Movement of yeast 1,3-beta-glucan synthase is essential for uniform cell wall synthesis.
BACKGROUND
The cell wall has an important role in maintaining cell shape. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the major filamentous component of the cell wall responsible for its rigidity is 1,3-beta-glucan and is synthesized by 1,3-beta-glucan synthase (GS), localized on the plasma membrane.


RESULTS
Observations of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-conjugated Fks1p, a catalytic subunit of GS, revealed that it is co-localized with cortical actin patches and moves on the cell surface at the sites of cell wall remodelling. Mutants with impaired actin patch movement show immobility of Fks1p-GFP spots, indicating that actin patch motility is required for the movement of Fks1p. Cells with immobilized Fks1p exhibit defective cell wall structure and function. The cell wall thickness of the mutants becomes irregular, eventually leading to cell lysis.


CONCLUSIONS
We propose that GS movement is necessary for proper cell wall remodelling.
Utsugi
Takahiko
T
Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bldg. FSB-101, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture 277-8562 Japan.
Minemura
Masayo
M
Hirata
Aiko
A
Abe
Mitsuhiro
M
Watanabe
Daisuke
D
Ohya
Yoshikazu
Y
D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D054714:Echinocandins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005936:Glucans / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000502:physiology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins
D000199:Actins; D054714:Echinocandins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005936:Glucans; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C020570:1,3-beta-glucan synthase; C091618:FKS1 protein, S cerevisiae