title: Characterisation of Aspergillus nidulans polarisome component BemA.
abstract: BemA, the orthologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Bem1p, was identified through genome sequence comparison. We have shown that it plays a similar role to Bem1p in yeast, acting as a cell growth protein. Deletion of the gene produced a moderately abnormal hyphal tip morphology, and had an extremely detrimental effect on conidiospore production, with development stalling after conidiophore vesicle production. It was also shown that BemA is required for vacuole fusion, similar to Bem1p. This role is dependent on the first SH3 domain of the protein, whose deletion has no detectable effect on cell growth. Localisation studies showed that BemA formed a clear cap at hyphal tips, analogous to the S. cerevisiae polarisome. The relationship between BemA and SepA, a spitzenkörper protein, was investigated. It was found that localisation of the proteins were interdependent, and a conditional double mutant was inviable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
authors.forename: Abigail C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Leeder
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D016764:Cell Polarity; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D025301:Hyphae / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D021381:Protein Transport; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000502:physiology; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018909:src Homology Domains
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C073129:BEM1 protein, S cerevisiae