The Cdc42p GTPase and its regulators Nrf1p and Scd1p are involved in endocytic trafficking in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Nrf1p was first identified in a screen for negative regulators of the Cdc42p GTPase. Overexpression of Nrf1p resulted in dose-dependent lethality, with cells exhibiting an ellipsoidal morphology and abnormal vacuolar phenotypes including an increase in vacuolar fusion. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Cdc42p and GFP-Nrf1p colocalized to vacuolar membranes and GFP-Nrf1p vacuolar localization depended on Scd1p, the Schizosaccharomyces pombe homolog of the Cdc24p guanine nucleotide exchange factor. In this study, site-directed mutagenesis was conducted on Nrf1p to determine its functional domains. Mutations in the three putative transmembrane domains resulted in mislocalization of GFP-Nrf1p and an inability to induce lethality, suggesting a loss of function. Mutations in the second extramembranous loop of Nrf1p also resulted in a loss of function and altered the ability of GFP-Nrf1p to localize to vacuolar membranes. Analysis of Deltanrf1 and Deltascd1 mutants revealed defects in endocytosis. In addition, overexpression of constitutively active Cdc42(G12V)p resulted in an increase in endocytosis and an ability to rescue the endocytic defects in Deltanrf1 and Deltascd1 cells. These data are consistent with Nrf1p and Scd1p being necessary for efficient endocytosis, possibly through the regulation of Cdc42p.