Intracellular Positioning Research Articles

Function and regulation of dynein in mitotic chromosome segregation.

Cytoplasmic dynein is a large minus-end-directed microtubule motor complex, involved in many different cellular processes including intracellular trafficking, organelle positioning, and microtubule organization. Furthermore, dynein plays essential roles during cell division where it is implicated in multiple processes including centrosome separation, chromosome movements, spindle organization, spindle positioning, and mitotic checkpoint silencing. How is a single motor able to fulfill this large array of functions and how are these activities temporally and spatially regulated? The answer lies in the unique composition of the dynein motor and in the interactions it makes with multiple regulatory proteins that define the time and place where dynein becomes active. Here, we will focus on the different mitotic processes that dynein is involved in, and how its regulatory proteins act to support dynein. Although dynein is highly conserved amongst eukaryotes (with the exception of plants), there is significant variability in the cellular processes that depend on dynein in different species. In this review, we concentrate on the functions of cytoplasmic dynein in mammals but will also refer to data obtained in other model organisms that have contributed to our understanding of dynein function in higher eukaryotes.

Apical and Basal Stress Fibers have Different Roles in Mechanical Regulation of the Nucleus in Smooth Muscle Cells Cultured on a Substrate

Actin stress fibers (SFs) play important roles in cellular mechanotransduction and in regulation of various cellular functions. Stress fibers generate internal tension and contribute to physical interactions between cells and extracellular matrices. We recently found that SFs in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) cultured on a two-dimensional substrate mechanically interact with cell nucleus via nuclear membrane proteins, and that the internal tension of SFs is transmitted directly to the nucleus. However, SFs exist on both the apical side and the basal side of adherent cells on a substrate, and it remains unclear whether these two types of SFs play different roles on the mechanical environment around the nucleus. Here, we investigated differences between the apical and basal stress fibers (BSFs) in SMCs by using a laser nano-scissor technique. We microdissected apical SFs running across the top surface of nucleus (actin cap fibers: ACFs) or BSFs underneath the nucleus by using a laboratory-built laser nano-scissor and observed the subsequent mechanical responses of the SFs and the nucleus. Shortening of the dissected fibers was significantly greater in the ACFs than in the BSFs. Nuclei also moved in the direction of retraction of the dissected fibers, and displacement and local deformation of the nucleus was more remarkable after the dissection of the ACFs than after that of the BSFs. ACFs mostly aligned in the major axis of the nucleus, whereas BSFs showed a weak alignment with asymmetry: the direction of BSFs was rotated clockwise by ~10° from the major axis of the nucleus. These results indicate that ACFs and BSFs play different roles in mechanical regulation of the nucleus, and that intracellular tension is transmitted to the nucleus more efficiently by ACFs. ACFs may play significant roles in controlling the intranuclear distribution of DNA through intracellular orientation and positioning of the nucleus.

New targets for the antitumor activity of gambogic acid in hematologic malignancies

Gambogic acid (GA) is the main active ingredient of gamboge, a brownish to orange dry resin secreted from Garcinia hanburyi, a plant that is widely distributed in nature. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that GA exerts potent antitumor effects against solid tumors of various derivations, and its antitumor mechanisms have been thoroughly investigated. On the other hand, normal cells remain relatively resistant to GA, indicating a therapeutic window. GA is currently in clinical trials in China. Over the last decade, our laboratory demonstrates that GA exhibits potent anticancer activities against hematological malignancies. This review focuses on the new mechanisms through which GA inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in malignant hematological cells. These include the regulation of expression and intracellular positioning of nucleoporin and nucleophosmin; downregulation of steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3) and its downstream proteins; upregulation of death inducer-obliterator (DIO-1); downregulation of HERG potassium channel; as well as induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation.

LAMTOR1 depletion induces p53-dependent apoptosis via aberrant lysosomal activation

Lysosomal regulation is a poorly understood mechanism that is central to degradation and recycling processes. Here we report that LAMTOR1 (late endosomal/lysosomal adaptor, MAPK and mTOR activator 1) downregulation affects lysosomal activation, through mechanisms that are not solely due to mTORC1 inhibition. LAMTOR1 depletion strongly increases lysosomal structures that display a scattered intracellular positioning. Despite their altered positioning, those dispersed structures remain overall functional: (i) the trafficking and maturation of the lysosomal enzyme cathepsin B is not altered; (ii) the autophagic flux, ending up in the degradation of autophagic substrate inside lysosomes, is stimulated. Consequently, LAMTOR1-depleted cells face an aberrant lysosomal catabolism that produces excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS accumulation in turn triggers p53-dependent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Both mTORC1 activity and the stimulated autophagy are not necessary to this lysosomal cell death pathway. Thus, LAMTOR1 expression affects the tuning of lysosomal activation that can lead to p53-dependent apoptosis through excessive catabolism.

Biophysical Assays to Probe the Mechanical Properties of the Interphase Cell Nucleus: Substrate Strain Application and Microneedle Manipulation

In most eukaryotic cells, the nucleus is the largest organelle and is typically 2 to 10 times stiffer than the surrounding cytoskeleton; consequently, the physical properties of the nucleus contribute significantly to the overall biomechanical behavior of cells under physiological and pathological conditions. For example, in migrating neutrophils and invading cancer cells, nuclear stiffness can pose a major obstacle during extravasation or passage through narrow spaces within tissues.(1) On the other hand, the nucleus of cells in mechanically active tissue such as muscle requires sufficient structural support to withstand repetitive mechanical stress. Importantly, the nucleus is tightly integrated into the cellular architecture; it is physically connected to the surrounding cytoskeleton, which is a critical requirement for the intracellular movement and positioning of the nucleus, for example, in polarized cells, synaptic nuclei at neuromuscular junctions, or in migrating cells.(2) Not surprisingly, mutations in nuclear envelope proteins such as lamins and nesprins, which play a critical role in determining nuclear stiffness and nucleo-cytoskeletal coupling, have been shown recently to result in a number of human diseases, including Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, and dilated cardiomyopathy.(3) To investigate the biophysical function of diverse nuclear envelope proteins and the effect of specific mutations, we have developed experimental methods to study the physical properties of the nucleus in single, living cells subjected to global or localized mechanical perturbation. Measuring induced nuclear deformations in response to precisely applied substrate strain application yields important information on the deformability of the nucleus and allows quantitative comparison between different mutations or cell lines deficient for specific nuclear envelope proteins. Localized cytoskeletal strain application with a microneedle is used to complement this assay and can yield additional information on intracellular force transmission between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton. Studying nuclear mechanics in intact living cells preserves the normal intracellular architecture and avoids potential artifacts that can arise when working with isolated nuclei. Furthermore, substrate strain application presents a good model for the physiological stress experienced by cells in muscle or other tissues (e.g., vascular smooth muscle cells exposed to vessel strain). Lastly, while these tools have been developed primarily to study nuclear mechanics, they can also be applied to investigate the function of cytoskeletal proteins and mechanotransduction signaling.

The stb Operon Balances the Requirements for Vegetative Stability and Conjugative Transfer of Plasmid R388

The conjugative plasmid R388 and a number of other plasmids carry an operon, stbABC, adjacent to the origin of conjugative transfer. We investigated the role of the stbA, stbB, and stbC genes. Deletion of stbA affected both conjugation and stability. It led to a 50-fold increase in R388 transfer frequency, as well as to high plasmid loss. In contrast, deletion of stbB abolished conjugation but provoked no change in plasmid stability. Deletion of stbC showed no effect, neither in conjugation nor in stability. Deletion of the entire stb operon had no effect on conjugation, which remained as in the wild-type plasmid, but led to a plasmid loss phenotype similar to that of the R388ΔstbA mutant. We concluded that StbA is required for plasmid stability and that StbA and StbB control conjugation. We next observed the intracellular positioning of R388 DNA molecules and showed that they localize as discrete foci evenly distributed in live Escherichia coli cells. Plasmid instability of the R388ΔΔstbA mutant correlated with aberrant localization of the plasmid DNA molecules as clusters, either at one cell pole, at both poles, or at the cell center. In contrast, plasmid molecules in the R388ΔΔstbB mutant were mostly excluded from the cell poles. Thus, results indicate that defects in both plasmid maintenance and transfer are a consequence of variations in the intracellular positioning of plasmid DNA. We propose that StbA and StbB constitute an atypical plasmid stabilization system that reconciles two modes of plasmid R388 physiology: a maintenance mode (replication and segregation) and a propagation mode (conjugation). The consequences of this novel concept in plasmid physiology will be discussed.

Lysosome positioning coordinates mTORC1 activity and autophagy

Under nutrient-rich conditions, the nutrient-sensitive kinase mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) is recruited to the surface of lysosomes where it becomes activated and can promote cell growth and inhibit autophagy. In contrast, mTOR is inhibited in nutrient-poor conditions, leading to the induction of autophagy. The intracellular positioning of lysosomes in response to nutrient availability is now shown to orchestrate mTOR activation and regulate autophagy.

A novel mechanism of microtubule length-dependent force to pull centrosomes toward the cell center.

The centrosome is a major microtubule-organizing center in animal cells, and its intracellular positioning is critical for defining intracellular architecture. The centrosome positions itself at the cell center. Centrosome centration depends on the microtubule cytoskeleton. To accomplish robust centration regardless of the cell size or cell shape, it has been assumed that the force mediated by the microtubules depends on microtubule length. However, a concrete mechanism to generate forces to pull the centrosome in a microtubule length-dependent manner has been elusive. Recently, we successfully demonstrated that centrosome-directed movement of intracellular organelles along microtubules drives centrosome centration in the Caenorhabditis elegans early embryo. Based on this observation, we proposed the centrosome-organelle mutual pulling model in which the reaction forces of organelle transport generated along microtubules act as a driving force that pulls the centrosomes toward the cell center. This is the first experiment-based model that accounts for the microtubule length-dependent pulling force generated in the cytoplasm contributing to centrosome centration. Intriguingly, this model is consistent with a recent estimation that the pulling force is proportional to the cubic length of microtubules.

Actin-based mechanisms for light-dependent intracellular positioning of nuclei and chloroplasts in Arabidopsis

The plant organelles, chloroplast and nucleus, change their position in response to light. In Arabidopsis thaliana leaf cells, chloroplasts and nuclei are distributed along the inner periclinal wall in darkness. In strong blue light, they become positioned along the anticlinal wall, while in weak blue light, only chloroplasts are accumulated along the inner and outer periclinal walls. Blue-light dependent positioning of both organelles is mediated by the blue-light receptor phototropin and controlled by the actin cytoskeleton. Interestingly, however, it seems that chloroplast movement requires short, fine actin filaments organized at the chloroplast edge, whereas nuclear movement does cytoplasmic, thick actin bundles intimately associated with the nucleus. Although there are many similarities between photo-relocation movements of chloroplasts and nuclei, plant cells appear to have evolved distinct mechanisms to regulate actin organization required for driving the movements of these organelles.

Clinorotation Effect on Response of Cress Leaves to Red and Far-Red Light

Responses of cress (Lepidium sativum L.) seedling leaves to separate and simultaneous illumination with red (660 nm) and far-red (735 nm) light were studied under fast clinorotation (50 rpm) and usual gravity (1g) conditions. The monochromatic light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been used for illumination of seedlings from above. The growth and spatial orientation of leaves and the location of presumable gravisensors in petioles were analysed. Clinorotation in the dark promoted the radial expansion of leaf lamina and unfolding of leaves. It was shown that clinorotation in red light inhibited significantly the elongation of petioles as compared with that under the action of gravity force. Simultaneous red and far-red illumination promoted the growth of petioles under clinorotation, but did not affect the orientation of laminas, which remained the same as of the 1-g control ones. Red light, applied separately and simultaneously with far-red light, guided the bending of laminas as well as the unfolding of leaf petioles in both usual and clinorotation conditions. Histological and cytological analyses of petioles revealed the presence of movable amyloplasts in endodermic cells in proximal region of petioles. Comparison of intracellular positioning of amyloplasts in petioles of leaves grown under clinorotation and the action of gravity allows a presumption that these plastids may be identified as gravisensors of garden cress leaves. The obtained data imply that clinorotation and exposition to monochromatic red light or simultaneous illumination by red and far-red light affect the elongation of petioles of cress seedling leaves. Spectral components guide the unfolding of laminas in a gravity-independent manner.

Differential Positioning of C4 Mesophyll and Bundle Sheath Chloroplasts: Aggregative Movement of C4 Mesophyll Chloroplasts in Response to Environmental Stresses

In C(4) plants, mesophyll (M) chloroplasts are randomly distributed along the cell walls, while bundle sheath (BS) chloroplasts are typically located in either a centripetal or centrifugal position. We investigated whether these intracellular positions are affected by environmental stresses. When mature leaves of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) were exposed to extremely high intensity light, most M chloroplasts aggregatively re-distributed to the BS side, whereas the intracellular arrangement of BS chloroplasts was unaffected. Compared with the homologous light-avoidance movement of M chloroplasts in C(3) plants, it requires extremely high light (3,000-4,000 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) and responds more slowly (distinctive movement observed in 1 h). The high light-induced movement of M chloroplasts was also observed in maize (Zea mays), another C(4) species, but with a distinct pattern of redistribution along the sides of anticlinal walls, analogous to C(3) plants. The aggregative movement of M chloroplasts occurred at normal light intensities (250-500 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) in response to environmental stresses, such as drought, salinity and hyperosmosis. Moreover, the re-arrangement of M chloroplasts was observed in field-grown C(4) plants when exposed to mid-day sunlight, but also under midsummer drought conditions. The migration of M chloroplasts was controlled by actin filaments and also induced in a light-dependent fashion upon incubation with ABA, which may be the physiological signal transducer. Together these results suggest that M and BS cells of C(4) plants have different mechanisms controlling intracellular chloroplast positioning, and that the aggregative movement of C(4) M chloroplasts is thought to be a protective response under environmental stress conditions.

OSBPL10, a novel candidate gene for high triglyceride trait in dyslipidemic Finnish subjects, regulates cellular lipid metabolism

Analysis of variants in three genes encoding oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) homologues (OSBPL2, OSBPL9, OSBPL10) in Finnish families with familial low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (N = 426) or familial combined hyperlipidemia (N = 684) revealed suggestive linkage of OSBPL10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with extreme end high triglyceride (TG; >90th percentile) trait. Prompted by this initial finding, we carried out association analysis in a metabolic syndrome subcohort (Genmets) of Health2000 examination survey (N = 2,138), revealing association of multiple OSBPL10 SNPs with high serum TG levels (>95th percentile). To investigate whether OSBPL10 could be the gene underlying the observed linkage and association, we carried out functional experiments in the human hepatoma cell line Huh7. Silencing of OSBPL10 increased the incorporation of [3H]acetate into cholesterol and both [3H]acetate and [3H]oleate into triglycerides and enhanced the accumulation of secreted apolipoprotein B100 in growth medium, suggesting that the encoded protein ORP10 suppresses hepatic lipogenesis and very-low-density lipoprotein production. ORP10 was shown to associate dynamically with microtubules, consistent with its involvement in intracellular transport or organelle positioning. The data introduces OSBPL10 as a gene whose variation may contribute to high triglyceride levels in dyslipidemic Finnish subjects and provides evidence for ORP10 as a regulator of cellular lipid metabolism.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00109-009-0490-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Chloroplast anchoring: its implications for the regulation of intracellular chloroplast distribution

The intracellular distribution of organelles plays a pivotal role in the maintenance and adaptation of a wide spectrum of cellular activities in plants. Chloroplasts are a special type of organelle able to photosynthesize, capturing light energy to fix atmospheric CO2. Consequently, the intracellular positioning of chloroplasts is crucial for plant growth and development. Knowledge of the photoreceptors and cellular apparatus responsible for chloroplast movement has gradually accumulated over time, yet recent advances have allowed improved understanding. In this article, several aspects of research progress into the mechanisms for maintaining the specific intracellular distribution patterns of chloroplasts, namely, chloroplast anchoring, are summarized, together with a brief consideration of the future prospects of this subject. Our discussion covers developmental, physiological, ecophysiological, and recent cell biological research areas.

Light-Dependent Intracellular Positioning of Mitochondria in Arabidopsis thaliana Mesophyll Cells

Mitochondria, the power house of the cell, are one of the most dynamic cell organelles. Although there are several reports on actin- or microtubule-dependent movement of mitochondria in plant cells, intracellular positioning and motility of mitochondria under different light conditions remain open questions. Mitochondria were visualized in living Arabidopsis thaliana leaf cells using green fluorescent protein fused to a mitochondrion-targeting signal. In darkness, mitochondria were distributed randomly in palisade cells. In contrast, mitochondria accumulated along the periclinal walls, similar to the accumulation response of chloroplasts, when treated with weak blue light (470 nm, 4 micromol m(-2) s(-1)). Under strong blue light (100 micromol m(-2) s(-1)), mitochondria occupied the anticlinal positions similar to the avoidance response of chloroplasts and nuclei. While strong red light (660 nm, 100 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) induced the accumulation of mitochondria along the inner periclinal walls, green light exhibited little effect on the distribution of mitochondria. In addition, the mode of movement of individual mitochondria along the outer periclinal walls under different light conditions was precisely analyzed by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. A gradual increase in the number of static mitochondria located in the vicinity of chloroplasts with a time period of blue light illumination clearly demonstrated the accumulation response of mitochondria. Light-induced co-localization of mitochondria with chloroplasts strongly suggested their mutual metabolic interactions. This is the first characterization of the light-dependent redistribution of mitochondria in plant cells.

Regulatory interactions between IRG resistance GTPases in the cellular response to Toxoplasma gondii

Members of the immunity-related GTPase (IRG) family are interferon-inducible resistance factors against a broad spectrum of intracellular pathogens including Toxoplasma gondii. The molecular mechanisms governing the function and regulation of the IRG resistance system are largely unknown. We find that IRG proteins function in a system of direct, nucleotide-dependent regulatory interactions between family members. After interferon induction but before infection, the three members of the GMS subfamily of IRG proteins, Irgm1, Irgm2 and Irgm3, which possess an atypical nucleotide-binding site, regulate the intracellular positioning of the conventional GKS subfamily members, Irga6 and Irgb6. Following infection, the normal accumulation of Irga6 protein at the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) is nucleotide dependent and also depends on the presence of all three GMS proteins. We present evidence that an essential role of the GMS proteins in this response is control of the nucleotide-bound state of the GKS proteins, preventing their GTP-dependent activation before infection. Accumulation of IRG proteins at the PVM has previously been shown to be associated with a block in pathogen replication: our results relate for the first time the enzymatic properties of IRG proteins to their role in pathogen resistance.

Myosins in melanocytes: to move or not to move?

The actin network has been implicated in the intracellular transport and positioning of the melanosomes, organelles that are specialized in the biosynthesis and the storage of melanin. It contributes also to molecular mechanisms that underlie the intracellular membrane dynamics and thereby can control the biogenesis of melanosomes. Two mechanisms for actin-based movements have been identified: one is dependent on the motors associated to actin namely the myosins; the other is dependent on actin polymerization. This review will focus on to the role of the actin cytoskeleton and myosins in the transport and in the biogenesis of melanosomes. Myosins involved in membrane traffic are largely seen as transporters of organelles or membrane vesicles containing cargos along the actin networks. Yet increasing evidence suggests that some of the myosins contribute to the dynamics of internal membrane by using other mechanisms. The role of the myosins and the different molecular mechanisms by which they contribute or may contribute to the distribution, the movement and the biogenesis of the melanosomes in epidermal melanocytes and retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells will be discussed.

Possible association of actin filaments with chloroplasts of spinach mesophyll cells in vivo and in vitro

In palisade mesophyll cells of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) kept under low-intensity white light, chloroplasts were apparently immobile and seemed to be surrounded by fine bundles of actin filaments. High-intensity blue light induced actin-dependent chloroplast movement concomitant with the appearance of a couple of long, straight bundles of actin filaments in each cell, whereas high-intensity red light was essentially ineffective in inducing these responses. The actin organization observed under low-intensity white light has been postulated to function in anchoring chloroplasts at proper intracellular positions through direct interaction with the chloroplasts. Intact chloroplasts, which retained their outer envelopes, were isolated after homogenization of leaves and Percoll centrifugation. No endogenous actin was detected by immunoblotting in the final intact-chloroplast fraction prepared from the leaves kept under low-intensity white light or in darkness. In cosedimentation assays with exogenously added skeletal muscle filamentous actin, however, actin was detected in the intact-chloroplast fraction precipitated after low-speed centrifugation. The association of actin with chloroplasts was apparently dependent on incubation time and chloroplast density. After partial disruption of the outer envelope of isolated chloroplasts by treatment with trypsin, actin was no longer coprecipitated. The results suggest that chloroplasts in spinach leaves can directly interact with actin, and that this interaction may be involved in the regulation of intracellular positioning of chloroplasts.

Functional Dissection of SseF, a Type III Effector Protein Involved in Positioning the Salmonella‐Containing Vacuole

Intracellular replication of Salmonella enterica requires the formation of a unique organelle termed Salmonella-containing vacuole (SCV). The type III secretion system (T3SS) encoded by Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 2 (SPI2-T3SS) has a crucial role in the formation and maintenance of the SCV. The SPI2-T3SS translocates a large number of effector proteins that interfere with host cell functions such as microtubule-dependent transport. We investigated the function of the effector SseF and observed that this protein is required to maintain the SCV in a juxtanuclear position in infected epithelial cells. The formation of juxtanuclear clusters of replicating Salmonella required the recruitment of dynein to the SCV but SseF-deficient strains were highly reduced in dynein recruitment to the SCV. We performed a functional dissection of SseF and defined domains that were important for translocation and the specific effector functions of this protein. Of particular importance was a hydrophobic domain in the C-terminal half that contains three putative transmembrane (TM) helices. Deletion of one of these TM helices ablated the effector functions of SseF. We observed that this domain was essential for the proper intracellular positioning of the SCV to a juxtanuclear, Golgi-associated localization. These data show that SseF, in concert with the effector proteins SifA and SseG mediate the precise positioning of the SCV by differentially modulating the recruitment of microtubule motor proteins to the SCV.

Intracellular positioning of nucleus and mitochondria with clumping of chloroplasts in the succulent CAM plant Kalanchoe blossfeldiana: an investigation using fluorescence microscopy

Summary: In leaves of some succulent crassulacean-acid-metabolism(CAM)plants, including Kalanchoe species, we previously discovered the phenomenon of chloroplast clumping. A combination of light and water stress induced chloroplasts to form spherical bodies within mesophyll cells. In this study we focused on the positioning of nuclei and mitochondria with clumping of chloroplasts in mesophyll cells in leaves of the succulent CAM plant Kalanchoe blossfeldiana using fluorescence microscopy. Under both well-watered and water-stressed conditions, there were several mitochondria around each chloroplast. When subjected to water-stress, chloroplasts gathered around a nucleus and formed a clumped chloroplasts. Three-dimensional analysis of the clump showed that the nucleus was localized within the clump. Our findings suggest that the chloroplast movement in succulent CAM plants is closely connected with the nucleus. We discuss the significance of the organelle interactions in the leaves of succulent CAM plant under drought conditions.

Diacylglycerol‐Activated Hmunc13 Serves as an Effector of the GTPase Rab34

Hmunc13 is a cytosolic diacylglycerol (DAG)-binding protein, which is upregulated in renal cortical tubule and mesangial cells by hyperglycemia. In response to DAG activation, hmunc13 translocates to the Golgi. To investigate how this may relate to its function, we used a bacterial two-hybrid screen to look for hmunc13-interacting proteins. Full-length Rab34 was specifically isolated from a human kidney cDNA library. Co-expression of the two proteins confirmed Rab34 as a Golgi-associated protein, which was immunoprecipitated from cell lysates by hmunc13. Glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins of WT, Q111L (GTP bound), and T66N (GDP bound) mutants were created, and their GTP-binding activity verified by radioactive overlay assay. Binding of hmunc13 was observed with Q111L, barely detectable with T66N and enhanced with Rab34WT loaded with GTPgammaS compared with GDP loaded. Deletion of munc homolgy domain (MHD)-2, eliminated the hmunc13/Rab34 interaction. The Q111L mutant localized to the Golgi apparatus, but T66N was cytosolic. Localization of both mutants and Rab34WT was unchanged by DAG activation. The data suggest that DAG activation of hmunc13 causes it to be translocated to the Golgi, where it binds to GTP-bound Rab34 via MHD-2. Because Rab34 is known to regulate intracellular lysosome positioning, we propose that hmunc13 serves as an effector of Rab34, mediating lysosome-Golgi trafficking.