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A mutant of yeast defective in cellular morphogenesis
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 9, 1978
Summary
Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae use chitin rings for cell wall organization during budding. Mutants lacking the cdc24 gene fail to form these rings, preventing bud formation, suggesting the ring is essential for budding.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Chitin is a crucial structural polysaccharide in the cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
- Budding in yeast involves the formation of a new cell from a parent cell.
- The precise role of chitin organization in budding is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of chitin ring organization in the budding process of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
- To determine the function of the cdc24 gene in chitin ring formation and bud development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized temperature-sensitive mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae defective in the cdc24 gene.
- Observed cell wall structure and bud formation at restrictive temperatures.
- Analyzed chitin synthesis and organization in wild-type and mutant cells.
Main Results:
- Mutants defective in cdc24 synthesize chitin but fail to organize it into discrete rings.
- These mutants do not form buds at restrictive temperatures, despite chitin synthesis.
- The absence of organized chitin rings correlates with the failure of bud formation.
Conclusions:
- The organized chitin ring, or a precursor structure, is essential for reinforcing the cell wall during budding in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
- The cdc24 gene product plays a critical role in the spatial organization of chitin for proper bud site selection and formation.
- Chitin ring integrity is a key determinant for successful cell division in budding yeast.