title: A role for fission yeast Rab GTPase Ypt7p in sporulation.
abstract: Ypt7p, a fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) homologue of Rab7 GTPase, mediates fusion of endosomes to vacuoles and homotypic vacuole fusion. Here, we report that Ypt7p plays important roles in sporulation. Most ypt7Delta asci produced less than four spores, which were apparently immature and germinated at low frequency. Furthermore, ypt7Delta cells were defective in development of the forespore membranes. Vacuoles in sporulating cells were found to undergo extensive homotypic vacuole fusion to form a few large compartments occupying the entire cytoplasm of asci. This extensive vacuole fusion depended on Ypt7p.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kashiwazaki
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwaki
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takegawa
authors.forename: Chikashi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shimoda
mesh_terms: D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009154:Mutation; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000502:physiology*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000502:physiology; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C079005:YPT7 protein, S cerevisiae; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins