title: Mcp4, a meiotic coiled-coil protein, plays a role in F-actin positioning during Schizosaccharomyces pombe meiosis.
abstract: Some meiosis-specific proteins of Schizosaccharomyces pombe harbor coiled-coil motifs and play essential roles in meiotic progression. Here we describe Mcp4, a novel meiosis-specific protein whose expression is abruptly induced at the horsetail phase and which remains expressed until sporulation is finished. Fluorescence microscopic analysis revealed that Mcp4 alters its subcellular localization during meiosis in a manner that partially resembles the movement of F-actin during meiosis. Mcp4 and F-actin never colocalize; rather, they are located in a side-by-side manner. When forespore membrane formation begins at metaphase II, the Mcp4 signals assemble at the lagging face of the dividing nuclei. At this stage, they are sandwiched between F-actin and the nucleus. Mcp4, in turn, appears to sandwich F-actin with Meu14. In mcp4Delta cells at anaphase II, the F-actin, which is normally dumbbell-shaped, adopts an abnormal balloon shape. Spores of mcp4Delta cells were sensitive to NaCl, although their shape and viability were normal. Taken together, we conclude that Mcp4 plays a role in the accurate positioning of F-actin during S. pombe meiosis.
authors: Department of Molecular Genetics, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors: Ayami
authors: A
authors: Ohtaka
authors: Daisuke
authors: D
authors: Okuzaki
authors: Takamune T
authors: TT
authors: Saito
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Nojima
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008540:Meiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; C524637:Mcp4 protein, S pombe; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins