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Examination of Mitotic and Meiotic Fission Yeast Nuclear Dynamics by Fluorescence Live-cell Microscopy
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ADP-ribosylation factor arf6p may function as a molecular switch of new end take off in fission yeast

Atsushi Fujita1

  • 1Institute for Biological Resources and Functions, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|December 7, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Fission yeast arf6(+) gene is essential for New End Take Off (NETO), a process where cell growth direction changes. Arf6 protein acts as a molecular switch, regulating NETO timing and activation.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Small GTPases are crucial molecular switches in cellular processes.
  • Fission yeast undergoes a transition from monopolar to bipolar growth known as New End Take Off (NETO).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify genes essential for NETO in fission yeast.
  • To elucidate the role of ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6) in regulating cell growth direction.

Main Methods:

  • Gene identification and deletion analysis (arf6Δ cells).
  • Localization studies of Arf6 protein (Arf6p) using microscopy.
  • Analysis of NETO timing upon overexpression of Arf6p mutants.

Main Results:

  • arf6Δ cells exhibit a complete failure in NETO.
  • Arf6p localizes to cell ends and septa in a cell-cycle dependent manner.
  • Arf6p localization is independent of microtubules, actin, and other NETO factors.
  • Overexpression of a GTP-cycling mutant of Arf6p advances NETO timing.

Conclusions:

  • Arf6 is essential for the activation of NETO in fission yeast.
  • Arf6p functions as a molecular switch regulating the transition to bipolar growth.
  • Arf6p's polarized localization is critical for its role in NETO.

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