A mutual inhibition between APC/C and its substrate Mes1 required for meiotic progression in fission yeast

Dev Cell. 2008 Mar;14(3):446-54. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2007.12.010.

Abstract

The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is a cell-cycle-regulated essential E3 ubiquitin ligase; however, very little is known about its meiotic regulation. Here we show that fission yeast Mes1 is a substrate of the APC/C as well as an inhibitor, allowing autoregulation of the APC/C in meiosis. Both traits require a functional destruction box (D box) and KEN box. We show that Mes1 directly binds the WD40 domain of the Fizzy family of APC/C activators. Intriguingly, expression of nonubiquitylatable Mes1 blocks cells in metaphase I with high levels of APC/C substrates, suggesting that ubiquitylation of Mes1 is required for partial degradation of cyclin B in meiosis I by alleviating Mes1 inhibitory function. Consistently, a ternary complex, APC/C-Fizzy/Cdc20-Mes1, is stabilized by inhibiting Mes1 ubiquitylation. These results demonstrate that the fine-tuning of the APC/C activity, by a substrate that is also an inhibitor, is required for the precise coordination and transition through meiosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Cdc20 Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Genes, Fungal
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Meiosis / genetics
  • Meiosis / physiology*
  • Models, Biological
  • Oocytes / metabolism
  • Schizosaccharomyces / cytology*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / chemistry
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / genetics
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / metabolism*
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitination
  • Xenopus

Substances

  • Cdc20 Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Mes1 protein, S pombe
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • slp1 protein, S pombe
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes
  • Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome