Polarity determinants Tea1p, Tea4p, and Pom1p inhibit division-septum assembly at cell ends in fission yeast

Dev Cell. 2007 Jun;12(6):987-96. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2007.03.015.

Abstract

Correct positioning of the cell-division plane is crucial for cell function in all organisms. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe divides by utilizing an actomyosin-based contractile ring and is an attractive model for the study of cytokinesis. The metazoan anillin-related protein Mid1p stimulates medial assembly of the division septum by recruiting actomyosin-ring components to the medial cortex. Here, we describe an inhibitory mechanism, involving the cell-end-localized polarity determinants Tea1p, Tea4p/Wsh3p, and Pom1p (tip complex), which prevents division-septum assembly at the cell ends. While Mid1p and the tip complex are dispensable for cell viability, their simultaneous loss leads to lethality. The FER/CIP homology protein Cdc15p, which organizes the actomyosin ring and cell membranes during cytokinesis, is a candidate for regulation by the tip complex. Since dual regulation of division-site placement is also seen in nematodes, such regulation might be a general feature of eukaryotic cytokinesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actomyosin / metabolism
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Division
  • Cell Polarity*
  • Cytokinesis*
  • GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Intermediate Filament Proteins / metabolism
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / growth & development
  • Schizosaccharomyces / metabolism*
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • CDC15 protein
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Intermediate Filament Proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Mid1 protein, S pombe
  • Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
  • Tea1 protein, S pombe
  • Tea4 protein, S pombe
  • tip1 protein, S pombe
  • Actomyosin
  • Protein Kinases
  • Pom1 protein, S pombe
  • GTP-Binding Proteins