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Molecular and Cellular Biology, December 2005, p. 10419-10432, Vol. 25, No. 23
0270-7306/05/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/MCB.25.23.10419-10432.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Piyanun Harnpicharnchai,
Lan Tang, and
John L. Woolford Jr*
Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Received 2 March 2005/ Returned for modification 29 March 2005/ Accepted 20 September 2005
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FIG. 1. Pre-rRNA
processing and pre-rRNP maturation pathway in Saccharomyces
cerevisiae. (A) The 35S pre-rRNA contains sequences for
mature 18S, 5.8S, and 25S rRNAs (represented as thick horizontal lines)
along with additional internal and external spacer sequences
(represented as thin horizontal lines). The 35S pre-rRNA is transcribed
by RNA polymerase I and rapidly modified and processed to produce 33S
pre-rRNA. Cleavage of 33S pre-rRNA at site A0 generates 32S
pre-rRNA. The 20S and 27SA2 pre-rRNA processing
intermediates are generated through internal cleavage of 32S pre-rRNA
at the A2 site. Subsequent processing and cleavage of 20S
and 27SA2 pre-rRNAs result in the production of the mature
18S, 25S, and 5.8 rRNAs, respectively. 5S rRNA is transcribed
separately by RNA polymerase III. (B) Pre-rRNA processing
occurs in preribosomal particles. The 35S primary transcript is found
within the 90S pre-rRNP (dark gray circle). Cleavage at site
A2 initiates subunit-specific maturation, generating the 43S
and 66S pre-rRNPs (light gray circles). The 43S preribosome is exported
to the cytoplasm, where final steps in 20S maturation take place.
Multiple 66S preribosomes exist that contain each of the 27S or 25.5S
plus 7S pre-rRNA processing intermediates. The mature 40S subunit
contains 18S rRNA, whereas the 60S subunit contains 25S, 5.8S, and 5S
rRNA (white
circles).
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Among the assembly factors found in yeast preribosomes are 17 proteins containing WD40 motifs (14). These motifs function as protein-protein interaction domains (53). Therefore, such WD40-containing proteins may nucleate assembly of preribosomes by interacting sequentially or simultaneously with other assembly factors or ribosomal proteins. Previously, we identified the WD40 protein Ytm1 as a constituent of purified 66S pre-rRNPs and showed that depletion of Ytm1 results in a deficiency of 60S ribosomal subunits (21).
In this study, we have further investigated the role of Ytm1 in ribosome biogenesis. Ytm1 is a constituent of multiple consecutive 66S preribosomes containing 27SA2, 27SA3, 27SB, 25.5S, and 7S pre-rRNAs plus a collection of ribosomal and nonribosomal proteins. Ytm1 is present in a heterotrimer with two other assembly factors, Nop7 and Erb1, both within 66S pre-rRNPs and as a subcomplex independent of preribosomes. Mutations in Ytm1 disrupt interactions between Ytm1 and Erb1, destabilize the heterotrimer, and significantly reduce association of these three proteins with 66S preribosomes. These 66S pre-rRNPs otherwise remain intact in the ytm1-1 mutant, but processing of 27SA3 pre-rRNAs is delayed and release of 66S preribosomes from the nucleolus is partially blocked. Thus, Ytm1 is necessary to nucleate the assembly of a heterotrimer that is important for intermediate-to-late steps in maturation of 66S preribosomes.
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TABLE 1. Strains
used in this study
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Sucrose gradient analysis. Ribosomes, preribosomes, and polyribosomes in yeast strains JWY3400 (YTM1), JWY7124 (YTM1-TAP), and JWY7128 (ytm1-1) were analyzed as described previously (26). JWY7128 was grown at 25°C and harvested or else shifted from 25 to 37°C for 3 h and harvested. Ytm1-HA3 or Ytm1-TAP were identified in gradient fractions by Western blotting using mouse monoclonal antibody 12CA5 or rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulin G (Pierce), respectively.
