A defect of Kap104 alleviates the requirement of mitotic exit network gene functions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A subgroup of the karyopherin beta (also called importin beta) protein that includes budding yeast Kap104 and human transportin/karyopherin beta2 is reported to function as a receptor for the transport of mRNA-binding proteins into the nucleus. We identified KAP104 as a responsible gene for a suppressor mutation of cdc15-2. We found that the kap104-E604K mutation suppressed the temperature-sensitive growth of cdc15-2 cells by promoting the exit from mitosis and suppressed the temperature sensitivity of various mitotic-exit mutations. The cytokinesis defect of these mitotic-exit mutants was not suppressed by kap104-E604K. Furthermore, the kap104-E604K mutation delays entry into DNA synthesis even at a permissive temperature. In cdc15-2 kap104-E604K cells, SWI5 and SIC1, but not CDH1, became essential at a high temperature, suggesting that the kap104-E604K mutation promotes mitotic exit via the Swi5-Sic1 pathway. Interestingly, SPO12, which is involved in the release of Cdc14 from the nucleolus during early anaphase, also became essential in cdc15-2 kap104-E604K cells at a high temperature. The kap104-E604K mutation caused a partial delocalization of Cdc14 from the nucleolus during interphase. This delocalization of Cdc14 was suppressed by the deletion of SPO12. These results suggest that a mutation in Kap104 stimulates exit from mitosis through the activation of Cdc14 and implies a novel role for Kap104 in cell-cycle progression in budding yeast.