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Vol. 20, Issue 12, 2874-2884, June 15, 2009

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Timely Septation Requires SNAD-dependent Spindle Pole Body Localization of the Septation Initiation Network Components in the Filamentous Fungus Aspergillus nidulans

Jung-Mi Kim^*,,, Cui Jing Tracy Zeng^*,, Tania Nayak^,||, Rongzhong Shao^*, An-Chi Huang^*, Berl R. Oakley^,¶, and Bo Liu^*

*Department of Plant Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616; and Department of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

Submitted December 8, 2008; Revised April 9, 2009; Accepted April 15, 2009
Monitoring Editor: Kerry S. Bloom

In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, cytokinesis/septation is triggered by the septation initiation network (SIN), which first appears at the spindle pole body (SPB) during mitosis. The coiled-coil protein SNAD is associated with the SPB and is required for timely septation and conidiation. We have determined that SNAD acted as a scaffold protein that is required for the localization of the SIN proteins of SIDB and MOBA to the SPB. Another scaffold protein SEPK, whose localization at the SPB was dependent on SNAD, was also required for SIDB and MOBA localization to the SPB. In the absence of either SEPK or SNAD, SIDB/MOBA successfully localized to the septation site, indicating that their earlier localization at SPB was not essential for their later appearance at the division site. Unlike their functional counterparts in fission yeast, SEPK and SNAD were not required for vegetative growth but only for timely septation. Furthermore, down-regulation of negative regulators of the SIN suppressed the septation and conidiation phenotypes due to the loss of SNAD. Therefore, we conclude that SPB localization of SIN components is not essential for septation per se, but critical for septation to take place in a timely manner in A. nidulans.

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Present addresses: Research Center of Bioactive Materials, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju Jeonbuk, Republic of Korea;

^||Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032;

^¶Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045.

Address correspondence to: Bo Liu (bliu{at}ucdavis.edu)

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