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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Microscopy of Fission Yeast Sexual Lifecycle
Published on: March 9, 2016
Mechanisms of Cytokinesis in Basidiomycetous Yeasts
Sophie Altamirano1, Srikripa Chandrasekaran1, Lukasz Kozubowski1
1Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA.
Abstract:
While mechanisms of cytokinesis exhibit considerable plasticity, it is difficult to precisely define the level of conservation of this essential part of cell division in fungi, as majority of our knowledge is based on ascomycetous yeasts. However, in the last decade more details have been uncovered regarding cytokinesis in the second largest fungal phylum, basidiomycetes, specifically in two yeasts, Cryptococcus neoformans and Ustilago maydis. Based on these findings, and current sequenced genomes, we summarize cytokinesis in basidiomycetous yeasts, indicating features that may be unique to this phylum, species-specific characteristics, as well as mechanisms that may be common to all eukaryotes.
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