title: Effects of the F-actin inhibitor latrunculin A on the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
abstract: Our basic cell biology research was aimed at investigating the effect on eukaryotic cells of the sudden loss of the F-actin cytoskeleton. Cells treated with latrunculin A (LA) in yeast extract peptone dextrose (YEPD) medium were examined using phase-contrast and fluorescent microscopy, freeze-substitution, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, counted using a Bürker chamber and their absorbance measured. The cells responded to the presence of LA, an F-actin inhibitor, with the disappearance of actin patches, actin cables and actin rings. This resulted in the formation of larger spherical cells with irregular morphology in the cell walls and ultrastructural disorder of the cell organelles and secretory vesicles. Instead of buds, LA-inhibited cells formed only 'table-mountain-like' wide flattened swellings without apical growth with a thinner glucan cell-wall layer containing β-1,3-glucan microfibrils. The LA-inhibited cells lysed. Actin cables and patches were required for bud formation and bud growth. In addition, actin patches were required for the formation of β-1,3-glucan microfibrils in the bud cell wall. LA has fungistatic, fungicidal and fungilytic effects on the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
authors: 1​Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Kopecká
authors: 2​Medical Mycology Research Centre, Chiba University, Chuo-ku, Japan.
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: 2​Medical Mycology Research Centre, Chiba University, Chuo-ku, Japan.
authors: Susumu
authors: S
authors: Kawamoto
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D008853:Microscopy; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004718:Saccharomycetales / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D053778:Thiazolidines / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D053778:Thiazolidines; C037067:latrunculin A