Growth, Differentiation and Sexuality

understood mechanism of mitotic exit are highly
conserved. Mechanistic differences occur in the selection
of a new division site, in the order of the
assembly of protein complexes at the division site,
and in the activation of acto-myosin ring constriction.
Further research in filamentous fungi will
dwell on several unique features, for example,
1. how does the hyphal tip convey the positional
information to septal site placement;
2. which mechanisms ensure the timing of site selection,
and thus produce regular-sized hyphal
compartments that remain multinucleate or –
during asexual sporulation – switch to a yeastlike
program and generate uninucleate cells;
3. is one of the key mechanistic differences between
septation in filamentous fungi and cytokinesis
inyeasts concernedwith the synthesis
and degradation of chitin via chitin synthases
and chitinases; and finally
4. can all this knowledge lead to the development
of new drugs to combat fungal infections?
Acknowledgements. J.W. is supported by the Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Leibniz Institute for Natural
Products Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knöll
Institute, and the Friedrich-Schiller Universität, Jena.
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