Schizosaccharomyces pombe calmodulin, Cam1, plays a crucial role in sporulation by recruiting and stabilizing the spindle pole body components responsible for assembly of the forespore membrane.

ABSTRACT: Calmodulin in Schizosaccharomyces pombe is encoded by the cam1(+) gene, which is indispensable for both vegetative growth and sporulation. Here, we report how Cam1 functions in spore formation. We found that Cam1 preferentially localized to the spindle pole body (SPB) during meiosis and sporulation. Formation of the forespore membrane, a precursor of the plasma membrane in spores, was blocked in a missense cam1 mutant, which was viable but unable to sporulate. Three SPB proteins necessary for the onset of forespore membrane formation, Spo2, Spo13, and Spo15, were unable to localize to the SPB in the cam1 mutant although five core SPB components that were tested were present. Recruitment of Spo2 and Spo13 is known to require the presence of Spo15 in the SPB. Notably, Spo15 was unstable in t

SUBMITTER: Itadani A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3008279 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature