Bqt4 affects relative movement between SPB and nucleolus in fission yeast

Abstract

Movement dynamics in the nucleus involve various biological processes, including DNA repair, which is crucial for cancer prevention. Changes in the movement of the components of the nucleus indicate the changes in movement dynamics in the nucleus. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the inner nuclear membrane protein Bqt4 plays an essential role in attaching telomeres to the nuclear envelope. We observed that the deletion of bqt4⁺ caused a significant decrease in the mean square displacement (MSD) calculated from the distance between the nucleolar center and spindle pole body (SPB), hereafter referred to as MSD_{(SPB-Nucleolus)}. The MSD_{(SPB-Nucleolus)} decrease in bqt4Δ was microtubule-dependent. The Rap1-binding ability loss mutant, bqt4^F46A, and nonspecific DNA-binding ability mutants, bqt4^3E-A, did not exhibit an MSD_{(SPB-Nucleolus)} decrease compared to the WT. Moreover, the bqt4^3E-Arap1Δ double mutant and 1-262 amino acids truncated mutant bqt4ΔN (263-432), which does not have either Rap1-binding or nonspecific DNA-binding abilities, did not exhibit the MSD(SPB-Nucleolus) decrease to the same extent as bqt4Δ. These results suggest that the unknown function of Bqt4 in the C-terminal domain is essential for the maintenance of the pattern of relative movement between SPB and the nucleolus.

Keywords: Bqt4; Mechanical property; Movement dynamics; Nuclear envelope.