We would like to thank Dr. Rich Rogers for technical assistance with mass spectrometry analyses and helpful discussions, and Drs. Rob Moritz, Jeff Ranish, and Hamid Mirzai for helpful discussions.
This work was funded by the NIH Centers of Excellence.

Cell growth and media
<ol>
 <li>A single colony of BY4742&Delta;arg4&Delta;lys1 cells overnight in 100 mL rich media to an OD600 of 1.0 then seed into two 1 liter cultures of a minimal yeast medium (0.17% Yeast Nitrogen Base without Ammonium Sulfate or Amino Acids, 0.5% Ammonium sulfate) containing a full complement of amino acids, supplemented with 20mg/L of isotopically normal or heavy arginine (13C6 15N4; Isotec) and lysine (13C6 15N2; Isotec).</li>
 <li>The cells were grown for 18 hours, to an OD600 of 1.8. It is critical that the cells go through at least 9 generations to achieve full incorporation of the labeled isotopes. The light sample was pelleted, washed with sterile water, reseeded into an oleate containing medium (isotopically normal arginine and lysine, 0.2% Oleate (Sigma Chemicals) and 0.5% Tween 40 (Sigma Chemicals)) and stimulated for another 85 minutes. This yields an isotopically light, with respect to arginine and lysine, oleate-stimulated sample and an isotopically heavy glucose-grown reference sample.</li>
</ol>
Cell Lysis, Isolation and Fractionation of Peptides
<ol start="3">
 <li>Weigh centrifuge bottle. Harvest samples by centrifugation for 3 minutes. Remove media and aspirate excess liquid. Weigh pellet and bottle (will typically yield between 1-2 grams) then flash freeze in liquid nitrogen. Add a volume equivalent to pellet weight of 'grinding' buffer to the frozen pellets in liquid nitrogen (Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS, Gibco), 10% glycerol, Protease Inhibitors (SigmaFAST Protease Inhibitor Tablets, Sigma) and HALT Phosphatase inhibitors (Thermo Scientific)).</li>
 <li>Freeze the grinding vessel in liquid nitrogen. Wait until the liquid nitrogen ceases boiling. Transfer the pellet to the grinding vessel, with frozen ball bearings.</li>
 <li>Grind at 600 rpm with a 1 min 20 sec cycle with a direction reversal for 3 minutes. Refreeze the grinding vessel in liquid nitrogen. Repeat 4 more times for 15 minutes total grinding time.</li>
 <li>Collect the frozen grindate into a 50ml Falcon tube place dry ice. Store at -80 &deg;C until ready to use.</li>
 <li>Make a 10ml solution of 8M urea, 0.1M ammonium bicarbonate, 0.1M Tris pH 8.6. Add 3 volumes of the urea buffer to 1 volume of the frozen grindate (for example 3mls of the urea buffer added to a 1 gram pellet with 1 ml of PBS buffer). Immediately sonicate the mixture with a probe tip sonicator (2 - 10 second pulses). Keep the tip near the bottom of the tube to prevent foaming of the solution. The grindate should immediately go into solution.</li>
 <li>Clear the lysate by centrifugation for 5 minutes at 4&deg;C.</li>
 <li>Transfer supernatant to fresh tubes.</li>
 <li>Make a fresh aliquot of 0.5M Tris[2-carboxyethyl] phosphine (TCEP). Add to sample at 1:100 for a 5mM final concentration. Incubate at 37&deg;C for 1 h.</li>
 <li>Alkylation of reduced cysteines. Allow to cool to room temperature. Make a fresh aliquot of 1M iodoacetamide. Keep in the dark (we wrap the tube in foil). Add to a final concentration of 20mM. Incubate in the dark for 1 h at room temperature.</li>
 <li>Quench the iodoacetamide with 20mM DTT from a 1M stock at room temperature for 1 h.</li>
 <li>Quantify the protein with a standard Bradford or BCA assay (not described). Take a sample for analysis by SDS PAGE below.</li>
 <li>To validate incorporation of the heavy isotopes, use 100 &mu;l of the reduced and alkylated lysate. Dilute 1:4 with dH2O, sonicate and add trypsin at 50:1 protein to trypsin. Digest for a minimum of 4 hours, dry sample down in a speed vac and then desalt with a C18 Ultramicrospin columns (The Nest Group).
 <ol>
 <li>Hydrate column with 100 &mu;l of Acetonitrile</li>
 <li>Equilibrate with 200 &mu;l 0.1% TFA.</li>
 <li>Resuspend dry sample in 200 &mu;l 0.1% TFA. Load onto column. Centrifuge at ~200 x g or the minimal speed required for flow through the column.</li>
 <li>Wash twice with 200 &mu;l 0.1% TFA.</li>
 <li>Elute with twice with 50 &mu;l 60% Acetonitrile, 0.1% TFA.</li>
 <li>Dry sample in a speed vac.</li>
 <li>Resuspend sample in 20 &mu;l 0.1% Formic acid. Run 2 &mu;l on a mass spectrometer. Check incorporation of isotopically heavy arginine and lysine by a 10 and 8 Dalton shift in the respective m/z spectra. The incorporation for each amino acid should be between 96 - 98%.</li>
 </ol>
 </li>
 <li>Mix equivalent amounts (mg of proteins) of the isotopically heavy and light samples.</li>
 <li>Dilute sample 1:4 with 20% methanol.</li>
 <li>Add trypsin at 1:200. Incubate overnight at 37&deg;C.</li>
 <li>Check that digestion has gone to completion by SDS PAGE. Run 2 and 4 &mu;l of the predigestion sample and 8 and 16 &mu;l of the post trypsin digest. Visualize by Coomassie staining that digestion is complete. If it is not complete, sonicate the sample with a probe tip sonicator briefly and digest again with trypsin.</li>
 <li>Dry the sample down in a speed vac. When dry add 200 &mu;l of filtered dH2O and vortex till the pellet goes into solution. Dry sample down in a speed vac. Resuspend again with dH2O. Dry sample again.</li>
 <li>Resuspend pellet in 0.1% Trifluoracetic Acid (TFA; Sigma). Check that the pH is around 3 using pH strips. If needed acidify with 10% TFA.</li>
 <li>Pellet out any precipitate.</li>
 <li>Desalt the samples on a Waters Sep-Pak Vac 500 mg C18 column. Do not overload these columns. The maximum amount is 5 mg but it's better to load a little less. Divide the sample between multiple columns if necessary.
 <ol>
 <li>Hydrate the column with 5 ml 100% acetonitrile. Centrifuge at ~200 x g or the minimal speed required for flow through the column.</li>
 <li>Equilibrate column with 5ml 0.1% TFA. Load sample. Collect flow and load again.</li>
 <li>Wash with 5 ml 0.1% TFA. Repeat.</li>
 <li>Elute with 2ml 60% Acetonitrile, 0.1% TFA.</li>
 <li>Dry sample down in a speed vac.</li>
 </ol>
 </li>
 </ol>
 Peptide Fractionation and Isolation of Phosphopeptides
<ol>
<li>Peptides are fractionated on a HILIC column. We use a TOSOH TSK-Gel Amide-80 4.6 mm x 25 cm analytical column with a guard column. Take your time with this step, run the column for 2 hours at 90% A then run two blank gradients before loading your sample. The maximum load on a column this size is thought to be around XX, we typically do not load more than 5 mg per run.</li>
<li>Solvent A - 98% ACN/0.1% TFA 
Solvent B - 2% ACN/0.1% TFA 
Load in 90% A over 20', 90% A to 85% A over 5', 85% A to 60% A over 40', 60% A to 0% A over 5', 0% A to 90% A over 5'.</li>
<li>The flow rate is 1ml/min and fractions were collected at 2 minutes intervals beginning at the 85% A to 60% A gradient.</li>
<li>Combine fractions to reduce the number of fractions to 10. Increased fractions will likely yield greater coverage of the phosphoproteome.</li>
</ol>
Enrichment of phosphopeptides
<ol>
<li>Phosphopeptides are enriched using PHOS-Select Iron Affinity Gel. We aliquot our IMAC resin to avoid repeated freeze thawing. Make 50 mls of a 250 mM acetic acid, 30% ACN load solution. Bring the pH to 2.7 with HCl. Resuspend pellets in 500 &mu;l of load solution. Check pH, adjust with HCl or NaOH as necessary.</li>
<li>Prewash 200 &mu;l of IMAC beads in an appropriate column. We use Molbiotec spin columns. 
Add 15 &mu;l of a 50% slurry (gel to load solution) to each fraction, and incubate the samples for 30' with end over end rotation. Keep the flow for analysis.</li>
<li>Wash samples 3 times with load solution and once with 500 &mu;l filtered dH2O.</li>
<li>Elute peptides with 2- 3 min with 400 &mu;l of 50 mM Na2HPO4 (pH 8.4) buffer. Transfer to a glass vial.</li>
<li>Acidify to pH 3 with 5 &mu;l 100% formic acid, flash freeze in liquid nitrogen, and dried sample down in a speed vac. </li>
<li>Resuspend phosphopeptides in 200 &mu;l of 0.1% TFA and C18 clean as described above. Dry down eluted samples in a speed vac. </li>
<li>Resuspend peptides in 20 &mu;l of 0.1% formic acid. Use 2 &mu;l per mass spectrometer analysis or as needed.</li>
</ol>
Notes
For much of this protocol you will be working 'blind'. The cell lysis can be monitored by western blotting and Bradford or BCA assays, and the trypsin digestion can also be readily assessed. The HILIC column will gave a trace similar to this one, or as seen by others [1, 2] depending on the liquid chromatography machine that is used. Samples are monitored by mass spectrometry; test your samples on inexpensive machines such as LCQs or MALDIs before going to the high cost analyses on a high mass accuracy, high resolution machine. Finally if you a drying down a sample with acid in it, use glass.

<ol>
	<li>Albuquerque, C. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+multidimensional+chromatography+technology+for+in-depth+phosphoproteome+analysis.">A multidimensional chromatography technology for in-depth phosphoproteome analysis.</a> Mol Cell Proteomics. 7 (7), 1389-1396 (2008).</li><li>McNulty, D. E., Annan, R. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hydrophilic+interaction+chromatography+reduces+the+complexity+of+the+phosphoproteome+and+improves+global+phosphopeptide+isolation+and+detection.">Hydrophilic interaction chromatography reduces the complexity of the phosphoproteome and improves global phosphopeptide isolation and detection.</a> Mol Cell Proteomics. 7 (5), 971-980 (2008).</li><li>Gygi, S. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantitative+analysis+of+complex+protein+mixtures+using+isotope-coded+affinity+tags.">Quantitative analysis of complex protein mixtures using isotope-coded affinity tags.</a> Nat Biotechnol. 17 (10), 994-999 (1999).</li><li>Ross, P. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Multiplexed+protein+quantitation+in+Saccharomyces+cerevisiae+using+amine-reactive+isobaric+tagging+reagents.">Multiplexed protein quantitation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using amine-reactive isobaric tagging reagents.</a> Mol Cell Proteomics. 3 (12), 1154-1169 (2004).</li><li>Gruhler, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantitative+phosphoproteomics+applied+to+the+yeast+pheromone+signaling+pathway.">Quantitative phosphoproteomics applied to the yeast pheromone signaling pathway.</a> Mol Cell Proteomics. 4 (3), 310-327 (2005).</li><li>Wilson-Grady, J. T., Villen, J., Gygi, S. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Phosphoproteome+analysis+of+fission+yeast.">Phosphoproteome analysis of fission yeast.</a> J Proteome Res. 7 (3), 1088-1097 (2008).</li><li>Villen, J., Gygi, S. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+SCX/IMAC+enrichment+approach+for+global+phosphorylation+analysis+by+mass+spectrometry.">The SCX/IMAC enrichment approach for global phosphorylation analysis by mass spectrometry.</a> Nat Protoc. 3 (10), 1630-1638 (2008).</li><li>Jensen, S. S., Larsen, M. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evaluation+of+the+impact+of+some+experimental+procedures+on+different+phosphopeptide+enrichment+techniques.">Evaluation of the impact of some experimental procedures on different phosphopeptide enrichment techniques.</a> Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 21 (22), 3635-3645 (2007).</li><li>Larsen, M. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Highly+selective+enrichment+of+phosphorylated+peptides+from+peptide+mixtures+using+titanium+dioxide+microcolumns.">Highly selective enrichment of phosphorylated peptides from peptide mixtures using titanium dioxide microcolumns.</a> Mol Cell Proteomics. 4 (7), 873-886 (2005).</li><li>Pinkse, M. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Selective+isolation+at+the+femtomole+level+of+phosphopeptides+from+proteolytic+digests+using+2D-NanoLC-ESI-MS/MS+and+titanium+oxide+precolumns.">Selective isolation at the femtomole level of phosphopeptides from proteolytic digests using 2D-NanoLC-ESI-MS/MS and titanium oxide precolumns.</a> Anal Chem. 76 (14), 3935-3943 (2004).</li><li>Tao, W. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantitative+phosphoproteome+analysis+using+a+dendrimer+conjugation+chemistry+and+tandem+mass+spectrometry.">Quantitative phosphoproteome analysis using a dendrimer conjugation chemistry and tandem mass spectrometry.</a> Nat Methods. 2 (8), 591-598 (2005).</li><li>Zhou, H., Watts, J. D., Aebersold, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+systematic+approach+to+the+analysis+of+protein+phosphorylation.">A systematic approach to the analysis of protein phosphorylation.</a> Nat Biotechnol. 19 (4), 375-378 (2001).</li><li>Bodenmiller, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reproducible+isolation+of+distinct,+overlapping+segments+of+the+phosphoproteome.">Reproducible isolation of distinct, overlapping segments of the phosphoproteome.</a> Nat Methods. 4 (3), 231-237 (2007).</li></ol>

This method will yield an enrichment of phosphopeptides that can be quantitatively analyzed. A number of parameters can be altered in this protocol, but the most important aspect to remember is to preserve your phosphorylation. Preparation of cells for quantification can be achieved in a number of different ways, for example if you cannot label your cells in vivo, tags such as ICAT[3] or ITRAC [4] can be used post extraction to differentially label two cultures for quantification purposes. 
<p class="jove_c...

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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">	
		
		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Isotec&trade; L-Arginine-13C6,15N4</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>608033</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Isotec&trade; L-Lysine-15N2</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>609021</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>GIBCO&#x2122; Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS) 7.4 (10X) liquid</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>70011044</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>SigmaFAST Protease Inhibitor Tablets</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>S8820</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Pierce Halt Phosphatase Inhibitor Cocktail</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
<td>78420</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Retsch PM100 Ball Mill Grinder </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Retsch</td>
<td>20.540.0001</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Retsch 125 ml Stainless Steel Grinding Jar</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Retsch</td>
<td>01.462.0148</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Ultramicrospin C18 column</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>The Nest Group</td>
<td>SUM SS10</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Sep-Pak Vac 500 mg C18</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Waters</td>
<td>WAT043395</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>TSK-Gel Amide-80 4.6 mm x 25 cm analytical column</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>TOSOH BioSciences</td>
<td>13071</td>
<td>This is the HILIC chromatographic column.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Guard column 4.6 mm ID x1 cm</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>TOSOH BioSciences</td>
<td>19021</td>
<td>We recommend this guard column to extend the life of your HILIC column.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PHOS-Select&trade; Iron Affinity Gel</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>P9740</td>
<td>This is the IMAC resin. Aliquot and store.</td>
</tr>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

quantitative phosphoproteomics in fatty acid stimulated saccharomyces cerevisiae

This protocol describes the growth and stimulation, with the fatty acid oleate, of isotopically heavy and light S. cerevisiae cells. Cells are ground using a cryolysis procedure in a ball mill grinder and the resulting grindate brought into solution by urea solubilization. This procedure allows for the lysis of the cells in a metabolically inactive state, preserving phosphorylation and preventing reorientation of the phosphoproteome during cell lysis.  Following reduction, alkylation, trypsin digestion of the proteins, the samples are desalted on C18 columns and the sample complexity reduced by fractionation using hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). HILIC columns preferentially retain hydrophilic molecules which is well suited for phosphoproteomics.  Phosphorylated peptides tend to elute later in the chromatographic profile than the non phosphorylated counterparts. After fractionation, phosphopeptides are enriched using immobilized metal chromatography, which relies on charge-based affinities for phosphopeptide enrichment. At the end of this procedure the samples are ready to be quantitatively analyzed by mass spectrometry.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Quantitative Phosphoproteomics in Fatty Acid Stimulated Saccharomyces cerevisiae at JoVE.com

Quantitative Phosphoproteomics in Fatty Acid Stimulated Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Description of a quantitative phosphorylation procedure using cryolysis, urea solubilziation, HILIC fractionation and IMAC enrichment of phosphorylated peptides.

Quantitative Phosphoproteomics in Fatty Acid Stimulated Saccharomyces cerevisiae

This protocol describes the growth and stimulation, with the fatty acid oleate, of isotopically heavy and light S. cerevisiae cells. Cells are ground ...

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10.0K Views.  Institute for Systems Biology. Description of a quantitative phosphorylation procedure using cryolysis, urea solubilziation, HILIC fractionation and IMAC enrichment of phosphorylated peptides.

Video: Quantitative Phosphoproteomics in Fatty Acid Stimulated Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Dissection of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Asci

Yeast is a highly tractable model system that is used to study many different cellular processes. The common laboratory strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae exists in either a haploid or diploid state. The ability to combine alleles from two haploids and the ability to introduce modifications to the genome requires the production and dissection of asci. Asci production from haploid cells begins with the mating of two yeast haploid strains with compatible mating types to produce a diploid strain. This can be accomplished in a number of ways either on solid medium or in liquid. It is advantageous to select for the diploids in medium that selectively promotes their growth compared to either of the haploid strains. The diploids are then allowed to sporulate on nutrient-poor medium to form asci, a bundle of four haploid daughter cells resulting from meiotic reproduction of the diploid. A mixture of vegetative cells and asci is then treated with the enzyme zymolyase to digest away the membrane sac surrounding the ascospores of the asci. Using micromanipulation with a microneedle under a dissection microscope one can pick up individual asci and separate and relocate the four ascopores. Dissected asci are grown for several days and tested for the markers or alleles of interest by replica plating onto appropriate selective media.

Dissection of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Asci

Micromanipulation of yeast cells is needed for meiotic genetic analysis or to select diploid zygotes. These micromanipulations are carried out using the microneedle of a dissection microscope. The microneedle is used to relocate cells and is controlled by a micromanipulator which are available with various degrees of automation.

Yeast is a highly tractable model system that is used to study many different cellular processes. The common laboratory strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae ...

Microarray Analysis for Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In this protocol, gene expression in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is changed after exposure to oxidative stress induced by the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidizing agent. In the experiment, yeast is grown for 48 hours in 1/2X YPD broth containing 3X glucose. The culture is split into a control and treated group. The experiment culture is treated with 0.5 mM H2O2 in Hanks Buffered Saline (HBSS) for 1 hour. The control culture is treated with HBSS only. Total RNA is extracted from both cultures and is converted to a biotin-labeled cRNA product through a multistep process. The final synthesis product is taken back to the UVM Microarray Core Facility and hybridized to the Affymetrix yeast GeneChips. The resulting gene expression data are uploaded into bioinformatics data analysis software.

Microarray Analysis for Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In this protocol, gene expression in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is changed after exposure to oxidative stress induced by the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidizing agent.

In this protocol, gene expression in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is changed after exposure to oxidative stress induced by the addition of hydrogen ...

A Fluorescence Microscopy Assay for Monitoring Mitophagy in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Autophagy is important for turnover of cellular components under a range of different conditions. It serves an essential homeostatic function as well as a quality control mechanism that can target and selectively degrade cellular material including organelles1-4. For example, damaged or redundant mitochondria (Fig. 1), not disposed of by autophagy, can represent a threat to cellular homeostasis and cell survival. In the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, nutrient deprivation (e.g., nitrogen starvation) or damage can promote selective turnover of mitochondria by autophagy in a process termed mitophagy 5-9.
We describe a simple fluorescence microscopy approach to assess autophagy. For clarity we restrict our description here to show how the approach can be used to monitor mitophagy in yeast cells. The assay makes use of a fluorescent reporter, Rosella, which is a dual-emission biosensor comprising a relatively pH-stable red fluorescent protein linked to a pH-sensitive green fluorescent protein. The operation of this reporter relies on differences in pH between the vacuole (pH ~ 5.0-5.5) and mitochondria (pH ~ 8.2) in living cells. Under growing conditions, wild type cells exhibit both red and green fluorescence distributed in a manner characteristic of the mitochondria. Fluorescence emission is not associated with the vacuole. When subjected to nitrogen starvation, a condition which induces mitophagy, in addition to red and green fluorescence labeling the mitochondria, cells exhibit the accumulation of red, but not green fluorescence, in the acidic vacuolar lumen representing the delivery of mitochondria to the vacuole. Scoring cells with red, but not green fluorescent vacuoles can be used as a measure of mitophagic activity in cells5,10-12.

A Fluorescence Microscopy Assay for Monitoring Mitophagy in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A robust approach to monitor the delivery of organelles to the acidic lumen of the yeast vacuole for degradation and recycling is described. The method relies on the specific labeling of target organelles with a genetically encoded dual-emission fluorescence pH-biosensor, and visualization of individual cells using fluorescence microscopy.

Autophagy is important for turnover of cellular components under a range of different conditions. It serves an essential homeostatic function as well as a ...

Quantitation and Analysis of the Formation of HO-Endonuclease Stimulated Chromosomal Translocations by Single-Strand Annealing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Genetic variation is frequently mediated by genomic rearrangements that arise through interaction between dispersed repetitive elements present in every eukaryotic genome. This process is an important mechanism for generating diversity between and within organisms1-3. The human genome consists of approximately 40% repetitive sequence of retrotransposon origin, including a variety of LINEs and SINEs4. Exchange events between these repetitive elements can lead to genome rearrangements, including translocations, that can disrupt gene dosage and expression that can result in autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases5, as well as cancer in humans6-9.
Exchange between repetitive elements occurs in a variety of ways. Exchange between sequences that share perfect (or near-perfect) homology occurs by a process called homologous recombination (HR). By contrast, non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) uses little-or-no sequence homology for exchange10,11. The primary purpose of HR, in mitotic cells, is to repair double-strand breaks (DSBs) generated endogenously by aberrant DNA replication and oxidative lesions, or by exposure to ionizing radiation (IR), and other exogenous DNA damaging agents. 
In the assay described here, DSBs are simultaneously created bordering recombination substrates at two different chromosomal loci in diploid cells by a galactose-inducible HO-endonuclease (Figure 1). The repair of the broken chromosomes generates chromosomal translocations by single strand annealing (SSA), a process where homologous sequences adjacent to the chromosome ends are covalently joined subsequent to annealing. One of the substrates, his3-&Delta;3', contains a 3' truncated HIS3 allele and is located on one copy of chromosome XV at the native HIS3 locus. The second substrate, his3-&Delta;5', is located at the LEU2 locus on one copy of chromosome III, and contains a 5' truncated HIS3 allele. Both substrates are flanked by a HO endonuclease recognition site that can be targeted for incision by HO-endonuclease. HO endonuclease recognition sites native to the MAT locus, on both copies of chromosome III, have been deleted in all strains. This prevents interaction between the recombination substrates and other broken chromosome ends from interfering in the assay. The KAN-MX-marked galactose-inducible HO endonuclease expression cassette is inserted at the TRP1 locus on chromosome IV. The substrates share 311 bp or 60 bp of the HIS3 coding sequence that can be used by the HR machinery for repair by SSA. Cells that use these substrates to repair broken chromosomes by HR form an intact HIS3 allele and a tXV::III chromosomal translocation that can be selected for by the ability to grow on medium lacking histidine (Figure 2A). Translocation frequency by HR is calculated by dividing the number of histidine prototrophic colonies that arise on selective medium by the total number of viable cells that arise after plating appropriate dilutions onto non-selective medium (Figure 2B). A variety of DNA repair mutants have been used to study the genetic control of translocation formation by SSA using this system12-14.

Quantitation and Analysis of the Formation of HO-Endonuclease Stimulated Chromosomal Translocations by Single-Strand Annealing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The HO-stimulated translocation assay monitors single-strand annealing following the creation of DNA double-strand breaks at multiple loci in diploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This mechanism may model genome rearrangements in somatic cells of higher eukaryotes following exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation.

Genetic variation is frequently mediated by genomic rearrangements that arise through interaction between dispersed repetitive elements present in every ...

Visualization and Analysis of mRNA Molecules Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) method allows one to detect nucleic acids in the native cellular environment. Here we provide a protocol for using FISH to quantify the number of mRNAs in single yeast cells. Cells can be grown in any condition of interest and then fixed and made permeable. Subsequently, multiple single-stranded deoxyoligonucleotides conjugated to fluorescent dyes are used to label and visualize mRNAs. Diffraction-limited fluorescence from single mRNA molecules is quantified using a spot-detection algorithm to identify and count the number of mRNAs per cell. While the more standard quantification methods of northern blots, RT-PCR and gene expression microarrays provide information on average mRNAs in the bulk population, FISH facilitates both the counting and localization of these mRNAs in single cells at single-molecule resolution.

Visualization and Analysis of mRNA Molecules Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

This protocol describes an experimental procedure for performing Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) for counting mRNAs in single cells at single-molecule resolution.

The Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) method allows one to detect nucleic acids in the native cellular environment. Here we provide a protocol for ...

Coupled Assays for Monitoring Protein Refolding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Proteostasis, defined as the combined processes of protein folding/biogenesis, refolding/repair, and degradation, is a delicate cellular balance that must be maintained to avoid deleterious consequences 1. External or internal factors that disrupt this balance can lead to protein aggregation, toxicity and cell death. In humans this is a major contributing factor to the symptoms associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases 10. It is therefore essential that the proteins involved in maintenance of proteostasis be identified in order to develop treatments for these debilitating diseases. This article describes techniques for monitoring in vivo protein folding at near-real time resolution using the model protein firefly luciferase fused to green fluorescent protein (FFL-GFP). FFL-GFP is a unique model chimeric protein as the FFL moiety is extremely sensitive to stress-induced misfolding and aggregation, which inactivates the enzyme 12. Luciferase activity is monitored using an enzymatic assay, and the GFP moiety provides a method of visualizing soluble or aggregated FFL using automated microscopy. These coupled methods incorporate two parallel and technically independent approaches to analyze both refolding and functional reactivation of an enzyme after stress. Activity recovery can be directly correlated with kinetics of disaggregation and re-solubilization to better understand how protein quality control factors such as protein chaperones collaborate to perform these functions. In addition, gene deletions or mutations can be used to test contributions of specific proteins or protein subunits to this process. In this article we examine the contributions of the protein disaggregase Hsp104 13, known to partner with the Hsp40/70/nucleotide exchange factor (NEF) refolding system 5, to protein refolding to validate this approach.

Coupled Assays for Monitoring Protein Refolding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

This article describes the use of a firefly luciferase-GFP fusion protein to investigate in vivo protein folding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using this reagent, refolding of a model heat-denatured protein can be monitored simultaneously by fluorescence microscopy and an enzymatic assay to probe the roles of proteostasis network components in protein quality control.

Proteostasis, defined as the combined processes of protein folding/biogenesis, refolding/repair, and degradation, is a delicate cellular balance that must ...

Measurement of mRNA Decay Rates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Using rpb1-1 Strains

mRNA steady state levels vary depending on environmental conditions. Regulation of the steady state accumulation levels of an mRNA ensures that the correct amount of protein is synthesized for the cell&#8217;s specific growth conditions. One approach for measuring mRNA decay rates is inhibiting transcription and subsequently monitoring the disappearance of the already present mRNA. The rate of mRNA decay can then be quantified, and an accurate half-life can be determined utilizing several techniques. In S. cerevisiae, protocols that measure mRNA half-lives have been developed and include inhibiting transcription of mRNA using strains that harbor a temperature sensitive allele of RNA polymerase II, rpb1-1. Other techniques for measuring mRNA half-lives include inhibiting transcription with transcriptional inhibitors such as thiolutin or 1,10-phenanthroline, or alternatively, by utilizing mRNAs that are under the control of a regulatable promoter such as the galactose inducible promoter and the TET-off system. Here, we describe measurement of S. cerevisiae mRNA decay rates using the temperature sensitive allele of RNA polymerase II. This technique can be used to measure mRNA decay rates of individual mRNAs or genome-wide.

Measurement of mRNA Decay Rates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Using rpb1-1 Strains

The steady state level of specific mRNAs is determined by the rate of synthesis and decay of the mRNA. Genome-wide mRNA degradation rates or the decay rates of specific mRNAs can be measured by determining mRNA half-lives. This protocol focuses on measurement of mRNA decay rates in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

mRNA steady state levels vary depending on environmental conditions. Regulation of the steady state accumulation levels of an mRNA ensures that the ...

Rapid Identification of Chemical Genetic Interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Determining the mode of action of bioactive chemicals is of interest to a broad range of academic, pharmaceutical, and industrial scientists. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or budding yeast, is a model eukaryote for which a complete collection of ~6,000 gene deletion mutants and hypomorphic essential gene mutants are commercially available. These collections of mutants can be used to systematically detect chemical-gene interactions, i.e. genes necessary to tolerate a chemical. This information, in turn, reports on the likely mode of action of the compound. Here we describe a protocol for the rapid identification of chemical-genetic interactions in budding yeast. We demonstrate the method using the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which has a well-defined mechanism of action. Our results show that the nuclear TRAMP RNA exosome and DNA repair enzymes are needed for proliferation in the presence of 5-FU, which is consistent with previous microarray based bar-coding chemical genetic approaches and the knowledge that 5-FU adversely affects both RNA and DNA metabolism. The required validation protocols of these high-throughput screens are also described.

Rapid Identification of Chemical Genetic Interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Here we present a cost-effective method for defining chemical-genetic interactions in budding yeast. The approach is built on fundamental techniques in yeast molecular biology and is well suited for the mechanistic interrogation of small to medium collections of chemicals and other media environments.

Determining the mode of action of bioactive chemicals is of interest to a broad range of academic, pharmaceutical, and industrial scientists. ...

Directed Evolution Method in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Mutant Library Creation and Screening

Directed evolution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae offers many attractive advantages when designing enzymes for biotechnological applications, a process that involves the construction, cloning and expression of mutant libraries, coupled to high frequency homologous DNA recombination in vivo. Here, we present a protocol to create and screen mutant libraries in yeast based on the example of a fungal aryl-alcohol oxidase (AAO) to enhance its total activity. Two protein segments were subjected to focused-directed evolution by random mutagenesis and in vivo DNA recombination. Overhangs of ~50 bp flanking each segment allowed the correct reassembly of the AAO-fusion gene in a linearized vector giving rise to a full autonomously replicating plasmid. Mutant libraries enriched with functional AAO variants were screened in S. cerevisiae supernatants with a sensitive high-throughput assay based on the Fenton reaction. The general process of library construction in S. cerevisiae described here can be readily applied to evolve many other eukaryotic genes, avoiding extra PCR reactions, in vitro DNA recombination and ligation steps.

Directed Evolution Method in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Mutant Library Creation and Screening

We present a detailed protocol to construct and screen mutant libraries for directed evolution campaigns in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Directed evolution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae offers many attractive advantages when designing enzymes for biotechnological applications, a process that ...

Cycloheximide Chase Analysis of Protein Degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Regulation of protein abundance is crucial to virtually every cellular process. Protein abundance reflects the integration of the rates of protein synthesis and protein degradation. Many assays reporting on protein abundance (e.g., single-time point western blotting, flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, or growth-based reporter assays) do not allow discrimination of the relative effects of translation and proteolysis on protein levels. This article describes the use of cycloheximide chase followed by western blotting to specifically analyze protein degradation in the model unicellular eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast). In this procedure, yeast cells are incubated in the presence of the translational inhibitor cycloheximide. Aliquots of cells are collected immediately after and at specific time points following addition of cycloheximide. Cells are lysed, and the lysates are separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for western blot analysis of protein abundance at each time point. The cycloheximide chase procedure permits visualization of the degradation kinetics of the steady state population of a variety of cellular proteins. The procedure may be used to investigate the genetic requirements for and environmental influences on protein degradation.

Cycloheximide Chase Analysis of Protein Degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Protein abundance reflects the rates of both protein synthesis and protein degradation. This article describes the use of cycloheximide chase followed by western blotting to analyze protein degradation in the model unicellular eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast).