title: Caenorhabditis elegans fidgetin homolog FIGL-1, a nuclear-localized AAA ATPase, binds to SUMO.
abstract: Fidgetin is a member of the AAA (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) chaperones. It is well-known that the specific function of a given AAA protein primarily depends upon its subcellular localization and interacting partners. FIGL-1, a Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of mammalian fidgetin, is localized in the nucleus. Here, we identified that the N-terminal PKRVK sequence of FIGL-1 functions as a monopartite nuclear localization signal. Nuclear localization of FIGL-1 is required for its function. We also found that FIGL-1 specifically interacted with SMO-1, a C. elegans homolog of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO), using a yeast two-hybrid assay. Furthermore, the direct physical interaction between FIGL-1 and SMO-1 was demonstrated by pull-down assay using purified proteins as well as immunoprecipitation assay using lysates from epitope-tagged SMO-1-expressing worms. Binding of FIGL-1 to SMO-1 is required for its function. The depletion of FIGL-1 and SMO-1 resulted in developmental defects in C. elegans. Taken altogether, our results indicate that FIGL-1 is a nuclear protein and that in concert with SMO-1, FIGL-1 plays an important role in the regulation of C. elegans development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Akinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Onitake
authors.forename: Kunitoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esaki
authors.forename: Teru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogura
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D025842:SUMO-1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D025842:SUMO-1 Protein; D025801:Ubiquitin; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C496225:figl-1 protein, C elegans