Cytokinesis in Aspergillus Nidulans

胞质分裂是一个受时间和空间控制的基本细胞过程。 具体地说，必须确定细胞分裂的平面，并将胞质分裂所必需的成分募集到初始分裂位点。 此外，胞质分裂必须在时间上与核分裂相协调。 由于缺乏对胞质分裂过程所需组分的完整清单，阻碍了对胞质分裂分子机制的理解。 我们研究的总体目标是通过利用遗传上易处理的丝状真菌构巢曲霉来鉴定和表征胞质分裂所需的蛋白质，从而帮助纠正这个问题。 两个这样的基因产物，sepA和sepB，被确定为先前的遗传筛选的结果。 编码这些蛋白质的基因的分子特征提供了有关其在胞质分裂中的功能作用的有价值的线索。 特别是，sepB基因产物似乎是作为一个上游组件的监管系统，保持协调的隔膜形成和核分裂，而sepA基因产物可能是一个组件的皮质定位的蛋白质复合物，指导肌动蛋白聚合在分裂网站。 我们的研究将通过使用各种方法来确定sepA和sepB基因产物的亚细胞位置来解决这些假设。 此外，遗传筛选将用于通过识别与它们相互作用的蛋白质来增强我们对sepA和sepB功能的理解。 通过这项研究，将更好地了解控制细胞分裂的基本机制。 此外，丝状真菌对人类事务有着显著的影响。 因此，了解真菌细胞如何生长和分裂应该有许多实际好处。 例如，它将提供可用于对抗植物、动物和人类的真菌感染的信息。 此外，它将使fungi更有效地用于生产重要的食品和工业化合物。

Harris 9513489 Cytokinesis is a fundamental cellular process subject to both spatial and temporal controls. Specifically, a plane of cell division must be specified and the components necessary for cytokinesis recruited to the incipient division site. Furthermore, cytokinesis must be temporally co-ordinated with nuclear division. Progress towards understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cytokinesis has been hampered by the lack of a complete inventory of the components required for the process. The overall goal of our research is to help rectify this problem by exploiting the genetically tractable filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans to identify and characterize proteins required for cytokinesis. Two such gene products, sepA and sepB, were identified as a result of previous genetic screens. Molecular characterization of the genes encoding these proteins has provided valuable clues about their functional role in cytokinesis. In particular, the sepB gene product appears to serve as an upstream component of a regulatory system which maintains the co-ordination of septum formation and nuclear division, whereas the sepA gene product may be a component of a cortically localized complex of proteins which directs actin polymerization at the division site. Our research will address these hypotheses by using a variety of approaches to determine the sub-cellular location of the sepA and sepB gene products. In addition, genetic screens will be used to enhance our understanding of sepA and sepB function by identifying the proteins with which they interact. A better understanding of the basic mechanisms controlling cell division will be achieved as a result of this research. Furthermore, filamentous fungi have a pronounced impact upon human affairs. Thus, learning how fungal cells grow and divide should have numerous practical benefits. For example, it will provide information which can be used to combat fungal infection of plants, animals, and humans. In addition, it will allow fu ngi to be utilized more efficiently for the production of important food and industrial compounds.