The use of morphomutants to investigate septum formation and cell separation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Cytokinesis in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces begins by formation of a medially placed actomyosin ring, continues by progressive development of a septum, and is completed by cleavage of the mature septum to bring about cell separation. The cytological analysis of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe morphomutants sph2-3 and sep1-1 presented here demonstrates that the medial actomyosin ring colocalizes to the leading edge of the centripetally growing septum, and cleavage of the septum is triggered by rupture of the mother cell wall at the septal basis.