The Role Of Pkca In Septum Formation In Aspergillus Nidulans

Fungi of the Aspergillus genus can causes serious illnesses to those with compromised immune systems. PkcA in Aspergillus nidulans is important in formation of the cell wall and septa, which are both necessary for the invasive nature of the fungus. Elucidating PkcA's role in cell wall synthesis can be accomplished by understanding which domains facilitate specific functions of PkcA. Wild type PkcA localizes to growing hyphal tips and septation sites. To determine which domains are important for localization, green fluorescent protein tagged, domain deleted PkcA were constructed. The domains that are vital to A. nidulans maintenance of cell wall integrity were separately identified by growing the domain deleted stains in the presence of the cell wall stressor calcofluor white. We have determined that the localization signal and the domain responsible for proper function are distinct and essential domains. This research was funded by NSF grant RUI‐0742907 and The Merck Institute for Science Education. This research from the Jackson Heart Study is supported by NIH contracts N01‐HC‐95170, N01‐HC‐95171, and N01‐HC‐95172 provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities