# Molecular Mechanisms of Cytokinesis

> **NIH NIH R01** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $322,331

## Abstract

Project Summary
Cytokinesis is essential for cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and tissue homeostasis. Most events and
proteins of cytokinesis are conserved from yeast to humans. Majority of the proteins involved in cytokinesis have
been identified, however, the mechanisms of actomyosin contractile-ring constriction, plasma-membrane
expansion in the cleavage furrow, and extracellular matrix remodeling are still poorly understood; nor do we
understand how cells coordinate these events for successful cell division. Here we propose to continue
elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cytokinesis using fission yeast as a model system. Previous studies
and our solid preliminary data led to the central hypothesis of this proposal that coordination between exocytosis
and endocytosis is essential for successful plasma membrane deposition and septum formation during
cytokinesis, and septins and Ync13 are among the crucial coordinators. We will use complementary genetic,
cellular, microscopic (confocal, TIRFM, electron microscopy, electron tomography, and super-resolution),
biochemical, structural, and computational approaches to test this hypothesis by investigating three specific aims:
1) Elucidate how septins define the sites of vesicle tethering by the exocyst and how they affect the sites of
endocytosis; 2) Characterize how Ync13 coordinates exocytosis and endocytosis during cytokinesis; 3)
Investigate molecular mechanisms of trafficking, anchoring, and regulation of glucan synthases during
cytokinesis. Our studies on the relationships between septins, the exocyst, Munc13/UNC-13 protein Ync13, F-
BAR protein Rga7, coiled-coil protein Rng10, and glucan synthases will provide molecular links among the main
cytokinesis events. Our proposed studies are significant because they will advance the understanding of
cytokinesis in three important ways: a) What are the roles of septins in exocytosis and endocytosis during
cytokinesis; b) how Ync13 coordinates exocytosis and endocytosis for successful cytokinesis; c) how septum
synthases are trafficked and regulated. The concepts learned from this project will be applicable to understand
the coordination of septins, the exocyst, plasma-membrane deposition, and extracellular matrix remodeling in
human cells because our three specific aims involve the most conserved aspects of cytokinesis. Because the
fungal specific essential enzymes such as glucan synthases, which build the septum during cytokinesis, are
targets of several antifungals, our studies on the regulators of these synthases proposed here may lead to novel
targets for antifungal drugs. Thus, our discoveries on both conserved and fungal-specific aspects of cytokinesis
may be harnessed to improve human health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10520998
- **Project number:** 2R01GM118746-05A1
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jian-Qiu Wu
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $322,331
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2016-08-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10520998

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10520998, Molecular Mechanisms of Cytokinesis (2R01GM118746-05A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10520998. Licensed CC0.

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