Analysis of rRNA. Steady-state levels of rRNAs were analyzed by Northern blotting (26) or primer extension assays (58). To carry out primer extension, radiolabeled oligonucleotide primers complementary to 35S, 27S, or 25.5S pre-rRNA were first annealed for 90 min at 46°C to total RNA or affinity-purified RNA. Primer extension reaction mixtures containing the annealed oligonucleotide primer/RNA hybrid, 10 mM deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) (Amersham Biosciences), 12.5 U avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase (Promega), and 20 U RNasin (Promega) were incubated for 40 min at 46°C. To hydrolyze the RNA, 6 µl of 1 M NaOH and 1 µl of 0.5 M EDTA were added to each primer extension reaction mixture for 30 min to 1 h at 55°C. Next, 6 µl of 1 M HCl was added to each reaction mixture and DNA was precipitated with 4 µg glycogen, 30 µl 7.5 M NH4OAc, and 250 µl of 100% ethanol. DNA was suspended in DNA dye (95% formamide, 0.05% xylene cyanol, 0.05% bromophenol blue in 20 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) and subjected to electrophoresis on a 6% polyacrylamide-urea sequencing gel. Gels were dried and directly exposed to film for autoradiography. Oligonucleotide sequences are available upon request. Pulse-chase assays of pre-rRNA processing were carried out as previously described (26).
Ribosome export assays. Release of preribosomes from nucleoli and export from the nucleoplasm to the cytoplasm were assayed as previously described (28), except that strains were grown overnight in C-Trp medium, washed and suspended in YEPD medium, and grown at 25°C or shifted to 37°C for 5 h.
Affinity purification and mass spectrometry. Cell extracts were prepared, tandem affinity purification was carried out, and identification of copurifying proteins and RNAs was performed as previously described (26, 47).
Ribosome assembly subcomplexes were separated from 66S preribosomes and 60S ribosomal subunits by centrifugation on 7% to 47% sucrose gradients (26) or by differential centrifugation as performed previously (32) with the following modifications: whole-cell extracts were centrifuged for 2 h at 180,000 x g at 4°C, followed by a second centrifugation of supernatants for 30 to 45 min at 180,000 x g at 4°C. Subcomplexes were affinity purified from gradient fractions or from the 180,000 x g supernatant using TAP-tagged Nop7.
Assembly subcomplexes were isolated directly from whole-cell extracts by adding to the lysis buffer and calmodulin binding buffer a phosphatase inhibitor cocktail (20 mM pyrophosphate, 10 mM sodium azide, 20 mM sodium fluoride, 1 mM sodium orthovanadate, and 100 mM ß-glycerophosphate) that disrupts pre-rRNPs.
Generation of anti-Ytm1 antibodies and Western immunoblotting. Rabbit antibodies generated against the synthetic peptide ITREDKSVQKGVNDK (Alpha Diagnostics, Inc.) were used to detect Ytm1. Antibodies were concentrated by ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialyzed, and affinity purified using full-length filter-bound Ytm1 protein previously subjected to electrophoresis through a 10% polyacrylamide gel and electroblotted to nitrocellulose (Optitran; Schleicher and Schuell). Immunoblotting was carried out using standard protocols (26).
GST pull-down assays. GST fusion proteins were harvested from yeast by glass bead lysis of frozen cell pellets suspended in 1.6 ml sorbitol buffer (300 mM sorbitol, 5 mM MgCl2, 100 mM NaCl, 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 1 µg/ml aprotinin, 1 µg/ml pepstatin, 1 µg/ml leupeptin). One milliliter of protein extract was incubated with 50 µl glutathione-agarose beads overnight at 4°C. Beads were washed three times with 1 ml high-salt wash buffer (300 mM sorbitol, 5 mM MgCl2, 1 M NaCl, 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5), three times with 1 ml HKT buffer (10 mM HEPES, 100 mM KCl, 0.5% Triton X, 1% IGEPAL, 5% bovine serum albumin) and once with 1 ml sorbitol buffer lacking proteinase inhibitors. 35S-labeled Nop7, Erb1, and Ytm1 were synthesized in vitro using the TNT T7 Quick for PCR DNA kit (Promega Corporation) and oligonucleotides T7_NOP7_UP and NOP7_TRUC_2HY_GAP_DN, T7_ERB1_UP and ERB1_DN, or T7_YTM1_UP and YTM1-2HYB-GAP_REPR-DN. Labeled proteins (5 µl or 10% of the labeling reaction) were incubated with the glutathione bead-bound GST fusion proteins for 2 h at 4°C. GST beads were washed once with 0.5 ml of HKT buffer containing 1 M NaCl and three times with 1 ml HKT buffer. Protein complexes were eluted from GST beads by boiling in 35 µl of 2x sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) sample buffer and subjected to electrophoresis on 10% polyacrylamide gels. Gels were fixed in a 50% methanol-15% acetic acid solution for 15 min, washed with water, treated with 1 M sodium salicylate for 1 h, dried, and subjected to autoradiography.
Yeast two-hybrid assays.
The
YTM1 and ERB1 open reading frames were amplified from
the genome using primer pairs YTM1-2HYB-GAP_REPR-UP and
YTM1-2HYB-GAP_REPR-DN or ERB1-2HYB-GAP_REPR-UP and
ERB1-2HYB-GAP_REPR-DN, respectively. PCR products were cloned
into the DNA binding domain vector pOBD-2 by gap repair and transformed
into the two-hybrid host strain PJ69-4
(JWY6300). Yeast cells
containing NOP7, ERB1, and YTM1 cloned into
the DNA activation domain vector (pOAD) were obtained as a pool in the
two-hybrid host strain PJ69-4a (JWY4340) from the Yeast Resource Center
(University of Washington). The yeast two-hybrid assay was performed as
previously described (5).
Diploids containing activation domain and binding domain plasmids were
screened on media lacking adenine or containing 2 to 50 mM
3-aminotriazole to assay the ADE3 and HIS3 reporter
genes,
respectively.
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FIG. 2. Ytm1
is a WD40 repeat-containing protein. (A) Predicted amino acid
sequence of S. cerevisiae Ytm1. WD40 repeats are overlined.
Amino acid residues altered in the ytm1-1 mutant are
indicated by asterisks. (B) Ras Mol 2.6 was used to generate
the top and side view of a model for amino acids 103 to 450 of Ytm1,
based on the crystal structure of the WD repeat protein
Gß.
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The ytm1-1 mutant was unable to grow at 37°C and grew slower than the wild-type control strain at all temperatures below 37°C (data not shown). The G398D and S442N mutations might inactivate Ytm1 at 37°C, perhaps by distorting the structure of Ytm1 or by disrupting interactions with ligands of Ytm1. The ytm1-1 mutant protein is relatively stable: amounts of Ytm1-1 protein did not change drastically when compared to those of wild-type Ytm1 in strains grown at 25°C or shifted from 25°C to 37°C for 5 h (data not shown).
The ytm1-1 mutant is deficient in 60S ribosomal subunits. To determine the effect of inactivation of Ytm1 on ribosome biogenesis, we assayed levels of ribosomal subunits, monoribosomes, and polyribosomes in ytm1-1 cells grown at 25°C or shifted from 25°C to 37°C for 3 h. Upon shifting the ytm1-1 mutant cells to 37°C, amounts of 60S ribosomal subunits and 80S monosomes were greatly reduced and half-mer polyribosomes were apparent. At 25°C, ytm1-1 mutant cells contained fewer free 60S subunits and 80S monoribosomes and accumulated half-mer polyribosomes, compared to wild-type YTM1 cells (Fig. 3). This suggests that the function of Ytm1-1 is compromised even at the permissive temperature and is consistent with the slow-growth phenotype at 25°C. These findings are consistent with previous results obtained when Ytm1 is metabolically depleted (21).
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FIG. 3. The
ytm1-1 mutant is deficient in 60S ribosomal subunits.
Free 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits, monoribosomes, and polyribosomes
were assayed in yeast strains JWY3400 (YTM1) (left) or JWY7128
(ytm1-1) (center) grown at 25°C
or JWY7128 grown at 25°C and shifted to 37°C for
3 h (right). Whole-cell extracts prepared from each strain
were fractionated on 7 to 47% sucrose gradients.
A260 peaks representing 40S and 60S ribosomal
subunits and 80S monosomes are labeled. Half-mer polyribosomes are
indicated by vertical
arrows.
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FIG. 4. Processing of pre-rRNAs is altered in the ytm1-1 mutant. (A) Oligonucleotide probes or primers used to detect rRNAs and pre-rRNAs. (B) Yeast strains JWY3400 (YTM1) and JWY7128 (ytm1-1) were grown in YEPD medium at 25°C and shifted to 37°C for 5 h. Cells were pulse-labeled with [5,6 3H]uracil for 5 min and chased with an excess of unlabeled uracil for 2, 5, 10, and 60 min. Equal cpm of RNA isolated from cells at each time point were subjected to electrophoresis on agarose-formaldehyde gels to separate each pre-rRNA or rRNA and detected by autoradiography. (C) Primer extension was performed to determine steady-state levels of 27SA2, 27SA3, 27SBL plus 7SL, and 27SBS plus 7SS pre-rRNAs. RNA was extracted from whole-cell extracts from strains JWY3400 (YTM1) and JWY7128 (ytm1-1) grown in YEPD medium at 25°C or shifted from 25°C to 37°C for 3 h or 6 h or from strain JWY6149 (YTM1) or JWY6992 (GAL-YTM1) grown in galactose-containing medium and shifted to glucose-containing medium for 0, 10, 12, 15, or 18 h. (D) Northern blotting was used to determine steady-state levels of 25S, 18S, 5.8S, and 5S rRNA and 7S pre-rRNA. High-molecular-weight RNAs were subjected to electrophoresis on agarose-formaldehyde gels, whereas acrylamide-urea gels were used to
separate low-molecular-weight RNAs. U3 snoRNA was used as a loading control. RNA was quantified by phosphorimaging and normalized to U3
snoRNA.
