Kouznetsova, A. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2022

A system for inducible mitochondria-specific protein degradation in vivo

Targeted protein degradation systems developed for eukaryotes employ cytoplasmic machineries to perform proteolysis. This has prevented mitochondria-specific analysis of genome maintaining proteins that localize to both mitochondria and nucleus. Here, we present an inducible mitochondria-specific protein degradation system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on the Mesoplasma florum Lon (mf-Lon) protease and its corresponding ssrA tag (called PDT). We show that mitochondrially targeted mf-Lon protease efficiently and selectively degrades a PDT-tagged reporter protein localized to the mitochondrial matrix. The degradation can be induced by depleting adenine from the medium and tuned by altering the promoter strength of the MF-LON gene. Finally, we demonstrate that mf-Lon degrades endogenous, dually localized proteins inside mitochondria. In summary, our system is an efficient tool for analysis of intricate mitochondria-nuclear crosstalk essential for proper mitochondrial function. One-Sentence SummaryMitochondria-specific protein degradation of dually localized proteins

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Transcriptional maintenance of cortical somatostatin interneuron subtype identity during migration

Recent work suggests that cortical interneuron diversity arises from genetic mechanisms guided by the interplay of intrinsic developmental patterning and local extrinsic cues. Individual genetic programs underlying subtype identity are at least partly established in postmitotic neural precursors, prior to their tangential migration and integration in the cortical circuitry. Nevertheless, it is unclear how distinct interneuron identities are maintained during their migration and maturation. Sox6 is a transcription factor with an established role in MGE-derived interneuron maturation and positional identity. To determine its role in maintaining somatostatin (Sst)-expressing interneurons subtype identity, we conditionally removed Sox6 in migrating Sst interneurons and assessed the effects on their mature identity using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq), in situ hybridization and electrophysiology. Sox6 removal prior to migration in Sst-expressing neurons reduced subtype diversity without affecting overall number of neurons. Seven out of nine Sst-expressing molecular subtypes were absent in the mature primary somatosensory cortex of Sox6-cKO mice, including the Chodl-Nos1-expressing type which has been shown to be specified at, or shortly after, cell cycle exit. The remaining Sst-expressing subtypes in the Sox6-cKO cortex comprised three molecular subtypes, Crh-C1ql3 and Hpse-Cbln4, and a third subtype that seemed to be a molecular hybrid of these subtypes. Moreover, Sox6-cKO cells still expressed genes enriched within the entire class of Sst-expressing neurons, such as Sst, Lhx6, Satb1, Elfn1 and Mafb. Removal of Sox6 at P7, after cells have reached their final destination and begin integration into the network, did not disrupt Chodl-Nos1 marker expression. Our findings suggest that expression of Sox6 during the migratory phase of cortical interneurons is necessary for maintenance of Sst+ subtype identity, indicating that subtype maintenance during migration requires active transcriptional programs.

neuroscience↗