scholarly journals Identification of the Genes Encoding the Cytosolic Translation Release Factors from Podospora anserina and Analysis of Their Role During the Life Cycle

Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 149 (4) ◽  
pp. 1763-1775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bénédicte Gagny ◽  
Philippe Silar

Abstract In an attempt to decipher their role in the life history and senescence process of the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina, we have cloned the su1 and su2 genes, previously identified as implicated in cytosolic translation fidelity. We show that these genes are the equivalents of the SUP35 and SUP45 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which encode the cytosolic translation termination factors eRF3 and eRF1, respectively. Mutations in these genes that suppress nonsense mutations may lead to drastic mycelium morphology changes and sexual impairment but have little effect on life span. Deletion of su1, coding for the P. anserina eRF3, is lethal. Diminution of its expression leads to a nonsense suppressor phenotype whereas its overexpression leads to an antisuppressor phenotype. P. anserina eRF3 presents an N-terminal region structurally related to the yeast eRF3 one. Deletion of the N-terminal region of P. anserina eRF3 does not cause any vegetative alteration; especially life span is not changed. However, it promotes a reproductive impairment. Contrary to what happens in S. cerevisiae, deletion of the N terminus of the protein promotes a nonsense suppressor phenotype. Genetic analysis suggests that this domain of eRF3 acts in P. anserina as a cis-activator of the C-terminal portion and is required for proper reproduction.

Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 159 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-535
Author(s):  
Mark A Jensen ◽  
Heather L True ◽  
Yury O Chernoff ◽  
Susan Lindquist

Abstract The prion-like behavior of Sup35p, the eRF3 homolog in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mediates the activity of the cytoplasmic nonsense suppressor known as [PSI+]. Sup35p is divided into three regions of distinct function. The N-terminal and middle (M) regions are required for the induction and propagation of [PSI+] but are not necessary for translation termination or cell viability. The C-terminal region encompasses the termination function. The existence of the N-terminal region in SUP35 homologs of other fungi has led some to suggest that this region has an adaptive function separate from translation termination. To examine this hypothesis, we sequenced portions of SUP35 in 21 strains of S. cerevisiae, including 13 clinical isolates. We analyzed nucleotide polymorphism within this species and compared it to sequence divergence from a sister species, S. paradoxus. The N domain of Sup35p is highly conserved in amino acid sequence and is highly biased in codon usage toward preferred codons. Amino acid changes are under weak purifying selection based on a quantitative analysis of polymorphism and divergence. We also conclude that the clinical strains of S. cerevisiae are not recently derived and that outcrossing between strains in S. cerevisiae may be relatively rare in nature.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 4093-4100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Odile Begel ◽  
Jocelyne Boulay ◽  
Beatrice Albert ◽  
Eric Dufour ◽  
Annie Sainsard-Chanet

ABSTRACT Podospora anserina is a filamentous fungus with a limited life span. It expresses a degenerative syndrome called senescence, which is always associated with the accumulation of circular molecules (senDNAs) containing specific regions of the mitochondrial chromosome. A mobile group II intron (α) has been thought to play a prominent role in this syndrome. Intron α is the first intron of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COX1). Mitochondrial mutants that escape the senescence process are missing this intron, as well as the first exon of theCOX1 gene. We describe here the first mutant of P. anserina that has the α sequence precisely deleted and whose cytochrome c oxidase activity is identical to that of wild-type cells. The integration site of the intron is slightly modified, and this change prevents efficient homing of intron α. We show here that this mutant displays a senescence syndrome similar to that of the wild type and that its life span is increased about twofold. The introduction of a related group II intron into the mitochondrial genome of the mutant does not restore the wild-type life span. These data clearly demonstrate that intron α is not the specific senescence factor but rather an accelerator or amplifier of the senescence process. They emphasize the role that intron α plays in the instability of the mitochondrial chromosome and the link between this instability and longevity. Our results strongly support the idea that in Podospora, “immortality” can be acquired not by the absence of intron α but rather by the lack of active cytochromec oxidase.


1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 806-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. U. L. Tan ◽  
R. E. MacKenzie

Chymotryptic cleavage of the trifunctional protein methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase – methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase – formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase from pig liver yields a fragment of two-thirds the original polypeptide that retains only synthetase activity. A smaller polypeptide corresponding to about one-third of the original polypeptide was shown earlier to retain dehydrogenase–cyclohydrolase activity. On immunodiffusion, the synthetase fragment cross-reacts and shows partial identity with antibodies raised against the uncleaved enzyme but shows nonidentity with the dehydrogenase–cyclohydrolase fragment, suggesting that the two fragments are derived from different regions of the polypeptide. Amino-terminal analysis of the peptides and uncleaved enzyme indicate that the dehydrogenase–cyclohydrolase activities are located at the amino-terminal region and the synthetase near the carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide.


1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (5) ◽  
pp. 1194-1199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juanito V. Parales ◽  
Rebecca E. Parales ◽  
Sol M. Resnick ◽  
David T. Gibson

ABSTRACT Biotransformations with recombinant Escherichia coliexpressing the genes encoding 2-nitrotoluene 2,3-dioxygenase (2NTDO) from Pseudomonas sp. strain JS42 demonstrated that 2NTDO catalyzes the dihydroxylation and/or monohydroxylation of a wide range of aromatic compounds. Extremely high nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence identity exists between the components from 2NTDO and the corresponding components from 2,4-dinitrotoluene dioxygenase (2,4-DNTDO) from Burkholderia sp. strain DNT (formerlyPseudomonas sp. strain DNT). However, comparisons of the substrates oxidized by these dioxygenases show that they differ in substrate specificity, regiospecificity, and the enantiomeric composition of their oxidation products. Hybrid dioxygenases were constructed with the genes encoding 2NTDO and 2,4-DNTDO. Biotransformation experiments with these hybrid dioxygenases showed that the C-terminal region of the large subunit of the oxygenase component (ISPα) was responsible for the enzyme specificity differences observed between 2NTDO and 2,4-DNTDO. The small subunit of the terminal oxygenase component (ISPβ) was shown to play no role in determining the specificities of these dioxygenases.


2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Dequard-Chablat ◽  
Cynthia Alland

ABSTRACT In the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina, two degenerative processes which result in growth arrest are associated with mitochondrial genome (mitochondrial DNA [mtDNA]) instability. Senescence is correlated with mtDNA rearrangements and amplification of specific regions (senDNAs). Premature death syndrome is characterized by the accumulation of specific mtDNA deletions. This accumulation is due to indirect effects of the AS1-4 mutation, which alters a cytosolic ribosomal protein gene. The mthmg1 gene has been identified as a double-copy suppressor of premature death. It greatly delays premature death and the accumulation of deletions when it is present in two copies in an AS1-4 context. The duplication of mthmg1 has no significant effect on the wild-type life span or on senDNA patterns. In an AS1 + context, deletion of the mthmg1 gene alters germination, growth, and fertility and reduces the life span. The Δmthmg1 senescent strains display a particular senDNA pattern. This deletion is lethal in an AS1-4 context. According to its physical properties (very basic protein with putative mitochondrial targeting sequence and HMG-type DNA-binding domains) and the cellular localization of an mtHMG1-green fluorescent protein fusion, mtHMG1 appears to be a mitochondrial protein possibly associated with mtDNA. It is noteworthy that it is the first example of a protein combining the two DNA-binding domains, AT-hook motif and HMG-1 boxes. It may be involved in the stability and/or transmission of the mitochondrial genome. To date, no structural homologues have been found in other organisms. However, mtHMG1 displays functional similarities with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial HMG-box protein Abf2.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Borgatti ◽  
Emiliano Altamura ◽  
Francesca Salvatori ◽  
Elisabetta D’Aversa ◽  
Nicola Altamura

Several types of thalassemia (including β039-thalassemia) are caused by nonsense mutations in genes controlling globin production, leading to premature translation termination and mRNA destabilization mediated by the nonsense mediated mRNA decay. Drugs (for instance, aminoglycosides) can be designed to suppress premature translation termination by inducing readthrough (or nonsense suppression) at the premature termination codon. These findings have introduced new hopes for the development of a pharmacologic approach to cure this genetic disease. In the present review, we first summarize the principle and current status of the chemical relief for the expression of functional proteins from genes otherwise unfruitful for the presence of nonsense mutations. Second, we compare data available on readthrough molecules for β0-thalassemia. The examples reported in the review strongly suggest that ribosomal readthrough should be considered as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of β0-thalassemia caused by nonsense mutations. Concluding, the discovery of molecules, exhibiting the property of inducing β-globin, such as readthrough compounds, is of great interest and represents a hope for several patients, whose survival will depend on the possible use of drugs rendering blood transfusion and chelation therapy unnecessary.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 175-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lulu Huang ◽  
Mariam Aghajan ◽  
Tianna Quesenberry ◽  
Audrey Low ◽  
Susan F. Murray ◽  
...  

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 9453-9458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan-Tsang Ting ◽  
Carolyn A. Wilson ◽  
Karen B. Farrell ◽  
G. Jilani Chaudry ◽  
Maribeth V. Eiden

ABSTRACT We have sequenced the envelope genes from each of the five members of the gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) family of type C retroviruses. Four of the GALVs, including GALV strain SEATO (GALV-S), were originally isolated from gibbon apes, whereas the fifth member of this family, simian sarcoma-associated virus (SSAV), was isolated from a woolly monkey and shares 78% amino acid identity with GALV-S. To determine whether these viruses have identical host ranges, we evaluated the susceptibility of several cell lines to either GALV-S or SSAV infection. GALV-S and SSAV have the same host range with the exception of Chinese hamster lung E36 cells, which are susceptible to GALV-S but not SSAV. We used retroviral vectors that differ only in their envelope composition (e.g., they contain either SSAV or GALV-S envelope protein) to show that the envelope of SSAV restricts entry into E36 cells. Although unable to infect E36 cells, SSAV infects GALV-resistant murine cells expressing the E36-derived viral receptor, HaPit2. These results suggest that the receptors present on E36 cells function for SSAV. We have constructed several vectors containing GALV-S/SSAV chimeric envelope proteins to map the region of the SSAV envelope that blocks infection of E36 cells. Vectors bearing chimeric envelopes comprised of the N-terminal region of the GALV-S SU protein and the C-terminal region of SSAV infect E36 cells, whereas vectors containing the N-terminal portion of the SSAV SU protein and C-terminal portion of GALV-S fail to infect E36 cells. This finding indicates that the region of the SSAV envelope protein responsible for restricting SSAV infection of E36 cells lies within its amino-terminal region.


2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 2323-2331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabienne Malagnac ◽  
Benjamin Klapholz ◽  
Philippe Silar

ABSTRACT In various organisms, thioredoxins are known to be involved in the reduction of protein disulfide bonds and in protecting the cell from oxidative stress. Genes encoding thioredoxins were found by searching the complete genome sequence of the filamentous ascomycete Podospora anserina. Among them, PaTrx1, PaTrx2, and PaTrx3 are predicted to be canonical cytosolic proteins without additional domains. Targeted disruption of PaTrx1, PaTrx2, and PaTrx3 shows that PaTrx1 is the major thioredoxin involved in sulfur metabolism. Deletions have no effect on peroxide resistance; however, data show that either PaTrx1 or PaTrx3 is necessary for sexual reproduction and for the development of the crippled growth cell degeneration (CG), processes that also required the PaMpk1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Since PaTrx1 PaTrx3 mutants show not an enhancement but rather an impairment in CG, it seems unlikely that PaTrx1 and PaTrx3 thioredoxins participate in the inhibition of this MAPK pathway. Altogether, these results underscore a role for thioredoxins in fungal development.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document