Biological significance of nuclear localization of mitogen-activated protein kinase Pmk1 in fission yeast

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways play a fundamental role in the response of eukaryotic cells to environmental changes. Also, much evidence shows that the stimulus-dependent nuclear targeting of this class of regulatory kinases is crucial for adequate regulation of distinct...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Sánchez Mir, Laura, Franco Sánchez, Alejandro, Madrid Mateo, Marisa, Vicente Soler, Jero, Villar Tajadura, Maria Antonia, Soto Pino, Teresa, Pérez González, Pilar, Gacto Fernández, Mariano, Cansado Vizoso, José
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2012
País:España
Institución:Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM)
Repositorio:RIUCAM. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.ucam.edu:10952/8928
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10952/8928
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:MAPK
Fission yeast
Translocation
Subcellular location
Cell integrity pathway
Stress
Descripción
Sumario:Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways play a fundamental role in the response of eukaryotic cells to environmental changes. Also, much evidence shows that the stimulus-dependent nuclear targeting of this class of regulatory kinases is crucial for adequate regulation of distinct cellular events. In the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the cell integrity MAPK pathway, whose central element is the MAPK Pmk1, regulates multiple processes such as cell wall integrity, vacuole fusion, cytokinesis, and ionic homeostasis. In nonstressed cells Pmk1 is constitutively localized in both cytoplasm and nucleus, and its localization pattern appears unaffected by its activation status or in response to stress, thus questioning the biological significance of the presence of this MAPK into the nucleus. We have addressed this issue by characterizing mutants expressing Pmk1 versions excluded from the cell nucleus and anchored to the plasma membrane in different genetic backgrounds. Although nuclear Pmk1 partially regulates cell wall integrity at a transcriptional level, membranetethered Pmk1 performs many of the biological functions assigned to wild type MAPK like regulation of chloride homeostasis, vacuole fusion, and cellular separation. However, we found that down-regulation of nuclear Pmk1 by MAPK phosphatases induced by the stress activated protein kinase pathway is important for the fine modulation of extranuclearPmk1activity. These results highlight the importance of the control of MAPK activity at subcellular level.