Structure of a SLC26 Anion Transporter STAS Domain in Complex with Acyl Carrier Protein: Implications for E. coli YchM in Fatty Acid Metabolism

SummaryEscherichia coli YchM is a member of the SLC26 (SulP) family of anion transporters with an N-terminal membrane domain and a C-terminal cytoplasmic STAS domain. Mutations in human members of the SLC26 family, including their STAS domain, are linked to a number of inherited diseases. Herein, we describe the high-resolution crystal structure of the STAS domain from E. coli YchM isolated in complex with acyl-carrier protein (ACP), an essential component of the fatty acid biosynthesis (FAB) pathway. A genome-wide genetic interaction screen showed that a ychM null mutation is synthetically lethal with mutant alleles of genes (fabBDHGAI) involved in FAB. Endogenous YchM also copurified with proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism. Furthermore, a deletion strain lacking ychM showed altered cellular bicarbonate incorporation in the presence of NaCl and impaired growth at alkaline pH. Thus, identification of the STAS-ACP complex suggests that YchM sequesters ACP to the bacterial membrane linking bicarbonate transport with fatty acid metabolism

Association with the origin recognition complex suggests a novel role for histone acetyltransferase Hat1p/Hat2p

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Histone modifications have been implicated in the regulation of transcription and, more recently, in DNA replication and repair. In yeast, a major conserved histone acetyltransferase, Hat1p, preferentially acetylates lysine residues 5 and 12 on histone H4.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we report that a nuclear sub-complex consisting of Hat1p and its partner Hat2p interacts physically and functionally with the origin recognition complex (ORC). While mutational inactivation of the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) gene <it>HAT1 </it>alone does not compromise origin firing or initiation of DNA replication, a deletion in <it>HAT1 </it>(or <it>HAT2</it>) exacerbates the growth defects of conditional <it>orc-ts </it>mutants. Thus, the ORC-associated Hat1p-dependent histone acetyltransferase activity suggests a novel linkage between histone modification and DNA replication. Additional genetic and biochemical evidence points to the existence of partly overlapping histone H3 acetyltransferase activities in addition to Hat1p/Hat2p for proper DNA replication efficiency. Furthermore, we demonstrated a dynamic association of Hat1p with chromatin during S-phase that suggests a role of this enzyme at the replication fork.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have found an intriguing new association of the Hat1p-dependent histone acetyltransferase in addition to its previously known role in nuclear chromatin assembly (Hat1p/Hat2p-Hif1p). The participation of a distinct Hat1p/Hat2p sub-complex suggests a linkage of histone H4 modification with ORC-dependent DNA replication.</p

INO80 and γ-H2AX Interaction Links ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling to DNA Damage Repair

AbstractWhile the role of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling in transcription is well established, a link between chromatin remodeling and DNA repair has remained elusive. We have found that the evolutionarily conserved INO80 chromatin remodeling complex directly participates in the repair of a double-strand break (DSB) in yeast. The INO80 complex is recruited to a HO endonuclease-induced DSB through a specific interaction with the DNA damage-induced phosphorylated histone H2A (γ-H2AX). This interaction requires Nhp10, an HMG-like subunit of the INO80 complex. The loss of Nhp10 or γ-H2AX results in reduced INO80 recruitment to the DSB. Finally, components of the INO80 complex show synthetic genetic interactions with the RAD52 DNA repair pathway, the main pathway for DSB repair in yeast. Our findings reveal a new role of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling in nuclear processes and suggest that an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex can read a DNA repair histone code

Epistatic relationships reveal the functional organization of yeast transcription factors

A comprehensive quantitative genetic interaction map, or E-MAP, has provided a global view of the functional interdependencies between the components of the transcriptional apparatus in budding yeast.Transcription factors that display aggravating/negative genetic interactions regulate gene expression in an independent rather than coordinated manner.Parallel/compensating relationships between regulators often characterize transcriptional circuits

Global Functional Atlas of \u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e Encompassing Previously Uncharacterized Proteins

One-third of the 4,225 protein-coding genes of Escherichia coli K-12 remain functionally unannotated (orphans). Many map to distant clades such as Archaea, suggesting involvement in basic prokaryotic traits, whereas others appear restricted to E. coli, including pathogenic strains. To elucidate the orphans’ biological roles, we performed an extensive proteomic survey using affinity-tagged E. coli strains and generated comprehensive genomic context inferences to derive a high-confidence compendium for virtually the entire proteome consisting of 5,993 putative physical interactions and 74,776 putative functional associations, most of which are novel. Clustering of the respective probabilistic networks revealed putative orphan membership in discrete multiprotein complexes and functional modules together with annotated gene products, whereas a machine-learning strategy based on network integration implicated the orphans in specific biological processes. We provide additional experimental evidence supporting orphan participation in protein synthesis, amino acid metabolism, biofilm formation, motility, and assembly of the bacterial cell envelope. This resource provides a “systems-wide” functional blueprint of a model microbe, with insights into the biological and evolutionary significance of previously uncharacterized proteins

Systems-level analyses identify extensive coupling among gene expression machines

Here, we develop computational methods to assess and consolidate large, diverse protein interaction data sets, with the objective of identifying proteins involved in the coupling of multicomponent complexes within the yeast gene expression pathway. From among ∼43 000 total interactions and 2100 proteins, our methods identify known structural complexes, such as the spliceosome and SAGA, and functional modules, such as the DEAD-box helicases, within the interaction network of proteins involved in gene expression. Our process identifies and ranks instances of three distinct, biologically motivated motifs, or patterns of coupling among distinct machineries involved in different subprocesses of gene expression. Our results confirm known coupling among transcription, RNA processing, and export, and predict further coupling with translation and nonsense-mediated decay. We systematically corroborate our analysis with two independent, comprehensive experimental data sets. The methods presented here may be generalized to other biological processes and organisms to generate principled, systems-level network models that provide experimentally testable hypotheses for coupling among biological machines

RPRD1A and RPRD1B Are Human RNA Polymerase II C-Terminal Domain Scaffolds for Ser5 Dephosphorylation

The RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) heptapeptide repeats (Y1-S2-P3-T4-S5-P6-S7) undergo dynamic phosphorylation and dephosphorylation during the transcription cycle to recruit factors that regulate transcription, RNA processing and chromatin modification. We show here that RPRD1A and RPRD1B form homodimers and heterodimers through their coiled-coil domains and interact preferentially via CTD interaction domains (CIDs) with CTD repeats phosphorylated at S2 and S7. Our high resolution crystal structures of the RPRD1A, RPRD1B and RPRD2 CIDs, alone and in complex with CTD phosphoisoforms, elucidate the molecular basis of CTD recognition. In an interesting example of cross-talk between different CTD modifications, our data also indicate that RPRD1A and RPRD1B associate directly with RPAP2 phosphatase and, by interacting with CTD repeats where phospho-S2 and/or phospho-S7 bracket a phospho-S5 residue, serve as CTD scaffolds to coordinate the dephosphorylation of phospho-S5 by RPAP2

Cotranscriptional Set2 Methylation of Histone H3 Lysine 36 Recruits a Repressive Rpd3 Complex

SummaryThe yeast histone deacetylase Rpd3 can be recruited to promoters to repress transcription initiation. Biochemical, genetic, and gene-expression analyses show that Rpd3 exists in two distinct complexes. The smaller complex, Rpd3C(S), shares Sin3 and Ume1 with Rpd3C(L) but contains the unique subunits Rco1 and Eaf3. Rpd3C(S) mutants exhibit phenotypes remarkably similar to those of Set2, a histone methyltransferase associated with elongating RNA polymerase II. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and biochemical experiments indicate that the chromodomain of Eaf3 recruits Rpd3C(S) to nucleosomes methylated by Set2 on histone H3 lysine 36, leading to deacetylation of transcribed regions. This pathway apparently acts to negatively regulate transcription because deleting the genes for Set2 or Rpd3C(S) bypasses the requirement for the positive elongation factor Bur1/Bur2

Identification of a BET Family Bromodomain/Casein Kinase II/TAF-Containing Complex as a Regulator of Mitotic Condensin Function

SummaryCondensin is a central regulator of mitotic genome structure with mutants showing poorly condensed chromosomes and profound segregation defects. Here, we identify NCT, a complex comprising the Nrc1 BET-family tandem bromodomain protein (SPAC631.02), casein kinase II (CKII), and several TAFs, as a regulator of condensin function. We show that NCT and condensin bind similar genomic regions but only briefly colocalize during the periods of chromosome condensation and decondensation. This pattern of NCT binding at the core centromere, the region of maximal condensin enrichment, tracks the abundance of acetylated histone H4, as regulated by the Hat1-Mis16 acetyltransferase complex and recognized by the first Nrc1 bromodomain. Strikingly, mutants in NCT or Hat1-Mis16 restore the formation of segregation-competent chromosomes in cells containing defective condensin. These results are consistent with a model where NCT targets CKII to chromatin in a cell-cycle-directed manner in order to modulate the activity of condensin during chromosome condensation and decondensation