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A new tropomyosin essential for cytokinesis in the fission yeast S. pombe

Nature volume 360, pages 84–87 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

MUTATIONS in the Schizosaccharotnyces pombe cdc8 gene impair cytokinesis1. Here we clone cdc8+ and find that it encodes a novel tropomyosin. Gene disruption results in lethal arrest of the cell cycle, but spore germination, cell growth, DNA replication and mitosis are all unaffected. Haploid cdc8 gene disruptants are rescued by expression of a fibroblast tropomyosin complementary DNA. Immunofluorescence microscopy of wild type and cdc8 gene distruptants indicates that cdc8 tropomyosin is present in two distinct cellular distributions: in dispersed patches, and during cytokinesis as a transient medial band. Collectively these results indicate that cdc8 tropomyosin has a specialized role which, we suggest, is to form part of the F-actin contractile ring at cytokinesis. These results establish the basis for further genetic studies of cytokinesis and of contractile protein function in S. pombe.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N OWO, Canada

    Mohan K. Balasubramanian

  2. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 11724, USA

    David M. Helfman

  3. Plant Biotechnology Institute, National Research Council, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N OW9, Canada

    Sean M. Hemmingsen

Authors
  1. Mohan K. Balasubramanian
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  2. David M. Helfman
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  3. Sean M. Hemmingsen
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Balasubramanian, M., Helfman, D. & Hemmingsen, S. A new tropomyosin essential for cytokinesis in the fission yeast S. pombe. Nature 360, 84–87 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/360084a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/360084a0

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