Cytokinesis in Aspergillus Nidulans

细胞分裂是一个基本的细胞过程，受到空间和时间的控制。具体来说，必须指定细胞分裂的平面，并将细胞质分裂所需的成分招募到初始分裂位点。此外，细胞质分裂必须暂时与核分裂协调。由于缺乏该过程所需成分的完整清单，了解细胞分裂的分子机制的进展受到阻碍。我们研究的总体目标是通过利用遗传上易于处理的丝状真菌细粒曲霉来鉴定和表征细胞分裂所需的蛋白质，从而帮助纠正这一问题。两个这样的基因产物，sepA和sepB，是先前基因筛选的结果。编码这些蛋白的基因的分子特征为它们在细胞质分裂中的功能作用提供了有价值的线索。特别是，sepB基因产物似乎是维持隔形成和核分裂协调的调控系统的上游组成部分，而sepA基因产物可能是在分裂位点指导肌动蛋白聚合的皮质定位蛋白复合体的组成部分。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，基因筛选将通过识别sepA和sepB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，我们将对控制细胞分裂的基本机制有一个更好的了解。此外，丝状真菌对人类事务有显著的影响。因此，了解真菌细胞如何生长和分裂应该有许多实际的好处。例如，它将提供可用于对抗植物、动物和人类真菌感染的信息。此外，它还可以更有效地利用植物来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.