The Cdc42p GTPase controls polarized growth and cell cycle progression in eukaryotes from yeasts to mammals, and its precise subcellular localization is essential for its function. To examine the cell cycle-specific targeting of Cdc42p in living yeast cells, a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Cdc42 fusion protein was used. In contrast to previous immunolocalization data, GFP-Cdc42p was found at the plasma membrane around the entire cell periphery and at internal vacuolar and nuclear membranes throughout the cell cycle, and it accumulated or clustered at polarized growth sites, including incipient bud sites and mother-bud neck regions. These studies also showed that C-terminal CAAX and polylysine domains were sufficient for membrane localization but not for clustering. Time-lapse fluorescence microscopy showed that GFP-Cdc42p clustered at the incipient bud site prior to bud emergence and at the mother-bud neck region postanaphase as a diffuse, single band and persisted as two distinct bands on mother and daughter cells following cytokinesis and cell separation. Initial clustering occurred immediately prior to actomyosin ring contraction and persisted postcontraction. These results suggest that Cdc42p targeting occurs through a novel mechanism of membrane localization followed by cell cycle-specific clustering at polarized growth sites.

The Cdc42p GTPase is involved in the signal transduction cascades controlling bud emergence and polarized cell growth in S. cerevisiae. Cells expressing the cdc42 V44A effector domain mutant allele displayed morphological defects of highly elongated and multielongated budded cells indicative of a defect in the apicalisotropic switch in bud growth. In addition, these cells contained one, two, or multiple nuclei indicative of a G 2 /M delay in nuclear division and also a defect in cytokinesis and/or cell separation. Actin and chitin were delocalized, and septin ring structure was aberrant and partially delocalized to the tips of elongated cdc42 V44A cells; however, Cdc42 V44A p localization was normal. Two-hybrid protein analyses showed that the V44A mutation interfered with Cdc42p's interactions with Cla4p, a p21(Cdc42/Rac)-activated kinase (PAK)-like kinase, and the novel effectors Gic1p and Gic2p, but not with the Ste20p or Skm1p PAK-like kinases, the Bni1p formin, or the Iqg1p IQGAP homolog. Furthermore, the cdc42 V44A morphological defects were suppressed by deletion of the Swe1p cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitory kinase and by overexpression of Cla4p, Ste20p, the Cdc12 septin protein, or the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Cdc24p. In sum, these results suggest that proper Cdc42p function is essential for timely progression through the apical-isotropic switch and G 2 /M transition and that Cdc42 V44A p differentially interacts with a number of effectors and regulators.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdc42p GTPase is localized to the plasma membrane and involved in signal transduction mechanisms controlling cell polarity. The mechanisms of action of the dominant negative cdc42 D118A mutant and the lethal, gain of function cdc42 G12V mutant were examined. Cdc42 D118A,C188S p and its guanine-nucleotide exchange factor Cdc24p displayed a temperature-dependent interaction in the twohybrid system, which correlated with the temperature dependence of the cdc42 D118A phenotype and supported a Cdc24p sequestration model for the mechanism of cdc42 D118A action. Five cdc42 mutations were isolated that led to decreased interactions with Cdc24p. The isolation of one mutation (V44A) correlated with the observations that the T35A effector domain mutation could interfere with Cdc42 D118A,C188S p-Cdc24p interactions and could suppress the cdc42 D118A mutation, suggesting that Cdc24p may interact with Cdc42p through its effector domain. The cdc42 G12V mutant phenotypes were suppressed by the intragenic T35A and K183-187Q mutations and in skm1⌬ and cla4⌬ cells but not ste20⌬ cells, suggesting that the mechanism of cdc42 G12V action is through the Skm1p and Cla4p protein kinases at the plasma membrane. Two intragenic suppressors of cdc42 G12V were also identified that displayed a dominant negative phenotype at 16°C, which was not suppressed by overexpression of Cdc24p, suggesting an alternate mechanism of action for these dominant negative mutations.The establishment of cell polarity is crucial for the control of many cellular and developmental processes, such as the generation of cell shape, the intracellular movement of organelles, and the secretion and deposition of new cell surface constituents (1). Polarized growth in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae occurs in response to both internal and external signals, resulting in different morphological structures (2-5). The mechanics of cell polarity initiation during the mitotic cell cycle can be divided into three sequential phases: (i) nonrandom bud site selection; (ii) organization of proteins at the bud site; and (iii) bud emergence and polarized growth. Genetic and biochemical studies have identified over 25 proteins, including several GTPases and components of the actin cytoskeleton, that are involved in the regulation of the cell polarity pathway in S. cerevisiae (1, 6, 7).At least six members of the Ras superfamily of GTPases (Rsr1p/Bud1p, Cdc42p, Rho1p, Rho2p, Rho3p, and Rho4p) are involved in controlling cell polarity in S. cerevisiae. These proteins are active when in the GTP-bound state and inactive in the GDP-bound state (8, 9). The activity of these GTPases is controlled by regulatory proteins, such as guanine-nucleotide exchange factors, GTPase-activating proteins, and guanine-nucleotide dissociation inhibitors, as well as by the intracellular localization of the GTPase. Rsr1p/Bud1p is a member of the Ras subfamily and is responsible for bud site selection at one of the two cell poles, but it is not required for bud emergence or polari...

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cdc42p GTPase interacts with multiple regulators and downstream effectors through an ϳ25-amino-acid effector domain. Four effector domain mutations, Y32K, F37A, D38E, and Y40C, were introduced into Cdc42p and characterized for their effects on these interactions. Each mutant protein showed differential interactions with a number of downstream effectors and regulators and various levels of functionality. Specifically, Cdc42 D38E p showed reduced interactions with the Cla4p p21-activated protein kinase and the Bem3p GTPase-activating protein and cdc42 D38E was the only mutant allele able to complement the ⌬cdc42 null mutant. However, the mutant protein was only partially functional, as indicated by a temperature-dependent multibudded phenotype seen in conjunction with defects in both septin ring localization and activation of the Swe1p-dependent morphogenetic checkpoint. Further analysis of this mutant suggested that the multiple buds emerged consecutively with a premature termination of bud enlargement preceding the appearance of the next bud. Cortical actin, the septin ring, Cla4p-green fluorescent protein (GFP), and GFP-Cdc24p all predominantly localized to one bud at a time per multibudded cell. These data suggest that Cdc42 D38E p triggers a morphogenetic defect post-bud emergence, leading to cessation of bud growth and reorganization of the budding machinery to another random budding site, indicating that Cdc42p is involved in prevention of the initiation of supernumerary buds during the cell cycle.

The Cdc42p GTPase regulates multiple signal transduction pathways through its interactions with downstream effectors. Specific functional domains within Cdc42p are required for guanine-nucleotide binding, interactions with downstream effectors, and membrane localization. However, little is known about how Cdc42p is clustered at polarized growth sites or is extracted from membranes by Rho guanine-nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (RhoGDIs) at specific times in the cell cycle. To address these points, localization studies were performed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Cdc42p and the RhoGDI Rdi1p. GFP-Rdi1p localized to polarized growth sites at specific times of the cell cycle but not to other sites of Cdc42p localization. Overexpression of Rdi1p led to loss of GFP-Cdc42p from internal and plasma membranes. This effect was mediated through the Cdc42p Rho-insert domain, which was also implicated in interactions with the Bni1p scaffold protein. These data suggested that Rdi1p functions in cell cycle-specific Cdc42p membrane detachment. Additional genetic and time-lapse microscopy analyses implicated nucleotide binding in the clustering of Cdc42p. Taken together, these results provide insight into the complicated nature of the relationships between Cdc42p localization, nucleotide binding, and protein-protein interactions.