplasmic protein folding sensor and Tn- Seq uncover UgpB as a new chaperone.UgpB prevents bile- induced protein aggregation when in its G3P- free form.Stomach acid- induced G3P stripping activates UgpB chaperone function.Crystal structure of a G3P- nonbinding variant of UgpB reveals opening of a deep surface groove when compared to the structure of G3P- bound wild- type UgpB.A periplasmic folding sensor reveals a mechanism by which stomach acid- induced G3P stripping remodels UgpB into a chaperone that prevents bile- induced bacterial protein aggregation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163430/6/embj2019104231.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163430/5/embj2019104231-sup-0002-EVFigs.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163430/4/embj2019104231-sup-0006-SDataFig3.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163430/3/embj2019104231.reviewer_comments.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163430/2/embj2019104231_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163430/1/embj2019104231-sup-0005-SDataFig2.pd

A Mammal-Specific Doublesex Homolog Associates with Male Sex Chromatin and Is Required for Male Meiosis

Gametogenesis is a sexually dimorphic process requiring profound differences in germ cell differentiation between the sexes. In mammals, the presence of heteromorphic sex chromosomes in males creates additional sex-specific challenges, including incomplete X and Y pairing during meiotic prophase. This triggers formation of a heterochromatin domain, the XY body. The XY body disassembles after prophase, but specialized sex chromatin persists, with further modification, through meiosis. Here, we investigate the function of DMRT7, a mammal-specific protein related to the invertebrate sexual regulators Doublesex and MAB-3. We find that DMRT7 preferentially localizes to the XY body in the pachytene stage of meiotic prophase and is required for male meiosis. In Dmrt7 mutants, meiotic pairing and recombination appear normal, and a transcriptionally silenced XY body with appropriate chromatin marks is formed, but most germ cells undergo apoptosis during pachynema. A minority of mutant cells can progress to diplonema, but many of these escaping cells have abnormal sex chromatin lacking histone H3K9 di- and trimethylation and heterochromatin protein 1β accumulation, modifications that normally occur between pachynema and diplonema. Based on the localization of DMRT7 to the XY body and the sex chromatin defects observed in Dmrt7 mutants, we conclude that DMRT7 plays a role in the sex chromatin transformation that occurs between pachynema and diplonema. We suggest that DMRT7 may help control the transition from meiotic sex chromosome inactivation to postmeiotic sex chromatin in males. In addition, because it is found in all branches of mammals, but not in other vertebrates, Dmrt7 may shed light on evolution of meiosis and of sex chromatin

Miles to go (mtgo) encodes FNDC3 proteins that interact with the chaperonin subunit CCT3 and are required for NMJ branching and growth in Drosophila.

Analysis of mutants that affect formation and function of the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) has provided valuable insight into genes required for neuronal branching and synaptic growth. We report that NMJ development in Drosophila requires both the Drosophila ortholog of FNDC3 genes; CG42389 (herein referred to as miles to go; mtgo), and CCT3, which encodes a chaperonin complex subunit. Loss of mtgo function causes late pupal lethality with most animals unable to escape the pupal case, while rare escapers exhibit an ataxic gait and reduced lifespan. NMJs in mtgo mutant larvae have dramatically reduced branching and growth and fewer synaptic boutons compared with control animals. Mutant larvae show normal locomotion but display an abnormal self-righting response and chemosensory deficits that suggest additional functions of mtgo within the nervous system. The pharate lethality in mtgo mutants can be rescued by both low-level pan- and neuronal-, but not muscle-specific expression of a mtgo transgene, supporting a neuronal-intrinsic requirement for mtgo in NMJ development. Mtgo encodes three similar proteins whose domain structure is most closely related to the vertebrate intracellular cytosolic membrane-anchored fibronectin type-III domain-containing protein 3 (FNDC3) protein family. Mtgo physically and genetically interacts with Drosophila CCT3, which encodes a subunit of the TRiC/CCT chaperonin complex required for maturation of actin, tubulin and other substrates. Drosophila larvae heterozygous for a mutation in CCT3 that reduces binding between CCT3 and MTGO also show abnormal NMJ development similar to that observed in mtgo null mutants. Hence, the intracellular FNDC3-ortholog MTGO and CCT3 can form a macromolecular complex, and are both required for NMJ development in Drosophila

PTM-Switchboard—a database of posttranslational modifications of transcription factors, the mediating enzymes and target genes

Gene transcription is largely regulated by sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs). The TF activity is significantly regulated by its posttranslational modifications (PTMs). TF-PTMs serve as ‘molecular switchboards’ that map multiple upstream signaling events, in response to various environmental perturbations, to the downstream transcriptional events. While many instances of TF-PTMs and their effect on gene regulation have been experimentally determined, a systematic meta-analysis or a quantitative model-based investigation of this process has not been undertaken. A prerequisite to such analyses is a database of known instances of TF-PTMs affecting transcriptional regulation. The PTM-Switchboard database meets this need by cataloging such instances in the model system Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The database stores triplets of genes such that the ability of one gene (TF) to regulate a target gene is dependent on one or more PTMs catalyzed by a third gene (modifying enzyme). The database currently includes a large sample of experimentally characterized instances curated from the literature. In addition to providing a framework for searching and analyzing the data, the database will serve to benchmark computational methods. In the future, the database will be expanded to mammalian organisms, and will also include triplets predicted from computational approaches. The database can be accessed at http://cagr.pcbi.upenn.edu/PTMswitchboard