(1) Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JR, UK;(2) Present address: Molecular Medicine Centre, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
Abstract:
The identification of a Schizosaccharomyces pombe homologue of the cdc37 gene is described. The gene product is most similar to the budding yeast homologue, but shows similarity to metazoan Cdc37 proteins, with a region of high similarity at the extreme N-terminus. Gene transplacement experiments in diploid cells followed by tetrad dissection show that the gene is essential. Depletion of the gene product after switching off expression of cdc37 from the regulatable nmt81 promoter results in cessation of growth and division. The cells arrest heterogeneously, with a significant proportion showing mitotic defects; paradoxically, a proportion of the cells show a short-cell phenotype consistent with an advanced cell cycle.Communicated by D. Y. Thomas
