Name: utilization of grafix for the detection of transient interactors of saccharomyces cerevisiae spliceosome subcomplexes
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Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Utilization of Grafix for the Detection of Transient Interactors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Spliceosome Subcomplexes at JoVE.com

This work was supported by a FAPESP grant (15/06477-9).

1. Yeast total extract preparation
<ol>
	<li>Grow the yeast cells expressing one of the splicing factors fused to the TAP tag9 in 1 L YNB-glu media (Yeast Nitrogen Basis supplemented with 2% m/v glucose) with the appropriate amino acids or nucleic bases, in this case, adenine (20 &#181;g/mL), leucine (30 &#181;g/mL), tryptophan (30 &#181;g/mL), up to OD600 = 1.0.</li>
	<li>Collect the cells from the 1 L culture by centrifuging in three 500 mL centrifuge bottles at 17,000 x g ...

<ol>
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D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structure,+function+and+regulation+of+spliceosomal+RNA+helicases.">Structure, function and regulation of spliceosomal RNA helicases.</a> Current Opinion in Cell Biology. 24, 431-438 (2012).</li><li>Kastner, B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=GraFix:+sample+preparation+for+single-particle+electron+cryomicroscopy.">GraFix: sample preparation for single-particle electron cryomicroscopy.</a> Nature Methods. 5 (1), 53-55 (2008).</li><li>Stark, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Grafix:+stabilization+of+fragile+macromolecular+complexes+for+single+particle+cryo-EM.">Grafix: stabilization of fragile macromolecular complexes for single particle cryo-EM.</a> Methods in Enzymology. 481, 109-126 (2010).</li><li>Yan, C., Wan, R., Bai, R., Huang, G., Shi, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structure+of+a+yeast+activated+spliceosome+at+3.5+&#197;+resolution.">Structure of a yeast activated spliceosome at 3.5 &#197; resolution.</a> Science. 353 (6302), 895-904 (2016).</li><li>Ohi, M. D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Proteomics+analysis+revelas+stable+multiprotein+complexes+in+both+fission+and+budding+yeasts+containing+Myb-related+Cdc5p/Cef1p,+novel+pre-mRNA+splicing+factors,+and+snRNAs.">Proteomics analysis revelas stable multiprotein complexes in both fission and budding yeasts containing Myb-related Cdc5p/Cef1p, novel pre-mRNA splicing factors, and snRNAs.</a> Molecular and Cellular Biology. 22 (7), 2011-2024 (2002).</li><li>Lourenco, R. F., Leme, A. F. P., Oliveira, C. 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Protein-protein and ribonucleic acids-protein interactions can be stabilized using crosslinking agents. It is important that the resulting complex is stable to withstand ultracentrifugation on glycerol gradient. Additionally, the buffer conditions should allow the interaction, but be stringent enough to avoid non-specific binding. In the experiments shown here, we used a buffer solution already established for in vitro splicing reactions15.
The speed and time of centrif...

Splicing is a highly dynamic process that requires binding and release of a multitude of factors in a coordinated manner. These splicing factors include RNA binding proteins, ATPases, helicases, protein kinases and phosphatases, ubiquitin ligases, among others1,2,3; and to allow for the molecular rearrangements to take place, some of these factors bind very transiently to the spliceosome subcomplexes, making the isolation and identification of these RNP intermediate complexes very challenging.
Here, we used the Grafix method4,5 to stabilize the interaction of the yeast splicing factor Cwc24 with the Bact complex6 to allow for the identification of other factors bound concomitantly to that subcomplex and determine whether the ubiquitin ligase Prp19 plays any role in the binding or release of Cwc24 to the Nineteen (NTC) complex and to the 5&#8217; end of the intron before activation and the first transesterification reaction takes place. The advantage of exposing the macromolecules to an increasing concentration of the crosslinker along the glycerol gradient is that it avoids inter-complexes crosslinks4,5, and therefore, the formation of aggregates.
This method was used as a complementation to protein coimmunoprecipitation and pull-down assays, which, despite allowing the isolation of large complexes, may not be reliable for maintaining transient interactions within large dynamic complexes7,8. The use of fixation reagents in the glycerol gradient stabilizes the binding of such factors, allowing the confirmation of interactions of specific proteins with splicing subcomplexes. Because the chosen crosslinker was chemically irreversible, proteins present in the recovered fractions were analyzed by dot blot after the gradient centrifugation.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-Calmodulin Binding Protein Epitope</td>
			<td>Millipore</td>
			<td>07-482</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ECL anti-Rabbit IgG</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare</td>
			<td>NA934</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EconoSystem</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1-800-424-6723</td>
			<td>Parts of the EconoSystem used: peristaltic pump, the UV detector and the fraction collector</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EDTA-free Protease Inhibitor Cocktail</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td>11873580001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fraction Recovery System</td>
			<td>Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td>270-331580</td>
			<td>Tube-perforating device that was connected to the parts of the EconoSystem</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gradient Master Model 107ip</td>
			<td>Biocomp</td>
			<td>107-201M</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mixer Mill MM 200</td>
			<td>Retsch</td>
			<td>207460001</td>
			<td>Ball Mill device</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rotor F12-6x500Lex</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>096-062375</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sorvall RC 6 Plus Centrifuge</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>36-101-0816</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Swinging Bucket Rotor P40ST</td>
			<td>Hitachi</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ultracentrifuge CP 80 NX</td>
			<td>Hitachi</td>
			<td>901069</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ultra-Clear Centrifuge Tubes (14 x 89 mm)</td>
			<td>Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td>344059</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

utilization of grafix for the detection of transient interactors of saccharomyces cerevisiae spliceosome subcomplexes

Pre-mRNA splicing is a very dynamic process that involves many molecular rearrangements of the spliceosome subcomplexes during assembly, RNA processing, and release of the complex components. Glycerol gradient centrifugation has been used for the separation of protein or RNP (RiboNucleoProtein) complexes for functional and structural studies. Here, we describe the utilization of Grafix (Gradient Fixation), which was first developed to purify and stabilize macromolecular complexes for single particle cryo-electron microscopy, to identify interactions between splicing factors that bind transiently to the spliceosome complex. This method is based on the centrifugation of samples into an increasing concentration of a fixation reagent to stabilize complexes. After centrifugation of yeast total extracts loaded on glycerol gradients, recovered fractions are analyzed by dot blot for the identification of the spliceosome sub-complexes and determination of the presence of individual splicing factors.

To analyze the sedimentation profile of Cwc24-TAP and determine whether the Grafix method was effective to stabilize its binding to splicing subcomplexes, we separated total yeast extracts of cells expressing Cwc24-TAP through centrifugation on glycerol gradients, in the presence or absence of glutaraldehyde as a crosslinking agent. Samples of twenty-four 500 &#956;L fractions were then analyzed by slot blot with antibody against the CBP portion of the TAP tag. The results show that in the absence of the crosslinker, Cwc...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Utilization of Grafix for the Detection of Transient Interactors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Spliceosome Subcomplexes at JoVE.com

Utilization of Grafix for the Detection of Transient Interactors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Spliceosome Subcomplexes

Here, we describe the utilization of Grafix (Gradient Fixation), a glycerol gradient centrifugation in the presence of a crosslinker, to identify interactions between splicing factors that bind transiently to the spliceosome complex.

Utilization of Grafix for the Detection of Transient Interactors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Spliceosome Subcomplexes

Pre-mRNA splicing is a very dynamic process that involves many molecular rearrangements of the spliceosome subcomplexes during assembly, RNA processing, ...

The gradient fixation method, in which a glycerol gradient centrifugation is performed in the presence of a cross-linker, helps to identify interactions between proteins that bind transiently to multi-subunit complexes. The use of fixation reagents in the glycerol gradient stabilize the bind of loose factors, without the formation of precipitates, allowing the identification of the interactions of specific proteins with spliced semi complex's. The demonstration of end protocol helps first time users to learn information that may be difficult to understand from written text alone.For yeast total extract preparation, grow the yeast cells expressing one of the splicing factors fused to the tap tag and one liter of Y and B glucose medium supplemented with the appropriate amino acids or nucleic bases. When the culture reaches an optical density at 600 nanometers of one, collect the yeast cells by centrifugation in three 500 milliliter centrifuge bottles, and wash the cells two times in 10 milliliters of cold sterile water per wash. After the second wash, resuspend the cells in one 10th of the cell volume of cold buffer A, and freeze 50 microliter drops of the yeast cell suspension in liquid nitrogen.After freezing, grind the frozen cell pellets through six cycles at 20 hertz for three minutes in a ball mill device, immersing the container of frozen cells in liquid nitrogen at the end of each cycle. After the last cycle, place the tubes containing the extracts into water at room temperature with occasional shaking. Once melted, centrifuge to collect the extracts.And quantify the protein that the cleared supernatants by the BCA method. Then fast freeze aliquots of the extracts in liquid nitrogen for minus 80 degrees Celsius storage. To prepare a glycerol gradient, add a 0.1%final concentration of the cross-linking agent glutaraldehyde to a 30%glycerol and buffer A solution, and mixed to homogenize.Add six milliliters of cold 10%glycerol and buffer A solution to a 12 milliliter centrifuge tube and use a gradient master device syringe equipped with a long needle to layer the 30%glycerol glutaraldehyde solution at the bottom of the tube. Use a gradient master device to create a linear glycerol gradient according to the manufacturer's specifications. Carefully layer 200 microliters of a 7%glycerol and buffer A cushion to the top of the gradient before adding approximately two milligrams of cell extract to the top of the tube.After glycerol gradient generation, place the sample in a pre cooled swing bucket rotor and collect the extract by centrifugation. Aliquot the sample from each 12 milliliter sample tube in 24 500 microliter fractions, and use a peristaltic pump to push a 40%glycerol solution through the 10 to 30%gradient from the tube to the fraction collection. Then load 50 microliters of each fraction directly onto the nitrocellulose membranes on a dot blot, followed by addition of blocking buffer, and use a primary antibody against CBP to detect the protein on the immuno blot, and an appropriate secondary antibody as necessary.In the absence of cross-linker CWC 24 is concentrated between fractions five and 13, corresponding to complexes of about 80 to 200 megadaltons. In the presence of the cross-linker, however, the position of CWC 24 on the gradient is shifted to fractions at the bottom of the gradient corresponding to larger complexes. Comparing CWC 24 sedimentation to that of the U5 snRNP subunit, Prp8, and the NTC subunit, Prp19 reveals that CWC 24 is concentrated in the same fractions.But, because it associates transiently with the spliceosome, it is also present in the lighter fractions. Interestingly, fractions 11 and 12 are those in which Prp8 and 19 start to concentrate, suggesting that this is the portion of the gradient where the B Act complex begins to sediment. Western blot analysis of fractions 11 and 12 reveals Prp8 and 19 signals as smears that barely enter an 8%acrylamide gel, showing that they are indeed part of large complexes.CWC 24 is also present in fraction 12, but in a much lower concentration, consistent with its transient binding to the B Act complex. Taken together, these results show that glutaraldehyde can be used as a cross-linker to stabilize the binding of transient factors to splicing sub complexes. This method can be applied to the study of any dynamic motor sub-unit complexes that associates transiently with some of their components, such as the spliceosome.

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Research

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Biochemistry

Studying RNA Interactors of Protein Kinase RNA-Activated during the Mammalian Cell Cycle

Protein kinase RNA-activated (PKR) is a member of the innate immune response proteins and recognizes the double-stranded secondary structure of viral RNAs. When bound to viral double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), PKR undergoes dimerization and subsequent autophosphorylation. Phosphorylated PKR (pPKR) becomes active and induces phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2&#945;) to suppress global translation. Increasing evidence suggests that PKR can be activated under physiological conditions such as during the cell cycle or under various stress conditions without infection. However, our understanding of the RNA activators of PKR is limited due to the lack of a standardized experimental method to capture and analyze PKR-interacting dsRNAs. Here, we present an experimental protocol to specifically enrich and analyze PKR bound RNAs during the cell cycle using HeLa cells. We utilize the efficient crosslinking activity of formaldehyde to fix PKR-RNA complexes and isolate them via immunoprecipitation. PKR co-immunoprecipitated RNAs can then be further processed to generate a high-throughput sequencing library. One major class of PKR-interacting cellular dsRNAs is mitochondrial RNAs (mtRNAs), which can exist as intermolecular dsRNAs through complementary interaction between the heavy-strand and the light-strand RNAs. To study the strandedness of these duplex mtRNAs, we also present a protocol for strand-specific qRT-PCR. Our protocol is optimized for the analysis of PKR-bound RNAs, but it can be easily modified to study cellular dsRNAs or RNA-interactors of other dsRNA binding proteins.

We present experimental approaches for studying RNA-interactors of double-stranded RNA binding protein kinase RNA-activated (PKR) during the mammalian cell cycle using HeLa cells. This method utilizes formaldehyde to crosslink RNA-PKR complexes and immunoprecipitation to enrich PKR-bound RNAs. These RNAs can be further analyzed through high-throughput sequencing or qRT-PCR.

Protein kinase RNA-activated (PKR) is a member of the innate immune response proteins and recognizes the double-stranded secondary structure of viral ...

Study on the Metabolism of Six Systemic Insecticides in a Newly Established Cell Suspension Culture Derived from Tea (Camellia Sinensis L.) Leaves

A platform for studying insecticide metabolism using in vitro tissues of tea plant was developed. Leaves from sterile tea plantlets were induced to form loose callus on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal media with the plant hormones 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, 1.0 mg L-1) and kinetin (KT, 0.1 mg L-1). Callus formed after 3 or 4 rounds of subculturing, each lasting 28 days. Loose callus (about 3 g) was then inoculated into B5 liquid media containing the same plant hormones and was cultured in a shaking incubator (120 rpm) in the dark at 25 &#177; 1 &#176;C. After 3&#8722;4 subcultures, a cell suspension derived from tea leaf was established at a subculture ratio ranging between 1:1 and 1:2 (suspension mother liquid: fresh medium). Using this platform, six insecticides (5 &#181;g mL-1 each thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, imidaclothiz, dimethoate, and omethoate) were added into the tea leaf-derived cell suspension culture. The metabolism of the insecticides was tracked using liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. To validate the usefulness of the tea cell suspension culture, the metabolites of thiamethoxan and dimethoate present in treated cell cultures and intact plants were compared using mass spectrometry. In treated tea cell cultures, seven metabolites of thiamethoxan and two metabolites of dimethoate were found, while in treated intact plants, only two metabolites of thiamethoxam and one of dimethoate were found. The use of a cell suspension simplified the metabolic analysis compared to the use of intact tea plants, especially for a difficult matrix such as tea.

Study on the Metabolism of Six Systemic Insecticides in a Newly Established Cell Suspension Culture Derived from Tea Camellia Sinensis L. Leaves

This work presents a protocol for establishing a cell suspension culture derived from tea (Camellia sinensis L.) leaves that can be used to study the metabolism of external compounds that can be taken up by the whole plant, such as insecticides.

A platform for studying insecticide metabolism using in vitro tissues of tea plant was developed. Leaves from sterile tea plantlets were induced to form ...

Quantitative Analysis of the Cellular Lipidome of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Lipids are structurally diverse amphipathic molecules that are insoluble in water. Lipids are essential contributors to the organization and function of biological membranes, energy storage and production, cellular signaling, vesicular transport of proteins, organelle biogenesis, and regulated cell death. Because the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a unicellular eukaryote amenable to thorough molecular analyses, its use as a model organism helped uncover mechanisms linking lipid metabolism and intracellular transport to complex biological processes within eukaryotic cells. The availability of a versatile analytical method for the robust, sensitive, and accurate quantitative assessment of major classes of lipids within a yeast cell is crucial for getting deep insights into these mechanisms. Here we present a protocol to use liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the quantitative analysis of major cellular lipids of S. cerevisiae. The LC-MS/MS method described is versatile and robust. It enables the identification and quantification of numerous species (including different isobaric or isomeric forms) within each of the 10 lipid classes. This method is sensitive and allows identification and quantitation of some lipid species at concentrations as low as 0.2 pmol/&#181;L. The method has been successfully applied to assessing lipidomes of whole yeast cells and their purified organelles. The use of alternative mobile phase additives for electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in this method can increase the efficiency of ionization for some lipid species and can be therefore used to improve their identification and quantitation.

Quantitative Analysis of the Cellular Lipidome of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

We present a protocol using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to identify and quantify major cellular lipids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The described method for a quantitative assessment of major lipid classes within a yeast cell is versatile, robust, and sensitive.

Lipids are structurally diverse amphipathic molecules that are insoluble in water. Lipids are essential contributors to the organization and function of ...

Labelling and Visualization of Mitochondrial Genome Expression Products in Baker's Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mitochondria are essential organelles of eukaryotic cells capable of aerobic respiration. They contain circular genome and gene expression apparatus. A mitochondrial genome of baker&#8217;s yeast encodes eight proteins: three subunits of the cytochrome c oxidase (Cox1p, Cox2p, and Cox3p), three subunits of the ATP synthase (Atp6p, Atp8p, and Atp9p), a subunit of the ubiquinol-cytochrome c oxidoreductase enzyme, cytochrome b (Cytb), and mitochondrial ribosomal protein Var1p. The purpose of the method described here is to specifically label these proteins with 35S methionine, separate them by electrophoresis and visualize the signals as discrete bands on the screen. The procedure involves several steps. First, yeast cells are cultured in a galactose-containing medium until they reach the late logarithmic growth stage. Next, cycloheximide treatment blocks cytoplasmic translation and allows 35S methionine incorporation only in mitochondrial translation products. Then, all proteins are extracted from yeast cells and separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Finally, the gel is dried and incubated with the storage phosphor screen. The screen is scanned on a phosphorimager revealing the bands. The method can be applied to compare the biosynthesis rate of a single polypeptide in the mitochondria of a mutant yeast strain versus the wild type, which is useful for studying mitochondrial gene expression defects. This protocol gives valuable information about the translation rate of all yeast mitochondrial mRNAs. However, it requires several controls and additional experiments to make proper conclusions.

Labelling and Visualization of Mitochondrial Genome Expression Products in Baker&#039;s Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Baker&#8217;s yeast mitochondrial genome encodes eight polypeptides. The goal of the current protocol is to label all of them and subsequently visualize them as separate bands.

Mitochondria are essential organelles of eukaryotic cells capable of aerobic respiration. They contain circular genome and gene expression apparatus. A ...

Quantitative Metabolomics of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Metabolomics is a methodology used for the identification and quantification of many low-molecular-weight intermediates and products of metabolism within a cell, tissue, organ, biological fluid, or organism. Metabolomics traditionally focuses on water-soluble metabolites. The water-soluble metabolome is the final product of a complex cellular network that integrates various genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and environmental factors. Hence, the metabolomic analysis directly assesses the outcome of the action for all these factors in a plethora of biological processes within various organisms. One of these organisms is the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a unicellular eukaryote with the fully sequenced genome. Because S. cerevisiae is amenable to comprehensive molecular analyses, it is used as a model for dissecting mechanisms underlying many biological processes within the eukaryotic cell. A versatile analytical method for the robust, sensitive, and accurate quantitative assessment of the water-soluble metabolome would provide the essential methodology for dissecting these mechanisms. Here we present a protocol for the optimized conditions of metabolic activity quenching in and water-soluble metabolite extraction from S. cerevisiae cells. The protocol also describes the use of liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the quantitative analysis of the extracted water-soluble metabolites. The LC-MS/MS method of non-targeted metabolomics described here is versatile and robust. It enables the identification and quantification of more than 370 water-soluble metabolites with diverse structural, physical, and chemical properties, including different structural isomers and stereoisomeric forms of these metabolites. These metabolites include various energy carrier molecules, nucleotides, amino acids, monosaccharides, intermediates of glycolysis, and tricarboxylic cycle intermediates. The LC-MS/MS method of non-targeted metabolomics is sensitive and allows the identification and quantitation of some water-soluble metabolites at concentrations as low as 0.05 pmol/&#181;L. The method has been successfully used for assessing water-soluble metabolomes of wild-type and mutant yeast cells cultured under different conditions.

Quantitative Metabolomics of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

We present a protocol for the identification and quantitation of major classes of water-soluble metabolites in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The described method is versatile, robust, and sensitive. It allows the separation of structural isomers and stereoisomeric forms of water-soluble metabolites from each other.

Metabolomics is a methodology used for the identification and quantification of many low-molecular-weight intermediates and products of metabolism within ...

Analysis of Neutral Lipid Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Metabolic Labeling and Thin Layer Chromatography

Neutral lipids (NLs) are a class of hydrophobic, chargeless biomolecules that play key roles in energy and lipid homeostasis. NLs are synthesized de novo&#160;from acetyl-CoA and are primarily present in eukaryotes in the form of triglycerides (TGs) and sterol-esters (SEs). The enzymes responsible for the synthesis of NLs are highly conserved from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) to humans, making yeast a useful model organism to dissect the function and regulation of NL metabolism enzymes. While much is known about how acetyl-CoA is converted into a diverse set of NL species, mechanisms for regulating NL metabolism enzymes, and how mis-regulation can contribute to cellular pathologies, are still being discovered. Numerous methods for the isolation and characterization of NL species have been developed and used over decades of research; however, a quantitative and simple protocol for the comprehensive characterization of major NL species has not been discussed. Here, a simple and adaptable method to quantify the de novo&#160;synthesis of major NL species in yeast is presented. We apply 14C-acetic acid metabolic labeling coupled with thin layer chromatography to separate and quantify a diverse range of physiologically important NLs. Additionally, this method can be easily applied to study in vivo reaction rates of NL enzymes or degradation of NL species over time.

Analysis of Neutral Lipid Synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by Metabolic Labeling and Thin Layer Chromatography

Here, a protocol is presented for the metabolic labeling of yeast with 14C-acetic acid, which is coupled with thin layer chromatography for the separation of neutral lipids.

Neutral lipids (NLs) are a class of hydrophobic, chargeless biomolecules that play key roles in energy and lipid homeostasis. NLs are synthesized de ...

Preparation and Cryo-FIB micromachining of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Cryo-Electron Tomography

Today, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is the only technique that can provide near-atomic resolution structural data on macromolecular complexes in situ. Owing to the strong interaction of an electron with the matter, high-resolution cryo-ET studies are limited to specimens with a thickness of less than 200 nm, which restricts the applicability of cryo-ET only to the peripheral regions of a cell. A complex workflow that comprises the preparation of thin cellular cross-sections by cryo-focused ion beam micromachining (cryo-FIBM) was introduced during the last decade to enable the acquisition of cryo-ET data from the interior of larger cells. We present a protocol for the preparation of cellular lamellae from a sample vitrified by plunge freezing utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a prototypical example of a eukaryotic cell with wide utilization in cellular and molecular biology research. We describe protocols for vitrification of S. cerevisiae into isolated patches of a few cells or a continuous monolayer of the cells on a TEM grid and provide a protocol for lamella preparation by cryo-FIB for these two samples.

Preparation and Cryo-FIB micromachining of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Cryo-Electron Tomography

We present a protocol for lamella preparation of plunge frozen biological specimens by cryo-focused ion beam micromachining for high-resolution structural studies of macromolecules in situ with cryo-electron tomography. The presented protocol provides guidelines for the preparation of high-quality lamellae with high reproducibility for structural characterization of macromolecules inside the&#160;Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Today, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) is the only technique that can provide near-atomic resolution structural data on macromolecular complexes in ...

Assessment of Submitochondrial Protein Localization in Budding Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Despite recent advances in the characterization of yeast mitochondrial proteome, the submitochondrial localization of a significant number of proteins remains elusive. Here, we describe a robust and effective method for determining the suborganellar localization of yeast mitochondrial proteins, which is considered a fundamental step during mitochondrial protein function elucidation. This method involves an initial step that consists of obtaining highly pure intact mitochondria. These mitochondrial preparations are then subjected to a subfractionation protocol consisting of hypotonic shock (swelling) and incubation with proteinase K (protease). During swelling, the outer mitochondrial membrane is selectively disrupted, allowing the proteinase K to digest proteins of the intermembrane space compartment. In parallel, to obtain information about the topology of membrane proteins, the mitochondrial preparations are initially sonicated, and then subjected to alkaline extraction with sodium carbonate. Finally, after centrifugation, the pellet and supernatant fractions from these different treatments are analyzed by SDS-PAGE and western blot. The submitochondrial localization as well as the membrane topology of the protein of interest is obtained by comparing its western blot profile with known standards.

Assessment of Submitochondrial Protein Localization in Budding Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Despite recent advances, many yeast mitochondrial proteins still remain with their functions completely unknown. This protocol provides a simple and reliable method to determine the submitochondrial localization of proteins, which has been fundamental for the elucidation of their molecular functions.

Despite recent advances in the characterization of yeast mitochondrial proteome, the submitochondrial localization of a significant number of proteins ...

Purification of Endogenous Drosophila Transient Receptor Potential Channels

Drosophila phototransduction is one of the fastest known G protein-coupled signaling pathways. To ensure the specificity and efficiency of this cascade, the calcium (Ca2+)-permeable cation channel, transient receptor potential (TRP), binds tightly to the scaffold protein, inactivation-no-after-potential D (INAD), and forms a large signaling protein complex with eye-specific protein kinase C (ePKC) and phospholipase C&#946;/No receptor potential A (PLC&#946;/NORPA). However, the biochemical properties of the Drosophila TRP channel remain unclear. Based on the assembling mechanism of INAD protein complex, a modified affinity purification plus competition strategy was developed to purify the endogenous TRP channel. First, the purified histidine (His)-tagged NORPA 863-1095 fragment was bound to Ni-beads and used as bait to pull down the endogenous INAD protein complex from Drosophila head homogenates. Then, excessive purified glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged TRP 1261-1275 fragment was added to the Ni-beads to compete with the TRP channel. Finally, the TRP channel in the supernatant was separated from the excessive TRP 1261-1275 peptide by size-exclusion chromatography. This method makes it possible to study the gating mechanism of the Drosophila TRP channel from both biochemical and structural angles. The electrophysiology properties of purified Drosophila TRP channels can also be measured in the future.

Purification of Endogenous Drosophila Transient Receptor Potential Channels

Based on the assembling mechanism of the INAD protein complex, in this protocol, a modified affinity purification plus competition strategy was developed to purify the endogenous Drosophila TRP channel.

Drosophila phototransduction is one of the fastest known G protein-coupled signaling pathways. To ensure the specificity and efficiency of this cascade, ...

Motility of Single Molecules and Clusters of Bi-Directional Kinesin-5 Cin8 Purified from S. cerevisiae Cells

The mitotic bipolar kinesin-5 motors perform essential functions in spindle dynamics. These motors exhibit a homo-tetrameric structure with two pairs of catalytic motor domains, located at opposite ends of the active complex. This unique architecture enables kinesin-5 motors to crosslink and slide apart antiparallel spindle microtubules (MTs), thus providing the outwardly-directed force that separates the spindle poles apart. Previously, kinesin-5 motors were believed to be exclusively plus-end directed. However, recent studies revealed that several fungal kinesin-5 motors are minus-end directed at the single-molecule level and can switch directionality under various experimental conditions. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae kinesin-5 Cin8 is an example of such bi-directional motor protein: in high ionic strength conditions single molecules of Cin8 move in the minus-end direction of the MTs. It was also shown that Cin8 forms motile clusters, predominantly at the minus-end of the MTs, and such clustering allows Cin8 to switch directionality and undergo slow, plus-end directed motility. This article provides a detailed protocol for all steps of working with GFP-tagged kinesin-5 Cin8, from protein overexpression in S. cerevisiae cells and its purification to in vitro single-molecule motility assay. A newly developed method described here helps to differentiate between single molecules and clusters of Cin8, based on their fluorescence intensity. This method enables separate analysis of motility of single molecules and clusters of Cin8, thus providing the characterization of the dependence of Cin8 motility on its cluster size.

Motility of Single Molecules and Clusters of Bi-Directional Kinesin-5 Cin8 Purified from S. cerevisiae Cells

The bi-directional mitotic kinesin-5 Cin8 accumulates in clusters that split and merge during their motility. Accumulation in clusters also changes the velocity and directionality of Cin8. Here, a protocol for motility assays with purified Cin8-GFP and analysis of motile properties of single molecules and clusters of Cin8 is described.

The mitotic bipolar kinesin-5 motors perform essential functions in spindle dynamics. These motors exhibit a homo-tetrameric structure with two pairs of ...