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Phosphorimage analysis of Northern blots also indicated that 7S pre-rRNA and 5S rRNA decrease slightly upon shifting GAL-YTM1 and ytm1-1 cells to nonpermissive conditions (Fig. 4D). Despite the observed effects on processing of early and intermediate pre-rRNAs present in 66S pre-rRNPs, amounts of 25S and 5.8S rRNA were largely unaffected. Because preexisting 25S and 5.8S rRNAs are present in vast quantities, changes in steady-state amounts of 25S and 5.8S rRNAs may be masked and therefore difficult to observe by standard assays.
Taken together, these results indicate that in ytm1 mutants pre-rRNA processing delays begin early, at the step when 27SA2 pre-rRNA is converted to 27SA3 pre-rRNA. Subsequent steps in pre-rRNA processing are similarly slowed down, but no step in pre-rRNA processing is completely blocked. Mutation of Ytm1 through depletion or inactivation results in nearly identical phenotypes, suggesting that Ytm1-1 protein is largely inactive.
Ytm1 is necessary for release of 66S preribosomes from the nucleolus. To further investigate the timing and role of Ytm1 in ribosome biogenesis, we assayed the ability of 60S preribosomes to exit the nucleolus and nucleus in the ytm1-1 mutant, using the ribosome export assay (28), in which eGFP-tagged rpL25 functions as a reporter. In ytm1-1 cells grown at the permissive temperature, 66S preribosomes were released to the cytoplasm (Fig. 5C). In wild-type cells grown at 25°C or shifted from 25°C to 37°C, rpL25eGFP signal was cytoplasmic (data not shown). When the ytm1-1 mutant strain was grown at 25°C and shifted to 37°C for 5 h, rpL25eGFP was strongly retained in the nucleolus in most cells (Fig. 5D, arrows), although in some cells signal was distributed throughout the nucleoplasm. Thus, Ytm1 is important for nucleolar release of 66S preribosomes and perhaps for subsequent nuclear export.
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FIG. 5. Inactivation
of Ytm1 in the ytm1-1 mutant causes 66S preribosomes
to accumulate in the nucleolus. The ytm1-1 mutant
strain JWY6790 expressing eGFP-tagged rpL25 was grown in C-Trp medium
at 25°C, washed and suspended in YEPD, and grown at
25°C (A and C) or shifted to 37°C for 5 h (B
and D). Nuclei stained with
4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) are shown in
panels A and B (typically, nucleoli do not stain with DAPI). The signal
from RpL25eGFP is shown in panels C and D. Arrows indicate nucleolar
accumulation of rpL25eGFP (D) and corresponding DAPI staining
(B).
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FIG. 6. Ytm1-HA3
cosediments on sucrose gradients with 66S preribosomes. Whole-cell
extracts were prepared from yeast strain JWY6770 (YTM1-HA3)
and fractionated on 7 to 47% sucrose velocity gradients. Fractions
containing 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits and 80S monosomes are
labeled. Proteins were trichloroacetic acid precipitated from gradient
fractions and subjected to Western immunoblot analysis to detect
Ytm1-HA3.
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To determine in which preribosomes Ytm1 is present, we assayed which pre-rRNAs copurify with TAP-tagged Ytm1. The amounts of 27SA2, 27SA3, 27SB, 25.5S, and 7S pre-rRNAs recovered relative to each other were similar to those found in whole cells. Smaller relative amounts of 5.8S rRNA and no 35S or 20S pre-rRNA or 18S rRNA copurified with Ytm1-TAP (Fig. 7). Enrichment of Ytm1 with these RNA molecules is consistent with our finding that Ytm1 is important for assembly of 60S ribosomal subunits and for processing of 27S pre-rRNA (Fig. 3 and 4).
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FIG. 7. Ytm1
associates with pre-rRNAs in 66S preribosomes. (A) Whole-cell
extracts were prepared from the YTM1-TAP strain JWY7124 and
from untagged strain JWY3400 grown at 30°C in YEPD medium to 6
x 107 cells/ml. RNA was extracted from whole cells
and from tandem affinity-purified samples, subjected to electrophoresis
on agarose-formaldehyde or acrylamide-urea gels, blotted to
nitrocellulose, and assayed by Northern blotting with specific
oligonucleotide probes complementary to pre-rRNAs and mature rRNAs.
Five percent of total RNA and 100% of tandem affinity-purified RNA were
assayed. (B) Primer extension analysis was used to assay 35S,
27SA2, 27SA3, and 25.5S pre-rRNAs, as well as the
BS and BL 5' ends of 27S and 7S
pre-rRNAs, using 32P-labeled oligonucleotides. Products of
primer extension were resolved on sequencing gels, dried, and exposed
to X-ray film for detection by autoradiography. (C) 35S
pre-rRNA copurifies with TAP-tagged Erb1 and Nop7 but not Ytm1. RNA in
whole-cell extracts and copurifying RNAs were assayed by primer
extension as described
above.
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FIG. 8. Nonribosomal
proteins necessary for biogenesis of 60S ribosomal subunits, as well as
ribosomal proteins, copurify with TAP-tagged Ytm1. Whole-cell extract
was prepared from the YTM1-TAP strain JWY7124 grown at
30°C in YEPD medium to 6 x 107 cells/ml and
subjected to tandem affinity purification. Proteins were
trichloroacetic acid precipitated from column eluates and subjected to
electrophoresis on 4 to 20% polyacrylamide gels. Proteins were stained
with colloidal Coomassie blue, manually excised from the gel, digested
with trypsin, and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption
ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (Table
2).
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TABLE 2. Nonribosomal
proteins that copurify with Ytm1-TAP
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FIG. 11. 66S
preribosomes are largely intact but lack Ytm1 in the
ytm1-1 mutant. Wild-type YTM1 cells and
mutant ytm1-1 cells expressing Nop7-TAP or Brx1-TAP
were grown in YEPD medium at 25°C and shifted to 37°C
for 5 h. (A) Silver staining or (B)
Western immunoblot analysis was performed on proteins trichloroacetic
acid precipitated from samples affinity purified from extracts from
these
strains.
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FIG. 9. Ytm1,
Erb1, and Nop7 form a heterotrimeric subcomplex both within 66S
preribosomes and independently of these particles. (A) Ytm1,
Erb1, and Nop7 are enriched (relative to other proteins found in 66S
pre-rRNPs) among proteins copurifying with Ytm1-TAP or Nop7-TAP from
rrp1-1 or nop4-3 mutants in which
66S preribosomes are unstable. Heterotrimer was purified (B)
from sucrose gradient fractions, (C) by differential
centrifugation, or (D) from whole-cell extracts treated with
a cocktail of phosphatase inhibitors that disrupt 66S pre-rRNPs.
Wild-type cells or mutant cells were grown at 25°C and shifted
to 37°C for 5 h. Tandem affinity purification using
Nop7-TAP or Ytm1-TAP was carried out from (A) whole-cell
extracts from a 50-ml culture, (B) gradient fractions 5 to 7
(prepared from a 900-ml culture), (C) whole-cell extracts
from 50 ml of cells (lanes 1 and 3) or 180,000 x g
spin supernatants prepared from 500 ml of cells (lanes 2 and 4), or
(D) untreated () or phosphatase inhibitor
cocktail-treated extracts (+). Purified proteins were resolved
by SDS-PAGE. Note that the heterotrimer is destabilized in the
ytm1-1 mutant (B, lane 2; C, lane 4; D, lane 4).
(E) Ytm1, Erb1, and Nop7 form a stable subcomplex within 66S
preribosomes. Whole-cell extracts from YTM1 cells were
subjected to centrifugation on 7 to 47% gradients. Fractions containing
66S preribosomes were pooled and subjected to tandem affinity
purification in the presence (+) or absence () of
phosphatase inhibitors, and proteins were resolved by SDS-PAGE. Bands
indicated by asterisks in B and E are common contaminants that we
observe upon TAP from any fractions of sucrose gradients (top, middle,
or bottom) using any TAP-tagged
protein.
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Ytm1 and Nop7 directly interact with Erb1. To assay pairwise interactions between components of the heterotrimer and to determine whether the interactions are direct, we carried out GST pull-down assays. Ytm1 bound specifically to GST-Erb1, and Erb1 bound to GST-Ytm1, while Nop7 displayed strong binding to GST-Erb1 but not to GST-Ytm1 (Fig. 10A) (data not shown). Consistent with these observations, Pes1 and Bop1, the mammalian homologues of Nop7 and Erb1, bind to each other in vitro and interact in two-hybrid assays in vivo (34). The interactions between Erb1 and Ytm1 were corroborated by two-hybrid assays in vivo. Cells expressing AD-YTM1 and BD-ERB1 or AD-ERB1 and BD-YTM1 displayed strong expression of the GAL-HIS3 reporter gene (growth on 50 mM 3-aminotriazide) (data not shown). Thus, Ytm1 and Nop7 each bind directly to Erb1 but not to one another (Fig. 10C). Erb1, like Ytm1, contains WD40 repeats. Nop7 also contains a known protein-protein interaction motif, the BRCT domain (1). Further analysis is necessary to test whether these or other domains dictate the strong interactions among these three proteins.
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FIG. 10. Ytm1
and Nop7 directly interact with Erb1. (A) Synthetic
radiolabeled proteins (*) were incubated with GST fusion
proteins (lanes 2, 5, and 8). As negative controls, synthetic peptides
were incubated with GST beads only (lanes 1, 4, and 7) or GST fusion
proteins were incubated with the unrelated, radiolabeled 40S ribosome
assembly factor Krr1 or ribosomal protein L11 (lanes 3, 6, and 9).
(B) Radiolabeled wild-type Ytm1 protein was preincubated at
37°C for 15 min (lane 2). Mutant Ytm1-1 protein was
preincubated at 37°C for 15 min (lane 3), 30 min (lane 4), or
60 min (lane 5). Following preincubation, wild-type Ytm1 or mutant
Ytm1-1 radiolabeled protein was incubated with GST-Erb1. Mutant Ytm1-1
protein was incubated with GST beads only (lane 1) as a negative
control. Complexes were eluted from glutathione beads, subjected to
electrophoresis on 10% polyacrylamide gels, and detected by
autoradiography. (C) Model for interactions between Ytm1,
Erb1, and Nop7. Gray lines indicate interactions detected using GST
pulldown assays, whereas the black line indicates interactions detected
by two-hybrid
assays.
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The Ytm1/Nop7/Erb1 heterotrimer is destabilized in the ytm1-1 mutant. The effects of the ytm1-1 mutations on 66S pre-rRNPs and pre-rRNA processing could result from alterations of the heterotrimer containing Ytm1. Therefore, we purified the heterotrimer from the ytm1-1 mutant and examined its integrity, using three assays: sucrose gradient centrifugation, differential centrifugation, and treatment of whole-cell extracts with phosphatase inhibitors. In each case, only small amounts, if any, of Erb1 copurified with Nop7 and no Ytm1 could be detected (Fig. 9B, lane 2; C, lane 4; and D, lane 4). GST-pulldown assays confirmed that Ytm1-1 does not bind to Erb1 in vitro at 37°C (Fig. 10B). These results suggest that at the nonpermissive temperature, Ytm1-1 fails to interact with Erb1 and the Nop7-Erb1 association is significantly weakened, leading to destabilization of the heterotrimer and perturbations of preribosome maturation.
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Here we have shown that Ytm1 is a constituent of four consecutive 66S preribosomes and is necessary for steps in their maturation to 60S ribosomal subunits. Ytm1 associates with ribosome assembly factors Erb1 and Nop7 to form a stable subcomplex that is present within 66S preribosomes and that also exists separately from pre-rRNPs. Erb1 and Nop7 assemble into preribosomes prior to Ytm1. Mutations in WD40 motifs 6 and 7 of Ytm1 destabilize the heterotrimer and weaken association of each of the three proteins with 66S pre-rRNPs. Consequently, processing of pre-rRNAs and release of preribosomes from the nucleolus are delayed, resulting in production of fewer 60S ribosomal subunits. This is one of the first examples demonstrating the importance of protein-protein interactions and subcomplex integrity for assembly of eukaryotic ribosomes.
Ytm1 associates with 66S preribosomes. The copurification of Ytm1 with the same relative proportions of 27SA2, 27SA3, 27SB, 25.5S, and 7S pre-rRNAs as found in whole-cell extracts (Fig. 7) indicates that Ytm1 is present in each of the four consecutive 66S pre-rRNPs containing these pre-rRNAs, throughout most or all of their lifetimes. No 20S pre-rRNA or 18S rRNA copurifies with Ytm1, consistent with Ytm1 participating in biogenesis of 60S ribosomal subunits but not 40S subunits. Although Ytm1-TAP particles contain moderate amounts of 5.8S rRNA, we failed to detect significant levels of 25S rRNA, consistent with a previous report indicating that conversion of 7S pre-rRNA to 5.8S rRNA occurs more rapidly than production of 25S rRNA from 25.5S pre-rRNA (18).
We also identified 53 proteins that copurify with TAP-tagged Ytm1 (Fig. 8, Table 2). Of the proteins isolated, 17 are ribosome assembly factors previously shown to be components of 66S preribosomes (Table 2). None of the proteins found specifically in late nucleoplasmic or cytoplasmic 66S pre-rRNPs (41) are present in preribosomes purified using Ytm1-TAP. This is consistent with our RNA and subcellular localization data indicating that Ytm1 dissociates from pre-rRNPs in the nucleoplasm prior to the latest nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic stages of ribosome maturation. Thus 66S preribosomes purified using Ytm1-TAP may represent core complexes of molecules important for intermediate steps in 60S subunit ribosome biogenesis.
Ytm1 is present in a heterotrimeric complex with Nop7 and Erb1. Our results and those of others indicate that Ytm1, Erb1, and Nop7 form a stable heterotrimeric complex (8, 21, 32) (Fig. 8, 9, and 10). The sedimentation of Nop7, Ytm1, and Erb1 on sucrose gradients indicates that in wild-type cells most of this microparticle exists within 66S preribosomes (21; our unpublished results) (Fig. 6 and 9E). Both Ytm1 and Nop7 bind tightly to Erb1; however, we find no evidence for direct interactions between Ytm1 and Nop7 (Fig. 10). The ability to purify the heterotrimer directly from 66S preribosomes using the phosphatase inhibitor cocktail that disrupts 66S pre-rRNPs (Fig. 9E) suggests that interactions among these three proteins are stronger than those with other molecules in the 66S pre-rRNP. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that this subcomplex influences the assembly or function of a larger protein or RNP neighborhood within assembling ribosomes necessary for their efficient maturation (see below). Thus, it will be important to identify other molecules that are adjacent to Ytm1, Erb1, and Nop7 within preribosomes.
The heterotrimeric complex also exists independently of 66S preribosomes. It can be purified from fractions near the top of gradients or from high-speed supernatants (Fig. 9B and C). Our present data suggest that Nop7 and Erb1 may assemble into preribosomes before Ytm1. Consistent with this finding is the presence of Nop7 and Erb1, but not Ytm1, in 66S pre-rRNPs isolated from the ytm1-1 mutant. Nop7 and Erb1 may not require Ytm1 to assemble into or remain in preribosomes. Upon completion of their functions, Nop7, Erb1, and Ytm1 might dissociate from preribosomes together as a heterotrimer, prior to recycling into other nascent preribosomes. The substantial amount of heterotrimer that we purify from cells might also result from disassembly in vivo of unstable abortive assembly intermediates or upon dissociation from preribosomes in vitro during fractionation or purification.
A conserved network of protein interactions. Interactions among Ytm1, Erb1, and Nop7 required for ribosome biogenesis are likely to be conserved. Interactions of Pes1, the mouse homologue of Nop7, with Bop1, the mouse homologue of Erb1, are required for assembly of Pes1 into preribosomes (34). Like their yeast counterparts, Pes1 and Bop1 are required for similar steps in processing of pre-rRNAs to mature 25S and 5.8S rRNA (1, 35, 44, 55, 56).
Mutations in the WD40 motifs of Ytm1 destabilize the heterotrimer and weaken its association with preribosomes. The G398D and S442N mutations in WD40 repeats 6 and 7 of YTM1 prevent binding of Ytm1-1 to Erb1 in vitro and significantly weaken association between Nop7 and Erb1 (Fig. 9 and 10). Destabilization of the heterotrimer also weakens association of Ytm1, Erb1, and Nop7 with 66S pre-rRNPs, resulting in recovery of greatly diminished amounts of Ytm1 and slightly decreased amounts of Erb1, relative to Nop7, in the pool of purified 66S preribosomes (Fig. 11). The mixture of 66S pre-rRNPs purified from the ytm1-1 mutant using Brx1-TAP contains no detectable Ytm1-1 and less Nop7 and Erb1 compared to preribosomes isolated from wild-type cells (Fig. 11). (Note that no free heterotrimer could copurify with Brx1-TAP.) The greater decrease of Ytm1 compared to Erb1 in Nop7-TAP-purified ytm1-1 mutant particles suggests that the Ytm1-Erb1 interaction may be necessary to recruit or maintain Ytm1 in 66S pre-rRNPs. This interaction may also influence assembly of Nop7 and Erb1 into preribosomes or may be required to stabilize their association with preribosomes, since amounts of Nop7 are reduced slightly in the 66S preribosomes purified from ytm1-1 mutant cells expressing Brx1-TAP.
Ytm1 is required for pre-rRNA processing and trafficking of 66S preribosomes. Our data show that pre-rRNA processing is slowed in the ytm1 mutants. The conversion of 27SA3 pre-rRNA to 27SB pre-rRNA is delayed, resulting in changes in amounts of 27SBS and 27SBL pre-rRNAs. Subsequent steps in pre-rRNA processing are also slowed, resulting in reduced amounts of 7S pre-rRNA and 5S rRNA (Fig. 4). Processing of 27SA3 to 27SB pre-rRNA involves rapid exonucleolytic trimming of the 5' end of the 27SA3 pre-rRNA by Rat1 and Xrn1 (23). Ytm1 might function directly in all of these steps. Alternatively, the decreased rate of processing of 27SA3 pre-rRNA in the ytm1 mutants might indirectly affect subsequent processing of 27SB pre-rRNA, for example, by perturbing the architecture of pre-rRNPs. Depletion of Nop7 and Erb1 has effects on pre-rRNA processing similar but not completely identical to those of ytm1 mutants: increased levels of 27SA3 pre-rRNA and decreased amounts of 27SB and 7S pre-rRNAs (42, 44). Thus, the pre-rRNA processing phenotypes of the ytm1 mutants may reflect a combination of effects on the presence and/or functions of all three proteins in the Ytm1/Erb1/Nop7 heterotrimer.
Most, but not all steps of processing of precursors to 25S and 5.8S rRNA are thought to occur prior to nucleolar release and most likely require or are accompanied by many changes in the topology of these pre-rRNPs. Although the mechanism whereby preribosomes exit the nucleolus remains a mystery, it may require some changes in the composition and structure of preribosomes, including those resulting from pre-rRNA processing. Nuclear export of preribosomes requires binding of export factors to preribosomes, perhaps timed by the availability of ligands on the surface of preribosomes (22). Thus pre-rRNA processing, nucleolar release, and nuclear export may be intertwined to prevent premature exit of incompletely assembled ribosomes from the nucleolus and nucleus. Therefore, rather than binding directly to export factors, Ytm1, as well as Erb1 and Nop7, is likely to participate indirectly in nucleolar release and nuclear export of preribosomes, by functioning together to establish or maintain structures necessary for these processes. Indeed, as observed for the ytm1-1 mutant, preribosomes also accumulate in the nucleus upon depletion of Nop7 (42). The ytm1-1 mutations, however, cause 66S preribosomes to be retained in the nucleolus (Fig. 5).
Functions of the heterotrimer in ribosome biogenesis. Taken together, our results suggest the following model for effects of ytm1-1 mutations on ribosome assembly. In wild-type cells, early in ribosome assembly during or after synthesis of 35S pre-rRNA, Nop7 and Erb1 join nascent preribosomes. Slightly later, many 60S ribosome assembly proteins, including Ytm1, associate with the 27SA2 pre-rRNA to form the earliest detectable 66S pre-rRNP. In the ytm1-1 mutant, Ytm1-1 may not efficiently assemble into this pre-RNP or may not remain stably associated with preribosomes, also resulting in destabilization of association of Nop7 and Erb1 with pre-60S ribosomes. Although it is also possible that Ytm1, Nop7, or Erb1 dissociates from the mutant particles during purification rather than in vivo, these mutant particles are likely otherwise intact. However, their overall architecture might be perturbed by the absence or weakened association of Ytm1, Erb1, and Nop7. When preribosomes lack these putative scaffolding proteins, they might be unable to establish or maintain structures necessary for efficient pre-rRNA processing, ribosome assembly, release of nascent ribosomes from the nucleolus, or export of preribosomes from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.
Moonlighting functions of the heterotrimeric proteins. Clearly Ytm1 is necessary for efficient ribosome production. Depletion or inactivation of Ytm1 decreases the rate of 60S subunit biogenesis below levels necessary to sustain viability. However, Ytm1 may have a second "moonlighting" function, such as mitosis or chromosome transmission (36, 43; Matsumoto et al., personal communication). Interestingly, Nop7 and its metazoan homologue Pescadillo, and Bop1, the mammalian homologue of Erb1, also have independent functions. Nop7 and Pescadillo are implicated in DNA replication or cell proliferation (8, 35). Mutations in BOP1 induce p53-dependent cell cycle arrest (45). Thus, the heterotrimeric complex of Ytm1, Erb1, and Nop7 might be a depot for directing multiple functions of these proteins.
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants RO1 GM28301 to J.L.W., F31 GM65067 to T.D.R., and F31 GM19937 to E.W.H. P.H. was supported by the government of Thailand.
Present address: Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon
University, 700 Technology Drive, PTC Room 4305, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. ![]()
Present address: National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand Science Park, 113 Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand. ![]()
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