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Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Dartmouth College

Genetics

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Analysis Of Lung Microbiota In Bronchoalveolar Lavage, Protected Brush And Sputum Samples From Subjects With Mild-To-Moderate Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease, Deborah A. Hogan, Sven D. Willger, Emily L. Dolben, Thomas H. Hampton, Bruce A. Stanton, Hilary G. Morrison, Mitchell L. Sogin, Julianna Czum, Alix Ashare, Michael Tunney Mar 2016

Analysis Of Lung Microbiota In Bronchoalveolar Lavage, Protected Brush And Sputum Samples From Subjects With Mild-To-Moderate Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease, Deborah A. Hogan, Sven D. Willger, Emily L. Dolben, Thomas H. Hampton, Bruce A. Stanton, Hilary G. Morrison, Mitchell L. Sogin, Julianna Czum, Alix Ashare, Michael Tunney

Dartmouth Scholarship

Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) often acquire chronic lung infections that lead to irrevers- ible damage. We sought to examine regional variation in the microbial communities in the lungs of individuals with mild-to-moderate CF lung disease, to examine the relationship between the local microbiota and local damage, and to determine the relationships between microbiota in samples taken directly from the lung and the microbiota in spontaneously expectorated sputum. In this initial study, nine stable, adult CF patients with an FEV1>50% underwent regional sampling of different lobes of the right lung by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and protected brush (PB) sampling …


Biological Significance Of Photoreceptor Photocycle Length: Vivid Photocycle Governs The Dynamic Vivid-White Collar Complex Pool Mediating Photo-Adaptation And Response To Changes In Light Intensity, Arko Dasgupta, Chen-Hui Chen, Changhwan Lee, Amy S. Gladfelter, Jay C. Dunlap, Jennifer J. Loros May 2015

Biological Significance Of Photoreceptor Photocycle Length: Vivid Photocycle Governs The Dynamic Vivid-White Collar Complex Pool Mediating Photo-Adaptation And Response To Changes In Light Intensity, Arko Dasgupta, Chen-Hui Chen, Changhwan Lee, Amy S. Gladfelter, Jay C. Dunlap, Jennifer J. Loros

Dartmouth Scholarship

Most organisms on earth sense light through the use of chromophore-bearing photoreceptive proteins with distinct and characteristic photocycle lengths, yet the biological significance of this adduct decay length is neither understood nor has been tested. In the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa VIVID (VVD) is a critical player in the process of photoadaptation, the attenuation of light-induced responses and the ability to maintain photosensitivity in response to changing light intensities. Detailed in vitro analysis of the photochemistry of the blue light sensing, FAD binding, LOV domain of VVD has revealed residues around the site of photo-adduct formation that influence the stability …


Bioengineered Lysozyme Reduces Bacterial Burden And Inflammation In A Murine Model Of Mucoid Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Lung Infection, Charlotte C. Teneback, Thomas C. Scanlon, Matthew J. Wargo, Jenna L. Bement, Karl E. Griswold, Laurie W. Leclair Aug 2013

Bioengineered Lysozyme Reduces Bacterial Burden And Inflammation In A Murine Model Of Mucoid Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Lung Infection, Charlotte C. Teneback, Thomas C. Scanlon, Matthew J. Wargo, Jenna L. Bement, Karl E. Griswold, Laurie W. Leclair

Dartmouth Scholarship

The spread of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens is a growing global concern and has prompted an effort to explore potential adjuvant and alternative therapies derived from nature's repertoire of bactericidal proteins and peptides. In humans, the airway surface liquid layer is a rich source of antibiotics, and lysozyme represents one of the most abundant and effective antimicrobial components of airway secretions. Human lysozyme is active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, ac


Insights Into Mrnp Biogenesis Provided By New Genetic Interactions Among Export And Transcription Factors, Francisco Estruch, Christine Hodge, Natalia Gómez-Navarro, Lorena Peiró-Chova, Catherine V. Heath, Charles N. Cole Sep 2012

Insights Into Mrnp Biogenesis Provided By New Genetic Interactions Among Export And Transcription Factors, Francisco Estruch, Christine Hodge, Natalia Gómez-Navarro, Lorena Peiró-Chova, Catherine V. Heath, Charles N. Cole

Dartmouth Scholarship

The various steps of mRNP biogenesis (transcription, processing and export) are interconnected. It has been shown that the transcription machinery plays a pivotal role in mRNP assembly, since several mRNA export factors are recruited during transcription and physically interact with components of the transcription machinery. Although the shuttling DEAD-box protein Dbp5p is concentrated on the cytoplasmic fibrils of the NPC, previous studies demonstrated that it interacts physically and genetically with factors involved in transcription initiation. We investigated the effect of mutations affecting various components of the transcription initiation apparatus on the phenotypes of mRNA export mutant strains. Our results show …


Mutant Alcohol Dehydrogenase Leads To Improved Ethanol Tolerance In Clostridium Thermocellum, Steven D. Brown, Adam M. Guss, Tatiana V. Karpinets, Jerry M. Parks Aug 2011

Mutant Alcohol Dehydrogenase Leads To Improved Ethanol Tolerance In Clostridium Thermocellum, Steven D. Brown, Adam M. Guss, Tatiana V. Karpinets, Jerry M. Parks

Dartmouth Scholarship

Clostridium thermocellum is a thermophilic, obligately anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium that is a candidate microorganism for converting cellulosic biomass into ethanol through consolidated bioprocessing. Ethanol intolerance is an important metric in terms of process economics, and tolerance has often been described as a complex and likely multigenic trait for which complex gene interactions come into play. Here, we resequence the genome of an ethanol-tolerant mutant, show that the tolerant phenotype is primarily due to a mutated bifunctional acetaldehyde-CoA/alcohol dehydrogenase gene (adhE), hypothesize based on structural analysis that cofactor specificity may be affected, and confirm this hypothesis using enzyme assays. …


Excision Dynamics Of Vibrio Pathogenicity Island-2 From Vibrio Cholerae: Role Of A Recombination Directionality Factor Vefa, Salvador Almagro-Moreno, Michael G. Napolitano, E. Fidelma Boyd Nov 2010

Excision Dynamics Of Vibrio Pathogenicity Island-2 From Vibrio Cholerae: Role Of A Recombination Directionality Factor Vefa, Salvador Almagro-Moreno, Michael G. Napolitano, E. Fidelma Boyd

Dartmouth Scholarship

Vibrio Pathogenicity Island-2 (VPI-2) is a 57 kb region present in choleragenic V. cholerae isolates that is required for growth on sialic acid as a sole carbon source. V. cholerae non-O1/O139 pathogenic strains also contain VPI-2, which in addition to sialic acid catabolism genes also encodes a type 3 secretion system in these strains. VPI-2 integrates into chromosome 1 at a tRNA-serine site and encodes an integrase intV2 (VC1758) that belongs to the tyrosine recombinase family. ntV2 is required for VPI-2 excision from chromosome 1, which occurs at very low levels, and formation of a non-replicative circular intermediate.


Requirement For Golgi-Localized Pi(4)P In Fusion Of Copii Vesicles With Golgi Compartments, Andres Lorente-Rodriguez, Charles Barlowe Nov 2010

Requirement For Golgi-Localized Pi(4)P In Fusion Of Copii Vesicles With Golgi Compartments, Andres Lorente-Rodriguez, Charles Barlowe

Dartmouth Scholarship

The role of specific membrane lipids in transport between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi compartments is poorly understood. Using cell-free assays that measure stages in ER-to-Golgi transport, we screened a variety of enzyme inhibitors, lipid-modifying enzymes, and lipid ligands to investigate requirements in yeast. The pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of human Fapp1, which binds phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI(4)P) specifically, was a strong and specific inhibitor of anterograde transport. Analysis of wild type and mutant PH domain proteins in addition to recombinant versions of the Sac1p phosphoinositide-phosphatase indicated that PI(4)P was required on Golgi membranes for fusion with coat protein complex II (COPII) …


Physical Interaction Between Vivid And White Collar Complex Regulates Photoadaptation In Neurospora, Chen-Hui H. Chen, Bradley S. Demay, Amy S. Gladfelter, Jay Dunlap, Jennifer J. Loros Sep 2010

Physical Interaction Between Vivid And White Collar Complex Regulates Photoadaptation In Neurospora, Chen-Hui H. Chen, Bradley S. Demay, Amy S. Gladfelter, Jay Dunlap, Jennifer J. Loros

Dartmouth Scholarship

Photoadaptation, the ability to attenuate a light response on prolonged light exposure while remaining sensitive to escalating changes in light intensity, is essential for organisms to decipher time information appropriately, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In Neurospora crassa, VIVID (VVD), a small LOV domain containing blue-light photoreceptor protein, affects photoadaptation for most if not all light-responsive genes. We report that there is a physical interaction between VVD and the white collar complex (WCC), the primary blue-light photoreceptor and the transcription factor complex that initiates light-regulated transcriptional responses in Neurospora. Using two previously characterized VVD mutants, we show …


Genetic And Molecular Characterization Of A Cryptochrome From The Filamentous Fungus Neurospora Crassa, Allan C. Froehlich, Chen-Hui Chen, William J. Belden, Cornelia Madeti Mar 2010

Genetic And Molecular Characterization Of A Cryptochrome From The Filamentous Fungus Neurospora Crassa, Allan C. Froehlich, Chen-Hui Chen, William J. Belden, Cornelia Madeti

Dartmouth Scholarship

In plants and animals, cryptochromes function as either photoreceptors or circadian clock components. We have examined the cryptochrome from the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa and demonstrate that Neurospora cry encodes a DASH-type cryptochrome that appears capable of binding flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and methenyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF). The cry transcript and CRY protein levels are strongly induced by blue light in a wc-1-dependent manner, and cry transcript is circadianly regulated, with a peak abundance opposite in phase to frq. Neither deletion nor overexpression of cry appears to perturb the free-running circadian clock. However, cry disruption knockout mutants show a small phase delay …


Ceramide Kinase Regulates Phospholipase C And Phosphatidylinositol 4, 5, Bisphosphate In Phototransduction, Ujjaini Dasgupta, Takeshi Bamba, Salvatore Chiantia, Pusha Karim, Ahmad N. Abou Tayoun Nov 2009

Ceramide Kinase Regulates Phospholipase C And Phosphatidylinositol 4, 5, Bisphosphate In Phototransduction, Ujjaini Dasgupta, Takeshi Bamba, Salvatore Chiantia, Pusha Karim, Ahmad N. Abou Tayoun

Dartmouth Scholarship

Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) is a central effector for many biological responses regulated by G-protein-coupled receptors including Drosophila phototransduction where light sensitive channels are activated downstream of NORPA, a PLCbeta homolog. Here we show that the sphingolipid biosynthetic enzyme, ceramide kinase, is a novel regulator of PLC signaling and photoreceptor homeostasis. A mutation in ceramide kinase specifically leads to proteolysis of NORPA, consequent loss of PLC activity, and failure in light signal transduction. The mutant photoreceptors also undergo activity-dependent degeneration. Furthermore, we show that a significant increase in ceramide, resulting from lack of ceramide kinase, perturbs the membrane microenvironment of …


Quantifying And Resolving Multiple Vector Transformants In S. Cerevisiae Plasmid Libraries, Thomas C. Scanlon, Elizabeth C. Gray, Karl E. Griswold Nov 2009

Quantifying And Resolving Multiple Vector Transformants In S. Cerevisiae Plasmid Libraries, Thomas C. Scanlon, Elizabeth C. Gray, Karl E. Griswold

Dartmouth Scholarship

In addition to providing the molecular machinery for transcription and translation, recombinant microbial expression hosts maintain the critical genotype-phenotype link that is essential for high throughput screening and recovery of proteins encoded by plasmid libraries. It is known that Escherichia coli cells can be simultaneously transformed with multiple unique plasmids and thusly complicate recombinant library screening experiments. As a result of their potential to yield misleading results, bacterial multiple vector transformants have been thoroughly characterized in previous model studies. In contrast to bacterial systems, there is little quantitative information available regarding multiple vector transformants in yeast. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the …


