D-Hillarin, a novel W180-domain protein, affects cytokinesis through interaction with the septin family member Pnut.
By database searches of the Drosophila genome project we have identified D-hil as the fly member of a novel family of W180-domain containing proteins. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that D-hil is localized to the neuropil of the embryonic CNS, to the cellular cortex of dividing neuroblasts from larval brains, and that it is up-regulated in the cleavage furrow of S2 cells. We show that D-hil distribution overlaps extensively with that of the septin family member Pnut. Cross-immunoprecipitation experiments further indicated that the two proteins may be members of the same protein complex. Analysis of a severe hypomorphic P-element mutation in the D-hil locus suggested that D-hil is a nonessential protein. However, by creating double mutant flies we show that the D-hil locus acts as a modulator of Pnut function by increasing the level of polyploidy of neuroblasts in Pnut(KG00478)/Pnut(KG00478) larval brains. Based on these results we propose that D-hil may function as a regulator of septin function during cytokinesis in the developing nervous system.
Ji
Yun
Y
Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.
Rath
Uttama
U
Girton
Jack
J
Johansen
Kristen M
KM
Johansen
Jørgen
J
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D048749:Cytokinesis / Q000502:physiology*; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D018392:Genomic Imprinting; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D047468:Immunoprecipitation / Q000379:methods; D007814:Larva; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C432132:hillarin; C087195:pnut protein, Drosophila; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins