Superfamily 1 (SF1) and superfamily 2 (SF2) RNA helicases are ubiquitous mRNA-protein (mRNP) remodelling enzymes that play critical roles in all aspects of RNA metabolism1, 2. The SF2 DEAD-box ATPase Dbp5/Ddx19 functions in mRNA export and is thought to remodel mRNPs at the nuclear pore complex (NPC)3–8. Dbp5 is localized to the NPC via an interaction with Nup159/Nup2143–5, 8, 9 and is locally activated there by Gle1 together with the small-molecule inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) 10, 11. Local activation of Dbp5 at the NPC by Gle1 is essential for mRNA export in vivo11, 12; however, the mechanistic role of Dbp5 in mRNP export is poorly understood and it is not known how Gle1IP6 and Nup159 regulate the activity of Dbp5. Here we report structures of Dbp5 in complex with Gle1IP6, Nup159/Gle1IP6, and RNA. These structures reveal that IP6 functions as a small-molecule tether for the Gle1-Dbp5 interaction. Surprisingly, the Gle1IP6-Dbp5 complex is structurally similar to another DEAD-box ATPase complex essential for translation initiation, eIF4G-eIF4A, and we demonstrate that Gle1IP6 and eIF4G both activate their DEAD-box partner by stimulating RNA release. Furthermore, Gle1IP6 relieves Dbp5 auto- regulation and cooperates with Nup159 in stabilizing an open Dbp5-intermediate that precludes RNA binding. These findings explain how Gle1IP6, Nup159, and Dbp5 collaborate in mRNA export and provide a general mechanism for DEAD-box ATPase regulation by Gle1/eIF4G-like activators.

Endocytosis of receptors at the plasma membrane is controlled by a complex mechanism that includes clathrin, adaptors, and actin regulators. Many of these proteins are conserved in yeast yet lack observable mutant phenotypes, which suggests that yeast endocytosis may be subject to different regulatory mechanisms. Here, we have systematically defined genes required for internalization using a quantitative genome-wide screen that monitors localization of the yeast vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)/synaptobrevin homologue Snc1. Genetic interaction mapping was used to place these genes into functional modules containing known and novel endocytic regulators, and cargo selectivity was evaluated by an array-based comparative analysis. We demonstrate that clathrin and the yeast AP180 clathrin adaptor proteins have a cargo-specific role in Snc1 internalization. We additionally identify low dye binding 17 (LDB17) as a novel conserved component of the endocytic machinery. Ldb17 is recruited to cortical actin patches before actin polymerization and regulates normal coat dynamics and actin assembly. Our findings highlight the conserved machinery and reveal novel mechanisms that underlie endocytic internalization.

Posttranslational modification by the ubiquitin-like protein SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) is emerging as an important regulator in many cellular processes, including genome integrity. In this study, we show that the kinetochore proteins Ndc10, Bir1, Ndc80, and Cep3, which mediate the attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules, are sumoylated substrates in budding yeast. Furthermore, we show that Ndc10, Bir1, and Cep3 but not Ndc80 are desumoylated upon exposure to nocodazole, highlighting the possibility of distinct roles for sumoylation in modulating kinetochore protein function and of a potential link between the sumoylation of kinetochore proteins and mitotic checkpoint function. We find that lysine to arginine mutations that eliminate the sumoylation of Ndc10 cause chromosome instability, mislocalization of Ndc10 from the mitotic spindle, abnormal anaphase spindles, and a loss of Bir1 sumoylation. These data suggest that sumoylation of Ndc10 and other kinetochore proteins play a critical role during the mitotic process.