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First published online February 12, 2004
doi: 10.1242/10.1242/jcs.00943

Journal of Cell Science 117, 907-918 (2004)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2004
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Research Article

A non-chromosomal factor allows viability of Schizosaccharomyces pombe lacking the essential chaperone calnexin

Philippe Collin*, Pascale B. Beauregard, Aram Elagöz{ddagger} and Luis A. Rokeach§

Department of Biochemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada

§ Author for correspondence (e-mail: luis.rokeach{at}umontreal.ca)

Accepted 16 October 2003

Calnexin is a molecular chaperone playing key roles in protein folding and the quality control of this process in the endoplasmic reticulum. We, and others, have previously demonstrated that cnx1+, the gene encoding the calnexin homologue in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is essential for viability. We show that a particular cnx1 mutant induces a novel mechanism allowing the survival of S. pombe cells in the absence of calnexin/Cnx1p. Calnexin independence is dominant in diploid cells and is inherited in a non-Mendelian manner. Remarkably, this survival pathway, bypassing the necessity for calnexin, can be transmitted by transformation of cell extracts into a wild-type naive strain, thus implicating a non-chromosomal factor. Nuclease and UV treatments of cells extracts did not obliterate transmission of calnexin independence by transformation. However, protease digestion of extracts did reduce the appearance of calnexin-independent cells, indicating that a protein element is required for calnexin-less viability. We discuss a model in which this calnexin-less survival mechanism would be activated and perpetuated by a protein component acting as a genetic element.

Key words: Non-Mendelian Genetics, Yeast genetics, Protein folding, Fission Yeast


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R. Guerin, G. Arseneault, S. Dumont, and L. A. Rokeach
Calnexin Is Involved in Apoptosis Induced by Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in the Fission Yeast
Mol. Biol. Cell, October 1, 2008; 19(10): 4404 - 4420.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2004