Spo5/Mug12, a putative meiosis-specific RNA-binding protein, is essential for meiotic progression and forms Mei2 dot-like nuclear foci

Takashi Kasama, Akira Shigehisa, Aiko Hirata, Takamune T. Saito, Takahiro Tougan, Daisuke Okuzaki, Hiroshi Nojima

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We report here a functional analysis of spo5+(mug12+) of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, which encodes a putative RNA-binding protein. The disruption of spo5+ caused abnormal sporulation, generating inviable spores due to failed forespore membrane formation and the absence of a spore wall, as determined by electron microscopy. Spo5 regulates the progression of meiosis I because spo5 mutant cells display normal premeiotic DNA synthesis and the timely initiation of meiosis I but they show a delay in the peaking of cells with two nuclei, abnormal tyrosine 15 dephosphorylation of Cdc2, incomplete degradation of Cdc13, retarded formation and repair of double strand breaks, and a reduced frequency of intragenic recombination. Immunostaining showed that Spo5-green fluorescent protein (GFP) appeared in the cytoplasm at the horsetail phase, peaked around the metaphase I to anaphase I transition, and suddenly disappeared after anaphase II. Images of Spo5-GFP in living cells revealed that Spo5 forms a dot in the nucleus at prophase I that colocalized with the Mei2 dot. Unlike the Mei2 dot, however, the Spo5 dot was observed even in sme2Δ. cells. Taken together, we conclude that Spo5 is a novel regulator of meiosis I and that it may function in the vicinity of the Mei2 dot.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1301-1313
Number of pages13
JournalEukaryotic Cell
Volume5
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 08-2006
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology

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