Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026

Purification and Quality Control of Recombinant Septin Complexes for Cell-Free Reconstitution
Published on: June 23, 2022
Septins are involved in nuclear division, morphogenesis and pathogenicity in Fusarium graminearum
Ahai Chen1, Qiurong Xie1, Yahong Lin1
1Key Laboratory of Biopesticides and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China; Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Fungi and Mycotoxins, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
Abstract:
Septins are GTP-binding proteins that regulate cell polarity, cytokinesis and cell morphogenesis. Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most devastating diseases worldwide. In this study, we have functionally characterized the core septins, Cdc3, Cdc10, Cdc11 and Cdc12 in F. graminearum. The loss of FgCdc3, FgCdc11, FgCdc12, but not FgCdc10, mutants showed significant reduction in growth, conidiation and virulence. Microscopic analyses revealed that all of them were involved in septum formation and nuclear division. Moreover, disruption of septin genes resulted in morphological defects in ascospores and conidia. Interestingly, conidia produced by ΔFgcdc3, ΔFgcdc11 and ΔFgcdc12 mutants exhibited deformation with interconnecting conidia in contrast to their parent wild-type strain PH-1 and the ΔFgcdc10 mutant that produced normal conidia. Using yeast two-hybrid assays, we determined the interactions among FgCdc3, FgCdc10, FgCdc11 and FgCdc12. Taken together, our results indicate that septins play important roles in the nuclear division, morphogenesis and pathogenicity in F. graminearum.
Related Concept Videos
Septins
Role of Septins
Cellular Functions of Septins
Recent studies have revealed the multifaceted roles of septins in various cellular processes such as cytokinesis, ciliogenesis, and neurogenesis. Septins act as scaffolds and...
Determining the Plane of Cell Division
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division...
Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria
The Contractile Ring
A small GTPase, RhoA, controls the function and assembly of the contractile ring. RhoA belongs to the Ras superfamily of proteins. The activation of formins by RhoA promotes...
Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments

