Pob1 participates in the Cdc42 regulation of fission yeast actin cytoskeleton

Mol Biol Cell. 2009 Oct;20(20):4390-9. doi: 10.1091/mbc.e09-03-0207. Epub 2009 Aug 26.

Abstract

Rho GTPases regulate the actin cytoskeleton in all eukaryotes. Fission yeast Cdc42 is involved in actin cable assembly and formin For3 regulation. We isolated cdc42-879 as a thermosensitive strain with actin cable and For3 localization defects. In a multicopy suppressor screening, we identified pob1(+) as suppressor of cdc42-879 thermosensitivity. Pob1 overexpression also partially restores actin cables and localization of For3 in the mutant strain. Pob1 interacts with Cdc42 and this GTPase regulates Pob1 localization and/or stability. The C-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of Pob1 is required for Cdc42 binding. Pob1 also binds to For3 through its N-terminal sterile alpha motif (SAM) domain and contributes to the formin localization at the cell tips. The previously described pob1-664 mutant strain (Mol. Biol. Cell. 10, 2745-2757, 1999), which carries a mutation in the PH domain, as well as pob1 mutant strains in which Pob1 lacks the N-terminal region (pob1DeltaN) or the SAM domain (pob1DeltaSAM), have cytoskeletal defects similar to that of cdc42-879 cells. Expression of constitutively active For3DAD* partially restores actin organization in cdc42-879, pob1-664, pob1DeltaN, and pob1DeltaSAM. Therefore, we propose that Pob1 is required for For3 localization to the tips and facilitates Cdc42-mediated relief of For3 autoinhibition to stimulate actin cable formation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actin Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Actin Cytoskeleton / ultrastructure*
  • Actins / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / chemistry
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / physiology
  • Cell Polarity
  • Cytoskeleton / ultrastructure*
  • Formins
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Guanosine Triphosphate / physiology
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Schizosaccharomyces / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / ultrastructure
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / chemistry
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / physiology*
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / chemistry
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / genetics
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / physiology*
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / physiology*

Substances

  • Actins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • FOR3 protein, S pombe
  • Formins
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • Guanosine Triphosphate
  • Pob1 protein, S pombe
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins