title: Symmetry breaking: scaffold plays matchmaker for polarity signaling proteins.
abstract: Many cell types can spontaneously polarize even in the absence of specific positional cues. In budding yeast, this symmetry-breaking polarization depends on a scaffold protein called Bem1p. A recent study defines Bem1p's molecular function during symmetry breaking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pellman
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology*; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020846:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein, Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C073129:BEM1 protein, S cerevisiae; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases; D020846:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein, Saccharomyces cerevisiae