The conserved ATPase Get3/Arr4 modulates the activity of membrane associated proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The regulation of cellular membrane dynamics is crucial for maintaining proper cell growth and division. The Cdc48-Np14-Ufd1 complex is required for several regulated membrane-associated processes as part of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, including ER-associated degradation and the control of lipid composition in yeast. In this study we report the results of a genetic screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for extragenic suppressors of a temperature-sensitive npl4 allele and the subsequent analysis of one suppressor, GETS/ARR4. The GET3 gene encodes an ATPase with homology to the regulatory component of the bacterial arsenic pump. Mutants of GET3 rescue several phenotypes of the npl4 mutant and transcription of GETS is coregulated with the proteasome, illustrating a functional relationship between GETS and NPL4 in the ubiquitin-proteasome system. We have further found that Get3 biochemically interacts with the trans-membrane domain proteins Get1/Mdm39 and Get2/Rmd7 and that Delta get3 is able to suppress phenotypes of get1 and get2 mutants, including sporulation defects. In combination, our characterization of GETS genetic and biochemical interactions with NPL4, GET1, and GET2 implicates Get3 in multiple membrane-dependent pathways.