The role of Plo1 kinase in mitotic commitment and septation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Plo1-associated casein kinase activity peaked during mitosis before septation. Phosphatase treatment abolished this activity. Mitotic Plo1 activation had a requirement for prior activation of M-phase promoting factor (MPF), suggesting that Plo1 does not act as a mitotic trigger kinase to initiate MPF activation during mitotic commitment. A link between Plo1 and the septum initiating network (SIN) has been suggested by the inability of plo1 Delta cells to septate and the prolific septation following plo1(+) overexpression. Interphase activation of Spg1, the G protein that modulates SIN activity, induced septation but did not stimulate Plo1-associated kinase activity. Conversely, SIN inactivation did not affect the mitotic stimulation of Plo1-associated kinase activity. plo1.ts4 cells formed a misshapen actin ring, but rarely septated at 36 degrees C. Forced activation of Spg1 enabled plo1.ts4 mutant cells, but not cells with defects in the SIN component Sid2, to convert the actin ring to a septum. The ability of plo1(+) overexpression to induce septation was severely compromised by SIN inactivation. We propose that Plo1 acts before the SIN to control septation.