Schizosaccharomyces pombe zfs1+ encoding a zinc-finger protein functions in the mating pheromone recognition pathway.
We isolated the Schizosaccharomyces pombe zfs1 gene as a multicopy suppressor of the sterility caused by overexpression of a double-stranded RNase. The deduced zfs1 gene product of 404 amino acids showed similarity to a mouse growth factor-inducible nuclear protein Nup475. Its C-terminal region carried two putative zinc-fingers, both of which should be intact for the protein to be functional as the suppressor. This protein appeared to localize in nuclei. Disruption of zfs1 was not lethal but conferred deficiency in mating and sporulation. Activation of transcription in response to the mating pheromone signaling was greatly reduced in the zfs1-disrupted cells. The mating deficiency of the zfs1-disruptant was suppressed partially by overexpression of either gpa1, ras1, byr1, or byr2, which are involved in the transmission of the pheromone signal. Disruption of zfs1 reduced both hypersensitivity of the ras1Val17 mutant to the mating pheromone and uncontrolled mating response caused by mutational activation of Gpa1, the G protein alpha subunit coupled to the mating pheromone receptors. However, overexpression of zfs1 could not bypass complete loss of function of either gpa1, ras1, byr1, or byr2. These observations indicate that the function of zfs1 is involved in the mating pheromone signaling pathway, and are consistent with its function being required to fully activate a factor in this pathway, either directly or indirectly.
Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Japan.
J
J
Kanoh
A
A
Sugimoto
M
M
Yamamoto
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D044385:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits; D043802:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000502:physiology*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D011817:Rabbits; D012098:Reproduction; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051816:Tristetraprolin; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000502:physiology
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D044385:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C089516:Mating Factor, S pombe; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D051816:Tristetraprolin; C497553:Zfp36 protein, mouse; C097436:Zfs1 protein, S pombe; C490320:mfm1 protein, S pombe; C076406:BYR3 protein, S pombe; D011494:Protein Kinases; C079509:byr1 protein kinase; C077892:BYR2 protein, S pombe; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; C084293:GPA1 protein, S cerevisiae; D043802:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins; C489014:RAS1 protein, S cerevisiae; C492657:Ras1 protein, S pombe; D018631:ras Proteins