Date of Award
12-31-2016
Document Type
Campus Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Biology/Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal Biology
First Advisor
Linda Huang
Second Advisor
Alexey Veraksa
Third Advisor
Jill Macoska
Abstract
My research examines how meiotic cytokinesis is regulated by examining sporulation in Sacchaomyces cerevisiae. During sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a double lipid bilayer called the prospore membrane is formed de novo, growing around each meiotic nucleus and ultimately closing to create four new cells within the mother cell. I show that SPS1, which encodes a kinase belonging to the germinal center kinase III family, is involved in prospore membrane development and is required for prospore membrane closure. I find that SPS1 genetically interacts with SPO77 and loss of either gene disrupts prospore membrane closure in a similar fashion. The SPS1/SPO77 pathway is required for the proper phosphorylation and stability of Ssp1, a member of the leading edge protein complex that is removed and degraded when the prospore membrane closes. Further, I show a role for the Hippo-like kinase Cdc15 important for regulating mitotic exit in this process. We see that Cdc15 physically interacts with Sps1 and is required for Sps1’s phosphorylation. This discovery reveals that, Sps1, a STE20-family member GCKIII kinase, acts in the Cdc15 pathway during sporulation and couples meiotic exit and meiotic cytokinesis.
Recommended Citation
Paulissen, Scott M., "The Genetic Networks that Control Prospore Membrane Closure in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae" (2016). Graduate Doctoral Dissertations. 304.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/doctoral_dissertations/304
Comments
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