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Molecular and Cellular Biology, December 2005, p. 10833-10841, Vol. 25, No. 24
0270-7306/05/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/MCB.25.24.10833-10841.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Daili J. Aguilar Netz,1
Katharina Tepper,1
Antonio J. Pierik,2 and
Roland Lill1*
Institut für Zytobiologie und Zytopathologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 6, 35033 Marburg, Germany,1 Laboratorium für Mikrobiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35043 Marburg, Germany2
Received 26 July 2005/ Returned for modification 19 September 2005/ Accepted 27 September 2005
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In our search for further components involved in cytosolic Fe/S protein assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we identified the open reading frame YDR267c as a candidate gene. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the homologue of ScCFD1 occurs as a fusion gene with a DNA sequence encoding a WD40 repeat domain at its 3' end (Fig. 1). The predicted amino acid sequence of the WD40 repeat domain shows striking sequence similarity to ScYDR267c, more so than with any other of the approximately 100 known or predicted WD40 repeat proteins encoded by the S. cerevisiae genome (www.ebi.cam.ac/interpro). The proposed common function of all WD40 repeat proteins is the coordination of multiprotein complex assemblies (19, 29): for example, those functioning in signal transduction (ß-transducin), vesicular trafficking (Sec13), transcription regulation (Tup1), or cell cycle control (Cdc4). The crystallization of a number of WD40 repeat domains revealed a seven-bladed ß-propeller structure (30-32), where the repeating units form ß-sheet "blades" and serve as a rigid scaffold for protein binding.
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FIG. 1. Schematic
representation of CFD1 and CIA1 genes in S.
cerevisiae and S. pombe. A protein-coding sequence highly
similar to S. cerevisiae CFD1 is found in S. pombe as
a fusion gene with a C-terminal WD40 repeat domain (systematic name,
SPAC806.02).
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Coimmunoprecipitation.
Cells were grown overnight in minimal
medium plus galactose, and
0.5 g of cells (wet weight) was
harvested. The cells were washed with water and resuspended in 0.5 ml
of cold extraction buffer (10 mM HEPES-NaOH, pH 7.5, 100 mM sodium
acetate, 10% [vol/vol] glycerol, 0.5% [vol/vol] Triton X-100, 2 mM
phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride). All further procedures were carried out
at 4°C. The cells were disrupted by vortexing with glass beads,
and the lysate was cleared by centrifugation at 13,000 x
g for 10 min. Agarose-conjugated hemagglutinin (HA) probe
(sc-7392 AC; Santa Cruz Biotechnology, CA) was added to the lysate, and
this mixture was incubated for 1 h with gentle agitation. The
agarose beads were washed three times with extraction buffer (without
phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride) and resuspended in 1x sodium
dodecyl sulfate gel loading buffer
(26) to subject the bound
proteins to standard protein blot
procedures.
Miscellaneous methods. The following published methods were used: manipulation of DNA and PCR (26); transformation of yeast cells (7); determination of the enzyme activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1), isopropylmalate isomerase using 2-isopropylmaleate as a substrate (EC 4.2.1.33), aconitase (E.C. 4.2.1.3), and succinate dehydrogenase (E.C. 4.2.1.3) (15, 22); determination of the enzyme activity of sulfite reductase (EC 1.8.1.2) (25); raising of antisera using proteins that were purified after heterologous production in Escherichia coli and protein blot analysis (8); in situ immunofluorescence (17); induction of the iron regulon by monitoring the fluorescence levels of green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressed from a FET3-GFP fusion gene (25); and quantification of iron in mitochondria by the colorimetric chelator ferene (11). Radiolabeling of the Fe/S reporter proteins of interest with 55Fe and cell lysis were performed as previously described (15, 21). All experiments were repeated two to four times. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean value.
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FIG. 2. The
essential Cia1 is a soluble protein in the nucleus and cytosol.
(A) Growth of Cia1-depleted cells. Gal-CIA1 cells carrying a
galactose-regulatable (Gal) CIA1 gene were transformed with
vector p416 without or with a CIA1-HA fusion gene. Cells were
grown for 2 x 2 days at 30°C
on agar plates containing rich media supplemented with galactose
(YPGal) or glucose (YPD). Tenfold serial dilutions are shown.
(B) Subcellular fractionation and immunoblot analysis.
Wild-type cells were disrupted by removal of the cell wall and
homogenization with a Douncer in 0.6 M sorbitol, 20 mM HEPES-KOH, pH
7.4, 1 mM dithiothreitol, and protease inhibitors, followed by
differential centrifugation. After discarding a low-speed pellet
containing unbroken cells, nuclei, and debris, the cell extract (CE)
was centrifuged at 10,000 x g for 10 min to separate
soluble proteins (S10) from a fraction enriched in organelles (P10).
The S10 fraction was further centrifuged at 100,000 x
g for 30 min to remove membranes (P100) from soluble proteins
(S100). Nuclei (Nuc) were purified separately using a Ficoll density
gradient (1). Equal
amounts of protein (20 µg/per lane) were separated by sodium
dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, blotted,
and immunostained for Cia1 or marker proteins of the nucleus (DNA polymerase-associated Pol30), mitochondria (Mge1), endoplasmic
reticulum (translocon subunit Sec61), and the cytosol (Leu1). (C) In
situ localization of Cia1. Wild-type cells were transformed with the
high-copy-number expression vector p426 containing CIA1 fused
to the HA tag sequence. Log-phase cells were fixed with 2.4% (wt/vol)
formaldehyde, permeabilized, and labeled with monoclonal anti-HA
( -HA) antibodies, followed by fluorophore-conjugated secondary
antibodies. DNA was counterstained with DAPI (4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole) to show the
positions of the nucleus and mitochondria.
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The cellular distribution of Cia1 was further analyzed by in situ immunofluorescence. Wild-type cells were transformed with a high-copy-number vector encoding an HA-tagged Cia1. Immunolabeling with anti-HA antibodies showed that the Cia1-HA fusion protein was predominantly localized in the nucleus; however, Cia1-HA was also present, at a lower concentration, in the cytoplasm (Fig. 2C). Similar results with low fluorescence intensity were obtained with CIA1-HA inserted into the low-copy-number expression vector p416 (not shown). The microscopy data correspond well to our subcellular fractionation results and are in agreement with systematic localization studies (12).
Cia1 is involved in the assembly of specific cytosolic and nuclear Fe/S proteins. The occurrence of the CFD1-CIA1 gene fusion in S. pombe prompted us to investigate whether the S. cerevisiae Cia1 protein might play a role in cytosolic Fe/S protein assembly like Cfd1 does (24). First, the activities of two cytosolic Fe/S enzymes, isopropylmalate isomerase (Leu1) and sulfite reductase, were measured in cells depleted of Cia1. To this end, Gal-CIA1 cells were grown in minimal medium supplemented with either galactose or glucose to induce or down-regulate, respectively, expression of CIA1. Wild-type cells in equivalent media were used for comparison. After 12 h of culture in glucose, the levels of Cia1 in Gal-CIA1 cells had dropped below those in wild-type cells. Leu1 and sulfite reductase activities in cytosolic extracts were comparable to those in wild-type or CIA1-overexpressing cells (Fig. 3A). At later time points of depletion, the levels of Cia1 decreased to the limit of detection. Sulfite reductase activity could no longer be detected, and only approximately 10% of the Leu1 activity remained, while the levels of Leu1 polypeptide remained unchanged. In contrast, the Zn-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase activity was not affected. Cell growth slowed down considerably after 36 h of Cia1 depletion, but growth continued up to at least 64 h (not shown). The data show that Cia1 was required for maintaining the enzyme activity of two cytosolic Fe/S proteins.
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FIG. 3. Cia1
is required for the assembly of a subset of cytosolic and nuclear Fe/S
proteins. Gal-CIA1 cells were grown in minimal medium supplemented with
galactose (Gal) or glucose (Glc) for various lengths of time to induce
or suppress, respectively, expression of CIA1. (A)
Enzyme activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), isopropylmalate
isomerase (Leu1), and sulfite reductase (SiR) in cell extracts are
presented relative to the values obtained for wild-type cells grown
with galactose. The protein levels of Cia1 and Leu1 were visualized by
immunoblot analysis (lower panels). (B) 55Fe
incorporation into Leu1. Gal-CIA1 cells were labeled with
55Fe, and a cell lysate was prepared, from which Leu1 was
immunoprecipitated with specific antibodies. Coprecipitated
55Fe was quantified by scintillation counting.
Immunoprecipitation with preimmune serum (PIS) was used as a control.
The amounts of Leu1 protein were quantified by immunoblot analysis
using chemiluminescence and densitometry of subsaturated film
exposures. (C) 55Fe incorporation into several
cytosolic and nuclear Fe/S proteins. Data acquired as in panel
B are expressed as the ratio
of glucose-grown (40 h) to galactose-grown cells, corrected
for background, for each of the reporter
proteins. Rli1-HA, Ntg2-HA, Nbp35-TAP, and Nar1 were expressed from high-copy-number
vectors (p426) and immunoprecipitated with anti-HA, immnunoglobulin G
(IgG), and anti-Nar1 antibodies, respectively. Cells not expressing
these constructs were used to determine the background levels of
immunoprecipitated 55Fe. The panels on the right show
examples of the immunoblot analysis for each of the indicated
proteins.
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We further measured the 55Fe
incorporation into a range of cytosolic and nuclear Fe/S proteins as
described for Leu1. Our analysis revealed two classes of Fe/S
reporters, one dependent on Cia1 function in Fe/S cluster assembly, the
other incorporating normal levels of 55Fe in the absence of
Cia1. The nuclear reporter protein Ntg2-HA
(3) accumulated only
5% of its normal levels of 55Fe. Similarly, the
cytosolic Rli1-HA incorporated only
30% of 55Fe
after 40 h and
9% after 64 h of Cia1
depletion (Fig. 3C; data
not shown). Protein levels were generally slightly decreased (to
70 to 90% of the wild-type amounts), indicative of proteolysis
which is commonly observed for Fe/S proteins in their apo forms
(3). In contrast, the
levels of 55Fe incorporation into the predominantly
cytosolic Fe/S proteins Nbp35-TAP and Nar1 were
70% and
90% of wild type, respectively, and did not differ
significantly from the respective change in protein levels upon Cia1
depletion (Fig. 3C).
Longer periods of Cia1 depletion also did not show decreased
55Fe incorporation into these two reporter proteins (not
shown). Earlier results had shown that 55Fe association with
Nbp35 and Nar1 is fully dependent on the mitochondrial ISC assembly and
export machineries, and that the 55Fe radiolabel associated
with these proteins is part of an Fe/S cluster
(3,
9). The 55Fe
incorporation into Fe/S reporter proteins in galactose-grown
Gal-CIA1 cells was, in all cases, similar to that found for wild-type
cells. Also, the choice of the carbon source did not influence the
55Fe incorporation into the Fe/S reporter proteins in
wild-type cells (not shown). Our results therefore indicated that
maturation of Leu1, Ntg2, and Rli1 was strongly dependent on Cia1
function, whereas Fe/S cluster incorporation into Nbp35 and Nar1 did
not require Cia1.
Cia1 is not required for mitochondrial Fe/S protein assembly and cellular iron homeostasis.
To further
investigate the specificity of the Cia1 requirement in the assembly of
Fe/S protein targets, we asked whether cofactor assembly on
mitochondrial Fe/S proteins was dependent on Cia1. After culturing
Gal-CIA1 cells in the presence of glucose for 40 h to deplete
Cia1, the activities of the Fe/S-dependent enzymes aconitase and
succinate dehydrogenase were decreased by
25% compared to
those in wild-type cells (Fig.
4A). This decrease correlated with lower protein levels of aconitase (Aco1)
and succinate dehydrogenase subunit 2 (Sdh2, Fig.
4A, inset). Next, the de
novo Fe/S cluster assembly into two mitochondrial reporters, Bio2
(biotin synthase) and Yah1-HA (ferredoxin), was investigated using the
55Fe incorporation and immunoprecipitation assays described
above. After 40 h of Cia1 depletion, the amount of
55Fe incorporated into Bio2 or Yah1-HA was slightly elevated
compared to that in Cia1-containing cells (Fig.
4B). The increased
55Fe levels correlated well with the larger amounts of the
Fe/S reporter proteins, most notably of Yah1-HA. Even after
64 h of Cia1 depletion, 55Fe labeling of Bio2 was
similar to the amount of labeling in galactose-grown cells (not shown).
Taken together, our data indicated that Cia1 function was not required
for Fe/S protein assembly in mitochondria.
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FIG. 4. Cia1
is not required for mitochondrial Fe/S protein assembly. (A)
Enzyme activities of aconitase and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in
wild-type (WT) and Gal-CIA1 cells after growth in minimal medium plus
glucose for 40 h. Protein levels of aconitase (Aco1) and
succinate dehydrogenase subunit 2 (Sdh2) were visualized by immunoblot
analysis (inset), using amounts of mitochondrial
protein equivalent to those used for the enzyme assays. (B)
55Fe incorporation into the Fe/S proteins Bio2 and Yah1-HA.
Gal-CIA1 cells were grown in iron-poor minimal medium supplemented with
galactose (Gal) or glucose (Glc) to induce or suppress, respectively,
expression of CIA1. Bio2 and HA-tagged Yah1 were overproduced
using the high-copy-number vector p426. Cells were labeled with
55Fe, and a cell lysate was prepared, from which Bio2 and
Yah1 were immunoprecipitated with anti-Bio2- or anti-HA-specific
antibodies, respectively. Coprecipitated 55Fe was quantified
by scintillation counting. The amounts of 55Fe
immunoprecipitated from cell extracts that did not contain overproduced
Bio2 or Yah1-HA were taken as background (Bg). The levels of the
indicated proteins were analyzed by immunoblot
analysis.
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FIG. 5. Normal
cellular and mitochondrial iron homeostasis in the absence of Cia1.
(A) Wild-type, Gal-CIA1, and Gal-ATM1 cells carrying plasmid
p415-FET3-GFP were grown in glucose-containing minimal medium for
24 h, diluted to an optical density at 600 nm of 0.1, and
supplemented with either 0.1 mM FeCl3 (Fe) or 0.1 mM of the
iron chelator bathophenanthroline sulfonate (BPS). Growth was continued
for a further 6 h. The transcriptional activity of the
FET3 promoter was determined by recording the fluorescence
emission of the cell suspension at 513 nm (excitation at 480 nm). The
signal of cells lacking plasmid p415-FET3-GFP was subtracted. A.U.,
arbitrary units. (B) Wild-type, Gal-CIA1, and Gal-ATM1 cells
were grown in minimal medium with either galactose (Gal) or
glucose (Glc). Mitochondria were purified by differential
centrifugation, and the total iron content was measured using a
colorimetric assay based on the iron chelator
ferene.
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FIG. 6. Cia1
undergoes a protein interaction with Nar1. Cells producing the
HA-tagged proteins as indicated were grown in minimal medium and
harvested, and a cell extract was prepared. HA-agarose was added for
1 h of incubation at 4°C and washed several times
with buffer. Both the cell extract and the washed HA-agarose were
subjected to protein blot analysis to detect proteins of interest.
(A) Coimmunoprecipitation of HA-tagged Cia1 with Nar1 in
extracts from cells with wild-type (wt) or overproduced ( )
levels of Nar1. Another HA-tagged protein was used as a control (X-HA,
where X represents Ymr134w). The indicated proteins were detected by
protein blot analysis in total cell extracts (left panels) and after
immunoprecipitation (anti-HA [ -HA], right panels). (B and C)
As in panel A, using cells overproducing Cfd1, Nbp35, or Cia1 as
indicated. Cia1-HA (B) or Cfd1-HA (C) was
immunoprecipitated using anti-HA antibodies before protein blot
analyses.
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Depletion of Cia1 impairs the export of the large ribosomal subunit from the nucleus.
The requirement of Cia1 for Fe/S
cluster assembly on Rli1 predicts that cells lacking Cia1 display
phenotypic features similar to those of Rli1-depleted cells. Rli1
performs a crucial function in the export of ribosomal subunits from
the nucleus to the cytosol. We therefore expected that Cia1-depleted
cells accumulate ribosomal precursors in the nucleus. Such a defect can
be visualized using GFP-tagged ribosomal proteins
(16,
33). Gal-CIA1 cells were
transformed with a plasmid encoding a polypeptide of the large
ribosomal subunit, Rpl25, fused to GFP. The expression of CIA1
was down-regulated by culturing Gal-CIA1 cells in minimal medium with
glucose, and the localization of Rpl25-GFP was observed by fluorescence
microscopy at various time points. After approximately 40 h
of Cia1 depletion, nuclear accumulation of Rpl25-GFP became evident
(Fig.
7). At this time point, 55Fe incorporation into Rli1-HA was
diminished to
30% of its normal levels (Fig.
3C). A similar nuclear
export defect of ribosomal proteins was observed in cells depleted of
Cfd1, Nar1, and Nbp35
(16,
33). Together, this can
be taken as an additional argument that Cia1 is a member of the CIA
machinery.
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FIG. 7. Cia1
is required for export of the large ribosomal subunit from the nucleus.
Wild-type and Gal-CIA1 cells expressing an RPL25-GFP fusion
gene were cultured in minimal medium supplemented with glucose for
40 h. The cellular distribution of GFP was monitored by
fluorescence microscopy. The spot accumulating GFP in the
Gal-CIA1 cells is the nucleus, as judged by phase-contrast microscopy
and DAPI (4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining (not
shown; see reference
16).
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We demonstrate a specific and stable protein interaction of Cia1 with Nar1, but not with Cfd1 or Nbp35, suggesting a close collaboration of the former components in Fe/S protein biogenesis. While Cfd1, Nbp35, and Nar1 are predominately located in the cytosol with only a minor fraction in the nucleus (3, 9, 24), a large proportion of Cia1 is localized in the nucleus. Further, Cia1 appears to be at least 10-fold higher in its cellular concentration than Cfd1, Nbp35, and Nar1 (5). These localization and expression differences between Cfd1/Nbp35/Nar1 and Cia1 may indicate a second function of the latter protein in the nucleus. Interestingly, the human protein with the highest sequence similarity to Cia1 was found to interact with a zinc finger transcription factor, WT1, the Wilms' tumor suppressor protein (14). This human WD40 repeat protein named Ciao1 (Chinese for "bridge") modulates the mobility of the WT1-DNA complex in gel shift assays and decreases the transcriptional activity of WT1. Although Cia1 and Ciao1 exhibit 64% amino acid similarity, no obvious sequence homologue of WT1 can be found in the yeast genome. Nevertheless, other yeast zinc-finger protein or proteins may interact with Cia1. For instance, Cia1 was found to interact with the zinc-dependent transcription factor Hms1 using systematic yeast two-hybrid studies (10).
Cia1 did not show a stable protein interaction with Cfd1 (or Nbp35) under our experimental conditions. This was somewhat surprising, since in Schizosaccharomyces pombe the CFD1 and CIA1 sequence homologues are linked as a fusion gene. Now that more genome sequences have become available, it appears that this gene arrangement is unique for S. pombe. It is important to note that there is no experimental evidence at this point for the existence of a fusion protein in S. pombe, since posttranslational cleavage may occur. Nevertheless, the presence of a fusion gene in S. pombe points to a common function of both encoded proteins.
The function of Cia1 in the incorporation of the essential Fe/S clusters at the N terminus of Rli1 explains why Cia1 is indispensable for cell growth. Rli1 plays a crucial role in ribosome biogenesis, and its depletion results in the accumulation of ribosomal subunits in the cell nucleus (16, 33). The function of Cia1 in Fe/S cluster assembly on Rli1 also satisfactorily explains why Cia1 was needed for ribosome biogenesis, as demonstrated by the requirement of Cia1 for export of the large ribosomal subunit from the nucleus, visualized using an Rpl25-GFP fusion protein. Even though the function of Cia1 in nuclear export of ribosomes appears to be indirect, this phenotype has also been observed after down-regulation of Cfd1, Nbp35, and Nar1 (16, 33) and thus may be a general, yet secondary, consequence of defects in cytosolic Fe/S protein biogenesis. These data support the previous notion of an intimate link between cellular Fe/S protein biogenesis and protein synthesis, two evolutionarily ancient and essential processes (16).
The WD40 repeat domain is a common structural module in eukaryotes and is found as part of many protein complexes exhibiting diverse functions. The WD40 repeat proteins form characteristic ß-propeller structures. Specificity of each of the WD40 repeat proteins for its binding target and cellular process is thought to be defined by the protein loops protruding from one side of the propeller blades (31). Crystallographic studies are currently being undertaken to structurally define these loops in Cia1. This information can then aid in mutagenesis studies to unravel the precise molecular function of Cia1 and its interaction with Nar1. Furthermore, modeling of the human Ciao1 protein on the crystal structure of Cia1 could give an indication of whether these two proteins may be functional homologues.
Depletion of Cia1 did not lead to the stimulation of iron uptake into the cell nor to hyperaccumulation of iron in mitochondria, unlike defects in the mitochondrial ISC components involved in Fe/S protein assembly (15, 20). It appears that none of the known cytosolic Fe/S protein assembly components (Cfd1, Nbp35, Nar1, and Cia1) is critically involved in regulating cellular iron homeostasis via the Aft1/Aft2 transcription factors (25). Moreover, decreased iron uptake under iron-limiting conditions does not necessarily lead to a (cytosolic) Fe/S cluster assembly defect, as growth in iron-depleted medium did not affect cytosolic Fe/S protein assembly (J. Balk, unpublished). Hence, regulation of cellular and particularly mitochondrial iron homeostasis in yeast does not require active Fe/S protein assembly in the cytosol. Together, these data underline the importance of yeast mitochondria and the ISC system for cellular iron homeostasis and distinguish them from the cytosolic Fe/S protein assembly apparatus.
The past 2 years have led to the discovery of four extramitochondrial components that are functionally involved in Fe/S protein assembly in cytosolic and nuclear apoproteins in yeast. Currently, the mechanism by which these CIA components assist the assembly process is unknown, apart from the finding that Cia1 acts late in biogenesis. Further progress can now be made by a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches to unravel the precise mode of action of the individual proteins and by identifying even more members of the CIA system. Yeast is an ideal model system for developing a more and more complete picture of Fe/S protein assembly in the eukaryotic cell.
Our work was supported by grants of the Sonderforschungsbereich 593, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Gottfried-Wilhelm Leibniz program), the European Commission (Marie Curie European Fellowship HPMF-CT-2002-01750 to J.B.), and Fonds der Chemischen Industrie.
Present address: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom. ![]()
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protein dimer at 2.1 Å resolution.Nature
379:369-374.[CrossRef][Medline]
1ß1
2.Cell
83:1047-1058.[CrossRef][Medline]
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