This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The final act of the cell cycle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is cell separation. Inactivation of the transcription factor-encoding gene ACE2 leads to a defect in cell separation. Ace2 plays a central role in cell separation by regulating daughter cell specific expression of endochitinase (CTS1) and at least 3 putative glucanase encoding genes, DSE2, DSE4 (ENG1) and SCW11. The products of these genes degrade the tri-laminar septum that holds mother and daughter cells together. ACE2 itself is regulated by the RAM (Regulation of Ace2 activity and cellular Morphogenesis) network, inactivation of RAM network proteins results in defective cell separation and mis-localisation of Ace2. To define the components of the cell separation machinery in S. cerevisiae, a screen for mutants that fail to separate was undertaken. A total of 192 novel cell separation defective strains were identified. During the screen, the uncharacterised gene YIR016W, termed SDM1 (Separation Defective Mutant 1), was identified as encoding a protein with an important role in cell separation. To aid characterisation of SDM1 a large scale Yeast-2-hybrid screen will be carried out to identify any protein-protein interactions Sdm1 may have, in conjunction with the Yeast Resource Center. This should give a greater understanding of its function and what possible role it may play in cell separation.
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