Genetic mapping of eleven spo genes essential for ascospore formation in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Kishida, Masao; Shimoda, Chikashi

doi:10.1007/bf00419871

Cited by 38 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The spo9 deletion mutant (spo9⌬) was viable but displayed temperature sensitivity and sporulation deficiency like the original spo9-B261 mutant (Figure 1, A and B). Because most of the meiosisdefective mutants isolated to date are unable to sporulate (Bresch et al, 1968;Kishida and Shimoda, 1986), one cannot rule out the possibility that the spo9⌬ mutant has a defect in meiosis. Therefore, we analyzed the meiotic nuclear divisions in spo9⌬.…”

Section: Spo9mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Assembly of forespore membranes provides a model system for studying the de novo biogenesis of membrane compartments within the cytoplasm (Yoo et al, 1973;Tanaka and Hirata, 1982;Shimoda, 1992, 1994). Many sporulation-deficient S. pombe mutants have been isolated (Bresch et al, 1968;Kishida and Shimoda, 1986). Thus far, we have analyzed spo3 ϩ , spo4 ϩ , spo6 ϩ , spo14 ϩ , spo15 ϩ , spo19 ϩ , and spo20 ϩ (Ikemoto et al, 2000;Nakamura et al, 2000Nakamura et al, , 2001Nakamura et al, , 2002Nakase et al, 2001;Nakamura-Kubo et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase in Fission Yeast Is a Heteromer of Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthase (FPS), Fps1, and an FPS-like Protein, Spo9, Essential for Sporulation

Fujii

Hirata

et al. 2007

MBoC

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Both farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS) and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPS) are key enzymes in the synthesis of various isoprenoid-containing compounds and proteins. Here, we describe two novel Schizosaccharomyces pombe genes, fps1؉ and spo9 ؉ , whose products are similar to FPS in primary structure, but whose functions differ from one another. Fps1 is essential for vegetative growth, whereas, a spo9 null mutant exhibits temperature-sensitive growth. Expression of fps1؉ , but not spo9 ؉ , suppresses the lethality of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae FPS-deficient mutant and also restores ubiquinone synthesis in an Escherichia coli ispA mutant, which lacks FPS activity, indicating that S. pombe Fps1 in fact functions as an FPS. In contrast to a typical FPS gene, no apparent GGPS homologues have been found in the S. pombe genome. Interestingly, although neither fps1 ؉ nor spo9 ؉ expression alone in E. coli confers clear GGPS activity, coexpression of both genes induces such activity. Moreover, the GGPS activity is significantly reduced in the spo9 mutant. In addition, the spo9 mutation perturbs the membrane association of a geranylgeranylated protein, but not that of a farnesylated protein. Yeast two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation analyses indicate that Fps1 and Spo9 physically interact. Thus, neither Fps1 nor Spo9 alone functions as a GGPS, but the two proteins together form a complex with GGPS activity. Because spo9 was originally identified as a sporulation-deficient mutant, we show here that expansion of the forespore membrane is severely inhibited in spo9⌬ cells. Electron microscopy revealed significant accumulation membrane vesicles in spo9⌬ cells. We suggest that lack of GGPS activity in a spo9 mutant results in impaired protein prenylation in certain proteins responsible for secretory function, thereby inhibiting forespore membrane formation.

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Section: Spo9mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase in Fission Yeast Is a Heteromer of Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthase (FPS), Fps1, and an FPS-like Protein, Spo9, Essential for Sporulation

Fujii

Hirata

et al. 2007

MBoC

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“…After sporulation, the cell containing the ascospores is referred to as the ascus, a defining structure of ascomycetous fungi. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an attractive model ascomycete to study sporulation, because its complete genome sequence is known and mutants affected in sporulation can be generated (Wood et al, 2002;Kishida and Shimoda, 1986). In Sz.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of the α‐glucanase Agn2p in ascus‐wall endolysis following sporulation in fission yeast

Dekker

Rijssel

Distel

et al. 2007

Yeast

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During sporulation in the ascomyceteous fungus Schizosaccharomyces pombe, diploid cells undergo differentiation into asci containing four haploid ascospores, which are highly resistant to environmental stresses. Although the morphogenetic processes involved in ascospore formation have been studied extensively, little is known about the molecular mechanism that ensures the release of mature ascospores from the ascus, allowing their dispersal into the environment. Recently, we identified Agn2p as the paralogue of the characterized endo-(1,3)-α-glucanase Agn1p, and observed that asci deleted for agn2 are defective in ascospore dispersal. Here, we focus on the cellular and biochemical functions of Agn2p. By placing agn2 under the control of an inducible promoter, we show that expression of agn2 is required for the efficient release of ascospores from their asci. Furthermore, we characterize the enzyme activity of purified recombinant Agn2p and show that Agn2p, like Agn1p, is an endo-(1,3)-α-glucanase that produces predominantly (1,3)-α-glucan pentasaccharides. Finally, we demonstrate that exogenous addition of purified Agn2p liberated the ascospores from asci deleted for agn2. We propose that Agn2p participates in the endolysis of the ascus wall by hydrolysing its (1,3)-α-glucan, thereby assisting in the release of ascospores.

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“…Many meiosis-and sporulation-deficient S. pombe mutants have been isolated and analyzed (5,41). The study of genomic or cDNA clones which complement the meiosis-defective mutation has identified several meiotic genes, such as the mei2 ϩ gene encoding a crucial inducer of meiosis and mei4 ϩ encoding a meiosis-specific transcription factor (29,66,67).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, rec8 ϩ codes for the meiosis-specific cohesin and plays an essential role in sister chromatid cohesion during meiosis I (56,68). The spo ϩ genes were originally defined as those that are not required for mitotic proliferation and meiotic division (5,41). The traits of many spo genes have recently been reexamined by cloning and disruption.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Fission Yeast Cdc7-Dbf4-Like Kinase Complex Required for the Initiation and Progression of Meiotic Second Division

Nakamura

Nakamura-Kubo

Nakamura

et al. 2002

Molecular and Cellular Biology

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Cdc7, a conserved serine/threonine protein kinase, controls initiation of DNA replication. A regulatory subunit, Dbf4, stimulates the kinase activity of Cdc7 and recruits it to the replication origins. Schizosaccharomyces pombe has a homologous kinase complex, composed of Hsk1 and Dfp1/Him1. Here, we report a novel protein kinase of S. pombe, Spo4, which shares common structural features with the Cdc7 kinases. In spite of the structural similarities, Spo4 is dispensable for mitotic growth and premeiotic DNA replication. Intriguingly, spo4 null mutants are defective in initiation and progression of the second meiotic division. Spindles for meiosis II are often fragmented. Spo4 kinase activity is markedly enhanced when the enzyme is associated with its regulatory subunit, Spo6, a Dbf4-like protein. Expression of Spo4 is specifically induced during meiosis. Spo4 is preferentially present in nuclei, but this nuclear localization does not require Spo6. These results suggest that Spo4 is a Cdc7 kinase whose primary role is in meiosis, not in DNA replication. This is the first report of an organism which has two Cdc7-related kinase complexes with different biological functions.The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe initiates a sporulation program when starved of nutrients, particularly nitrogen sources (14,16,71). Ascospore formation is a process of gametogenesis, because it is linked to meiotic nuclear divisions. Yeast meiosis shares a fundamental mechanism with the meiosis in higher eukaryotes. Two meiotic divisions are preceded by a round of premeiotic DNA replication. The first division is characterized by reductional chromosome segregation. Between the first and second meiotic divisions, no DNA replication occurs. The mechanism for skipping the S phase relates to the premature reactivation of maturation-promoting factors after meiosis I in Xenopus oocytes (20, 53), but it has not been established whether the same mechanism also exists in fission yeast. The second meiotic division is similar to mitotic division because the sister chromatids are separated, and thus it is called equational chromosome segregation (9,15,16,71).

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Genetic mapping of eleven spo genes essential for ascospore formation in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Cited by 38 publications

References 13 publications

Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase in Fission Yeast Is a Heteromer of Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthase (FPS), Fps1, and an FPS-like Protein, Spo9, Essential for Sporulation

Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase in Fission Yeast Is a Heteromer of Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthase (FPS), Fps1, and an FPS-like Protein, Spo9, Essential for Sporulation

Role of the α‐glucanase Agn2p in ascus‐wall endolysis following sporulation in fission yeast

Novel Fission Yeast Cdc7-Dbf4-Like Kinase Complex Required for the Initiation and Progression of Meiotic Second Division

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