# Cytokinesis and the Septin Cytoskeleton

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2024 · $643,078

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
Cytokinesis is fundamental to life, and the septins form cytoskeletal scaffolds or diffusion barriers of distinct
architectures to impact diverse cellular functions including cytokinesis, cell migration, ciliogenesis, dendritic
spine morphogenesis, spermiogenesis, and bacterial infection. Defects in cytokinesis or septins cause
lethality or serious diseases including cancer, infertility, hereditary neuropathy, and neurodegenerative
diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Thus, understanding cytokinesis and the septin cytoskeleton
is critically important not only for basic science but also for public health.
In this application, we will address the core issues regarding cytokinesis including the architecture and
constriction mechanism of the actomyosin ring (AMR) as well as the mechanism of vesicle fusion at the
division site. We will also address the key questions in the septin field including how a high-order structure
such as the septin ring or hourglass is assembled and then remodeled into a distinct architecture for a
distinct function. These questions will be addressed chiefly using the budding yeast model due to the
stereotyped behaviors of cellular and molecular events involved in cytokinesis and septin architecture and
remodeling during its cell cycle. Some of the key questions such as the architecture of the AMR, especially
the organization of distinct myosin-II isoforms in the contractile ring, will also be investigated in fission yeast
and mammalian cells to illustrate the mechanistic conservation and divergence during evolution. All
questions will be addressed using an integrative approach that combines precise genetic editing, cell
synchronization, AlphaFold2-based structural predictions, biochemical analysis, and cutting-edge imaging
technologies including super-resolution microscopy, platinum-replica EM, and cryo-FIB-SEM/cryo-ET.
We have made major contributions to the understanding of cytokinesis and the septin cytoskeleton. The
proposed project is based on rigorous published and unpublished data, which sets the stage for testing
specific hypotheses and exploring new directions. The completion of this project is expected to generate
deep architectural and mechanistic insights into cytokinesis and septin assembly and remodeling.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10842087
- **Project number:** 1R35GM153501-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Erfei Bi
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $643,078
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10842087

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10842087, Cytokinesis and the Septin Cytoskeleton (1R35GM153501-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10842087. Licensed CC0.

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