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doi:10.1534/genetics.108.089425
A more recent version of this article appeared on July 1, 2008.
REGULAR RESEARCH PAPERS |
The Ndr kinase COT1, and the MAP kinases MAK1 and MAK2 genetically interact to regulate filamentous growth, hyphal fusion and sexual development in Neurospora crassa
Sabine Maerz 1, Carmit Ziv 2, Nico Vogt 1, Kerstin Helmstaedt 1, Nourit Cohen 2, Rena Gorovits 2, Oded Yarden 2 and Stephan Seiler 1*
1 Universität Göttingen
2 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sseiler{at}gwdg.de.
Submitted on March 19, 2008
Revised on April 23, 2008
Accepted on 9 May 2008
Ndr kinases, such as Neurospora crassa COT1, are important for cell differentiation and polar morphogenesis, yet their input signals as well as their integration into a cellular signaling context are still elusive. Here, we identify the cot-1 suppressor gul-4 as mak-2 and show that mutants of the gul-4/mak-2 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway suppress cot-1 phenotypes along with a concomitant reduction in protein kinase A (PKA) activity. Furthermore, mak-2 pathway defects are partially overcome in a cot-1 background and are associated with increased MAK1 MAPK signaling. A comparative characterization of N. crassa MAPKs revealed that they act as three distinct modules during vegetative growth and asexual development. In addition, common functions of MAK1 and MAK2 signaling during maintenance of cell wall integrity distinguished the two ERK-type pathways from the p38-type OS2 osmosensing pathway. In contrast to separate functions during vegetative growth, the concerted activity of the three MAPK pathways is essential for cell fusion and the subsequent formation of multicellular structures that are required for sexual development. Taken together, our data indicate a functional link between COT1 and MAPK signaling in regulating filamentous growth, hyphal fusion and sexual development.
Key Words: CBK1, RAM network, ascogonia, gulliver, protoperithecia