Involvement of cdc13+ in mitotic control in Schizosaccharomyces pombe: possible interaction of the gene product with microtubules.
Previous genetic studies have shown that the fission yeast cdc13+ gene product interacts closely with the cdc2+ protein kinase during mitosis. Here, we have cloned the cdc13+ gene from a S. pombe gene bank by complementation of the temperature-sensitive defect of a cdc13-117 mutant strain. The complementing activity was localized to a 1.9-kb XbaI-NsiI DNA fragment, and nucleotide sequencing revealed a 1446-bp open reading frame. The predicted amino acid sequence contained 482 residues and was not homologous to any protein in a protein database. The cdc13+ gene function was confirmed to be essential for cell division since cells carrying a cdc13 null allele arrested with a cdc phenotype. However, unlike any existing temperature-sensitive cdc13 mutants, cdc13 null mutants arrested in G2 without septa or condensed chromosomes indicating that cdc13+ gene function is required at or prior to the initiation of mitotis. cdc13-117 mutant strains were found to be hypersensitive to the tubulin inhibitor thiabendazole. This observation suggests that the cdc13+ gene product, which is required for mitotic initiation, may interact with microtubules.
Booher
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R
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY 11724.
Beach
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D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D008938:Mitosis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D010957:Plasmids; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004718:Saccharomycetales / Q000235:genetics*; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D013827:Thiabendazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D011494:Protein Kinases; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D013827:Thiabendazole