Identification of novel single amino acid changes that result in hyperactivation of the unique GTPase, Rheb, in fission yeast

Mol Microbiol. 2005 Nov;58(4):1074-86. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.04877.x.

Abstract

Rheb GTPase is a key player in the control of growth, cell cycle and nutrient uptake that is conserved from yeast to humans. To further our understanding of the Rheb pathway, we sought to identify hyperactivating mutations in the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Rheb, Rhb1. Hyperactive forms of Rhb1 were found to result from single amino acid changes at valine-17, serine-21, lysine-120 or asparagine-153. Expression of these mutants confers resistance to canavanine and thialysine, phenotypes which are similar to phenotypes exhibited by cells lacking the Tsc1/Tsc2 complex that negatively regulates Rhb1. The thialysine-resistant phenotype of the hyperactive Rhb1 mutants is suppressed by a second mutation in the effector domain. Purified mutant proteins exhibit dramatically decreased binding of GDP, while their GTP binding is not drastically affected. In addition, some of the mutant proteins show significantly decreased GTPase activities. Thus the hyperactivating mutations are expected to result in an increase in the GTP-bound/GDP-bound ratio of Rhb1. By using the hyperactive mutant, Rhb1(K120R), we have been able to demonstrate that Rhb1 interacts with Tor2, one of the two S. pombe TOR (Target of Rapamycin) proteins. These fission yeast results provide the first evidence for a GTP-dependent association of Rheb with Tor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amino Acid Substitution*
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Canavanine / pharmacology
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Cysteine / analogs & derivatives
  • Cysteine / pharmacology
  • Drug Resistance, Fungal
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / analysis
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / chemistry
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / genetics*
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / isolation & purification
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / metabolism*
  • Guanosine Diphosphate / metabolism
  • Guanosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Schizosaccharomyces / enzymology*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / chemistry
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / genetics*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / metabolism*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Protein Synthesis Inhibitors
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • Guanosine Diphosphate
  • S-2-aminoethyl cysteine
  • Canavanine
  • Guanosine Triphosphate
  • tor2 protein, S pombe
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases
  • Rhb1 protein, S pombe
  • Cysteine