title: Three-dimensional arrangement of F-actin in the contractile ring of fission yeast.
abstract: The contractile ring, which is required for cytokinesis in animal and yeast cells, consists mainly of actin filaments. Here, we investigate the directionality of the filaments in fission yeast using myosin S1 decoration and electron microscopy. The contractile ring is composed of around 1,000 to 2,000 filaments each around 0.6 mum in length. During the early stages of cytokinesis, the ring consists of two semicircular populations of parallel filaments of opposite directionality. At later stages, before contraction, the ring filaments show mixed directionality. We consider that the ring is initially assembled from a single site in the division plane and that filaments subsequently rearrange before contraction initiates.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamasaki
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osumi
authors.forename: Issei
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mabuchi
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins