Identification of mutants with increased variation in cell size at onset of mitosis in fission yeast.
Fission yeast cells divide at a similar cell length with little variation about the mean. This is thought to be the result of a control mechanism that senses size and corrects for any deviations by advancing or delaying onset of mitosis. Gene deletions that advance cells into mitosis at a smaller size or delay cells entering mitosis have led to the identification of genes potentially involved in this mechanism. However, the molecular basis of this control is still not understood. In this work, we have screened for genes that when deleted increase the variability in size of dividing cells. The strongest candidate identified in this screen was  mga2  The  mga2  deletion strain shows a greater variation in cell length at division, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 15-24%, while the wild-type strain has a CV of 5-8%. Furthermore, unlike wild-type cells, the  mga2  deletion cells are unable to correct cell size deviations within one cell cycle. We show that the  mga2  gene genetically interacts with  nem1  and influences the nuclear membrane and the nuclear-cytoplasmic transport of CDK regulators.
Scotchman E, Kume K, Navarro FJ, Nurse P