Integral Membrane Proteins Brr6 And Apq12 Link Assembly Of The Nuclear Pore Complex To Lipid Homeostasis In The Endoplasmic Reticulum, Christine A. Hodge, Vineet Choudhary, Michael J. Wolyniak, John J. Scarcelli, Roger Schneiter, Charles N. Cole Oct 2009

Integral Membrane Proteins Brr6 And Apq12 Link Assembly Of The Nuclear Pore Complex To Lipid Homeostasis In The Endoplasmic Reticulum, Christine A. Hodge, Vineet Choudhary, Michael J. Wolyniak, John J. Scarcelli, Roger Schneiter, Charles N. Cole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking Apq12, a nuclear envelope (NE)-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) integral membrane protein, are defective in assembly of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), possibly because of defects in regulating membrane fluidity. We identified BRR6, which encodes an essential integral membrane protein of the NE-ER, as a dosage suppressor of apq12 Delta. Cells carrying the temperature-sensitive brr6-1 allele have been shown to have defects in nucleoporin localization, mRNA metabolism and nuclear transport. Electron microscopy revealed that brr6-1 cells have gross NE abnormalities and proliferation of the ER. brr6-1 cells were hypersensitive to compounds that affect membrane biophysical properties and to …


Microbial Nad Metabolism: Lessons From Comparative Genomics, Francesca Gazzaniga, Rebecca Stebbins, Sheila Z. Chang, Mark A. Mcpeek, Charles Brenner Sep 2009

Microbial Nad Metabolism: Lessons From Comparative Genomics, Francesca Gazzaniga, Rebecca Stebbins, Sheila Z. Chang, Mark A. Mcpeek, Charles Brenner

Dartmouth Scholarship

NAD is a coenzyme for redox reactions and a substrate of NAD-consuming enzymes, including ADP-ribose transferases, Sir2-related protein lysine deacetylases, and bacterial DNA ligases. Microorganisms that synthesize NAD from as few as one to as many as five of the six identified biosynthetic precursors have been identified. De novo NAD synthesis from aspartate or tryptophan is neither universal nor strictly aerobic. Salvage NAD synthesis from nicotinamide, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide riboside, and nicotinic acid riboside occurs via modules of different genes. Nicotinamide salvage genes nadV and pncA, found in distinct bacteria, appear to have spread throughout the tree of life …


Insulin Stimulates The Phosphorylation Of The Exocyst Protein Sec8 In Adipocytes, Patrick D. Lyons, Grantley R. Peck, Arminja N. Kettenbach, Scott A. Gerber, Liya Roudaia, Gustav E. Lienhard Aug 2009

Insulin Stimulates The Phosphorylation Of The Exocyst Protein Sec8 In Adipocytes, Patrick D. Lyons, Grantley R. Peck, Arminja N. Kettenbach, Scott A. Gerber, Liya Roudaia, Gustav E. Lienhard

Dartmouth Scholarship

The signal transduction pathway leading from the insulin receptor to stimulate the fusion of vesicles containing the glucose transporter GLUT4 with the plasma membrane in adipocytes and muscle cells is not completely understood. Current evidence suggests that in addition to the Rab GTPase-activating protein AS160, at least one other substrate of Akt (also called protein kinase B), which is as yet unidentified, is required. Sec8 is a component of the exocyst complex that has been previously implicated in GLUT4 trafficking. In the present study, we report that insulin stimulates the phosphorylation of Sec8 on Ser-32 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. On the …


The Yeast Integral Membrane Protein Apq12 Potentially Links Membrane Dynamics To Assembly Of Nuclear Pore Complexes, John J. Scarcelli, Christin A. Hodge, Charles N. Cole Aug 2007

The Yeast Integral Membrane Protein Apq12 Potentially Links Membrane Dynamics To Assembly Of Nuclear Pore Complexes, John J. Scarcelli, Christin A. Hodge, Charles N. Cole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Although the structure and function of components of the nuclear pore complex (NPC) have been the focus of many studies, relatively little is known about NPC biogenesis. In this study, we report that Apq12 is required for efficient NPC biogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Apq12 is an integral membrane protein of the nuclear envelope (NE) and endoplasmic reticulum. Cells lacking Apq12 are cold sensitive for growth, and a subset of their nucleoporins (Nups), those that are primarily components of the cytoplasmic fibrils of the NPC, mislocalize to the cytoplasm. APQ12 deletion also causes defects in NE morphology. In the absence of …


The Yeast Orthologue Of Grasp65 Forms A Complex With A Coiled-Coil Protein That Contributes To Er To Golgi Traffic, Rudy Behnia, Francis A. Barr, John J. Flanagan, Charles Barlowe, Sean Munro Jan 2007

The Yeast Orthologue Of Grasp65 Forms A Complex With A Coiled-Coil Protein That Contributes To Er To Golgi Traffic, Rudy Behnia, Francis A. Barr, John J. Flanagan, Charles Barlowe, Sean Munro

Dartmouth Scholarship

The mammalian Golgi protein GRASP65 is required in assays that reconstitute cisternal stacking and vesicle tethering. Attached to membranes by an N-terminal myristoyl group, it recruits the coiled-coil protein GM130. The relevance of this system to budding yeasts has been unclear, as they lack an obvious orthologue of GM130, and their only GRASP65 relative (Grh1) lacks a myristoylation site and has even been suggested to act in a mitotic checkpoint. In this study, we show that Grh1 has an N-terminal amphipathic helix that is N-terminally acetylated and mediates association with the cis-Golgi. We find that Grh1 forms a complex with …


The Allantois And Chorion, When Isolated Before Circulation Or Chorio-Allantoic Fusion, Have Hematopoietic Potential, Brandon M. Zeigler, Daisuke Sugiyama, Michael Chen, Yalin Guo, K. M. Downs, N. A. Speck Nov 2006

The Allantois And Chorion, When Isolated Before Circulation Or Chorio-Allantoic Fusion, Have Hematopoietic Potential, Brandon M. Zeigler, Daisuke Sugiyama, Michael Chen, Yalin Guo, K. M. Downs, N. A. Speck

Dartmouth Scholarship

The chorio-allantoic placenta forms through the fusion of the allantois (progenitor tissue of the umbilical cord), with the chorionic plate. The murine placenta contains high levels of hematopoietic stem cells, and is therefore a stem cell niche. However, it is not known whether the placenta is a site of hematopoietic cell emergence, or whether hematopoietic cells originate from other sites in the conceptus and then colonize the placenta. Here, we show that the allantois and chorion, isolated prior to the establishment of circulation, have the potential to give rise to myeloid and definitive erythroid cells following explant culture. We further …


Dictyostelium Myosin-Ie Is A Fast Molecular Motor Involved In Phagocytosis, Ulrike Durrwang, Setsuko Fujita-Becker, Muriel Erent, F. Jon Kull Oct 2006

Dictyostelium Myosin-Ie Is A Fast Molecular Motor Involved In Phagocytosis, Ulrike Durrwang, Setsuko Fujita-Becker, Muriel Erent, F. Jon Kull

Dartmouth Scholarship

Class I myosins are single-headed motor proteins, implicated in various motile processes including organelle translocation, ion-channel gating, and cytoskeleton reorganization. Here we describe the cellular localization of myosin-IE and its role in the phagocytic uptake of solid particles and cells. A complete analysis of the kinetic and motor properties of Dictyostelium discoideum myosin-IE was achieved by the use of motor domain constructs with artificial lever arms. Class I myosins belonging to subclass IC like myosin-IE are thought to be tuned for tension maintenance or stress sensing. In contrast to this prediction, our results show myosin-IE to be a fast motor. …


Erv26p Directs Pro-Alkaline Phosphatase Into Endoplasmic Reticulum–Derived Coat Protein Complex Ii Transport Vesicles, Catherine A. Bue, Christine M. Bentivoglio, Charles Barlowe Sep 2006

Erv26p Directs Pro-Alkaline Phosphatase Into Endoplasmic Reticulum–Derived Coat Protein Complex Ii Transport Vesicles, Catherine A. Bue, Christine M. Bentivoglio, Charles Barlowe

Dartmouth Scholarship

Secretory proteins are exported from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in transport vesicles formed by the coat protein complex II (COPII). We detected Erv26p as an integral membrane protein that was efficiently packaged into COPII vesicles and cycled between the ER and Golgi compartments. The erv26Δ mutant displayed a selective secretory defect in which the pro-form of vacuolar alkaline phosphatase (pro-ALP) accumulated in the ER, whereas other secretory proteins were transported at wild-type rates. In vitro budding experiments demonstrated that Erv26p was directly required for packaging of pro-ALP into COPII vesicles. Moreover, Erv26p was detected in a specific complex with pro-ALP …


Agswe1p Regulates Mitosis In Response To Morphogenesis And Nutrients In Multinucleated Ashbya Gossypii Cells, Hanspeter Helfer, Amy S. Gladfelter Aug 2006

Agswe1p Regulates Mitosis In Response To Morphogenesis And Nutrients In Multinucleated Ashbya Gossypii Cells, Hanspeter Helfer, Amy S. Gladfelter

Dartmouth Scholarship

Nuclei in the filamentous, multinucleated fungus Ashbya gossypii divide asynchronously. We have investigated what internal and external signals spatially direct mitosis within these hyphal cells. Mitoses are most common near cortical septin rings found at growing tips and branchpoints. In septin mutants, mitoses are no longer concentrated at branchpoints, suggesting that the septin rings function to locally promote mitosis near new branches. Similarly, cells lacking AgSwe1p kinase (a Wee1 homologue), AgHsl1p (a Nim1-related kinase), and AgMih1p phosphatase (the Cdc25 homologue that likely counteracts AgSwe1p activity) also have mitoses distributed randomly in the hyphae as opposed to at branchpoints. Surprisingly, however, …


Pv1 Is A Key Structural Component For The Formation Of The Stomatal And Fenestral Diaphragms, Radu V. Stan, Eugene Tkachenko, Ingrid R. Niesman May 2004

Pv1 Is A Key Structural Component For The Formation Of The Stomatal And Fenestral Diaphragms, Radu V. Stan, Eugene Tkachenko, Ingrid R. Niesman

Dartmouth Scholarship

PV1 is an endothelial-specific integral membrane glycoprotein associated with the stomatal diaphragms of caveolae, transendothelial channels, and vesiculo-vacuolar organelles and the diaphragms of endothelial fenestrae. Multiple PV1 homodimers are found within each stomatal and fenestral diaphragm. We investigated the function of PV1 within these diaphragms and their regulation and found that treatment of endothelial cells in culture with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) led to upregulation of PV1. This correlated with de novo formation of stomatal diaphragms of caveolae and transendothelial channels as well as fenestrae upon PMA treatment. The newly formed diaphragms could be labeled with anti-PV1 antibodies. The upregulation …


The C. Elegans Heterochronic Gene Lin-46 Affects Developmental Timing At Two Larval Stages And Encodes A Relative Of The Scaffolding Protein Gephyrin, A. S.-R. Pepper, Jill E. Mccane, Kevin Kemper, Dennis Au Yeung, Rosalind C. Lee, Victor Ambros, Eric G. Moss Apr 2004

The C. Elegans Heterochronic Gene Lin-46 Affects Developmental Timing At Two Larval Stages And Encodes A Relative Of The Scaffolding Protein Gephyrin, A. S.-R. Pepper, Jill E. Mccane, Kevin Kemper, Dennis Au Yeung, Rosalind C. Lee, Victor Ambros, Eric G. Moss

Dartmouth Scholarship

The succession of developmental events in the C. elegans larva is governed by the heterochronic genes. When mutated, these genes cause either precocious or retarded developmental phenotypes, in which stage-specific patterns of cell division and differentiation are either skipped or reiterated, respectively. We identified a new heterochronic gene, lin-46, from mutations that suppress the precocious phenotypes caused by mutations in the heterochronic genes lin-14 and lin-28. lin-46 mutants on their own display retarded phenotypes in which cell division patterns are reiterated and differentiation is prevented in certain cell lineages. Our analysis indicates that lin-46 acts at a step immediately downstream …


Rpb4p, A Subunit Of Rna Polymerase Ii, Mediates Mrna Export During Stress, Marganit Farago, Tal Nahari, Christopher Hammel, Charles N. Cole, Mordechai Choder Feb 2003

Rpb4p, A Subunit Of Rna Polymerase Ii, Mediates Mrna Export During Stress, Marganit Farago, Tal Nahari, Christopher Hammel, Charles N. Cole, Mordechai Choder

Dartmouth Scholarship

Changes in gene expression represent a major mechanism by which cells respond to stress. We and other investigators have previously shown that the yeast RNA polymerase II subunit Rpb4p is required for transcription under various stress conditions, but not under optimal growth conditions. Here we show that, in addition to its role in transcription, Rpb4p is also required for mRNA export, but only when cells are exposed to stress conditions. The roles of Rpb4p in transcription and in mRNA export can be uncoupled genetically by specific mutations in Rpb4p. Both functions of Rpb4p are required to maintain cell viability during …


Meiotic Cohesion Requires Accumulation Of Ord On Chromosomes Before Condensation, Eric M. Balicky, Matthew W. Endres, Cary Lai, Sharon E. Bickel Sep 2002

Meiotic Cohesion Requires Accumulation Of Ord On Chromosomes Before Condensation, Eric M. Balicky, Matthew W. Endres, Cary Lai, Sharon E. Bickel

Dartmouth Scholarship

Cohesion between sister chromatids is a prerequisite for accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. To allow chromosome condensation during prophase, the connections that hold sister chromatids together must be maintained but still permit extensive chromatin compaction. In Drosophila, null mutations in the orientation disruptor (ord) gene lead to meiotic nondisjunction in males and females because cohesion is absent by the time that sister kinetochores make stable microtubule attachments. We provide evidence that ORD is concentrated within the extrachromosomal domains of the nuclei ofDrosophila primary spermatocytes during early G2, but accumulates on the meiotic chromosomes by …


Erv14p Directs A Transmembrane Secretory Protein Into Copii-Coated Transport Vesicles, Jacqueline Powers, Charles Barlowe Feb 2002

Erv14p Directs A Transmembrane Secretory Protein Into Copii-Coated Transport Vesicles, Jacqueline Powers, Charles Barlowe

Dartmouth Scholarship

Erv14p is a conserved integral membrane protein that traffics in COPII-coated vesicles and localizes to the early secretory pathway in yeast. Deletion of ERV14 causes a defect in polarized growth because Axl2p, a transmembrane secretory protein, accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum and is not delivered to its site of function on the cell surface. Herein, we show that Erv14p is required for selection of Axl2p into COPII vesicles and for efficient formation of these vesicles. Erv14p binds to subunits of the COPII coat and binding depends on conserved residues in a cytoplasmically exposed loop domain of Erv14p. When mutations are …


Genomic Analysis Of Homotypic Vacuole Fusion, E Scott Seeley, Masashi Kato, Nathan Margolis, William Wickner, Gary Eitzen Feb 2002

Genomic Analysis Of Homotypic Vacuole Fusion, E Scott Seeley, Masashi Kato, Nathan Margolis, William Wickner, Gary Eitzen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Yeast vacuoles undergo fission and homotypic fusion, yielding one to three vacuoles per cell at steady state. Defects in vacuole fusion result in vacuole fragmentation. We have screened 4828 yeast strains, each with a deletion of a nonessential gene, for vacuole morphology defects. Fragmented vacuoles were found in strains deleted for genes encoding known fusion catalysts as well as 19 enzymes of lipid metabolism, 4 SNAREs, 12 GTPases and GTPase effectors, 9 additional known vacuole protein-sorting genes, 16 protein kinases, 2 phosphatases, 11 cytoskeletal proteins, and 28 genes of unknown function. Vacuole fusion and vacuole protein sorting are catalyzed by …


Nuclear Export Of 60s Ribosomal Subunits Depends On Xpo1p And Requires A Nuclear Export Sequence-Containing Factor, Nmd3p, That Associates With The Large Subunit Protein Rpl10p, Olivier Gadal, Daniela Strau, Jacques Kessl, Bernard Trumpower Feb 2001

Nuclear Export Of 60s Ribosomal Subunits Depends On Xpo1p And Requires A Nuclear Export Sequence-Containing Factor, Nmd3p, That Associates With The Large Subunit Protein Rpl10p, Olivier Gadal, Daniela Strau, Jacques Kessl, Bernard Trumpower

Dartmouth Scholarship

Nuclear export of ribosomes requires a subset of nucleoporins and the Ran system, but specific transport factors have not been identified. Using a large subunit reporter (Rpl25p-eGFP), we have isolated several temperature-sensitive ribosomal export (rix) mutants. One of these corresponds to the ribosomal protein Rpl10p, which interacts directly with Nmd3p, a conserved and essential protein associated with 60S subunits. We find that thermosensitive nmd3 mutants are impaired in large subunit export. Strikingly, Nmd3p shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm and is exported by the nuclear export receptor Xpo1p. Moreover, we show that export of 60S subunits is Xpo1p dependent. We …


A Novel Iron-Regulated Metal Transporter From Plants Identified By Functional Expression In Yeast., David Eide, Margaret Broderius, Jeanette Fett, Mary Lou Guerinot May 1996

A Novel Iron-Regulated Metal Transporter From Plants Identified By Functional Expression In Yeast., David Eide, Margaret Broderius, Jeanette Fett, Mary Lou Guerinot

Dartmouth Scholarship

Iron is an essential nutrient for virtually all organisms. The IRT1 (iron-regulated transporter) gene of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, encoding a probable Fe(II) transporter, was cloned by functional expression in a yeast strain defective for iron uptake. Yeast expressing IRT1 possess a novel Fe(II) uptake activity that is strongly inhibited by Cd. IRT1 is predicted to be an integral membrane protein with a metal-binding domain. Data base comparisons and Southern blot analysis indicated that IRT1 is a member of a gene family in Arabidopsis. Related sequences were also found in the genomes of rice, yeast, nematodes, and humans. In Arabidopsis, …


Circadian Clock Locus Frequency: Protein Encoded By A Single Open Reading Frame Defines Period Length And Temperature Compensation., Benjamin D. Aronson, Keith A. Johnson, Jay C. Dunlap Aug 1994

Circadian Clock Locus Frequency: Protein Encoded By A Single Open Reading Frame Defines Period Length And Temperature Compensation., Benjamin D. Aronson, Keith A. Johnson, Jay C. Dunlap

Dartmouth Scholarship

The frequency (frq) locus encodes a key component, a state variable, in a cellular oscillator generating circadian rhythmicity. Two transcripts have been mapped to this region, and data presented here are consistent with the existence of a third transcript. Analysis of cDNA clones and clock mutants from this region focuses attention on one transcript encoding a protein. FRQ, which is a central clock component: (i) mutations in all of the semidominant frq alleles are the result of single amino acid substitutions and map to the open reading frame (ORF) encoding FRQ; (ii) deletion of this ORF, or a frameshift mutation …


Differential Regulation Of Collagenase Gene Expression By Retinoic Acid Receptors--Alpha, Beta And Gamma, Luying Pan, Stephen H. Chamberlain, David T. Auble, Constance E. Brinckerhoff Jun 1992

Differential Regulation Of Collagenase Gene Expression By Retinoic Acid Receptors--Alpha, Beta And Gamma, Luying Pan, Stephen H. Chamberlain, David T. Auble, Constance E. Brinckerhoff

Dartmouth Scholarship

The mechanisms involved in retinoic acid (RA)-mediated regulation of the collagenase gene in a rabbit synovial fibroblast cell line (HIG82) were investigated. When HIG82 cells are cotransfected with expression vectors containing cDNAs for retinoic acid receptor (RAR) α1, β2, or γ1 and collagenase promoter-driven CAT reporter constructs, only RAR-γ1 represses basal CAT expression upon RA treatment, while RAR-α1, β2, and γ1 all suppress phorbol-induced CAT expression. Thus, transcriptional regulation of collagenase by RA is mediated by RARs in an RAR-type specific manner. Using mutatlonal and deletional analysis, we find that interaction between elements within 182 bp collagenase promoter plays an …