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Two novel protein kinase C‐related genes of fission yeast are essential for cell viability and implicated in cell shape control.
Author(s) -
Toda T.,
Shimanuki M.,
Yanagida M.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb05848.x
Subject(s) - biology , yeast , fission , gene , library science , genetics , physics , computer science , nuclear physics , neutron
Two novel protein kinase C (PKC)‐like genes, pck1+ and pck2+ were isolated from fission yeast by PCR. Both contain common domains of PKC‐related molecules, but lack a putative Ca(2+)‐binding domain so that they may belong to the nPKC group. Gene disruption of pck1+ and pck2+ establishes that they share an overlapping essential function for cell viability. Cells of a single pck2 deletion display severe defects in cell shape; they are irregular and sometimes pear‐like instead of cylindrical. In contrast, the induced overexpression of pck2+ is lethal, producing multiseptated and branched cells. These results suggest that fission yeast PKC‐like genes are involved in the polarity of cell growth control. We show that pck2 is allelic to sts6, a locus we have previously identified by its supersensitivity to staurosporine, a potent protein kinase inhibitor [Toda et al. (1991) Genes Dev., 5, 60–73]. In addition, the lethal overexpression of pck2+ can be suppressed by staurosporine, indicating that fission yeast pck1 and pck2 are molecular targets of this inhibitor.