Nis1 encoded by YNL078W: a new neck protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

An uncharacterized gene, YNL078W, was isolated by the two-hybrid screening method using SHS1 (one of the septin genes) as bait and designated NIS1 (Neck protein Interacting with Septins). Nis1 interacts with all septins in the two-hybrid assay system. Physical interaction between Nis1 and Shs1 in vivo was confirmed by a co-immunoprecipitation experiment. Neither disruption nor overexpression of NIS1 caused a prominent phenotypic change. NAP1 was isolated by two-hybrid screening using NIS1 as bait. We detected physical interaction between Nis1 and Nap1 in vivo by a co-immunoprecipitation experiment. Nis1 was found to bind Gin4 and Kcc4 in the two-hybrid assay. Thus, a number of the proteins interacting with Nis1 are members of the mitotic signaling network. The stable maintenance of Nis1 was dependent on Nap1. Nis1 was phosphorylated throughout the cell cycle and was less abundant in G2/M phase. GFP-Nis1 is localized in the nucleus throughout the cell cycle and in the bud neck at G2/M phase in a septin-dependent manner. Altogether, the findings suggest that Nis1 may play a non-essential role in the mitotic signaling network.