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. 1996 Mar;142(3):777–787. doi: 10.1093/genetics/142.3.777

An Extragenic Suppressor of the Mitosis-Defective Bimd6 Mutation of Aspergillus Nidulans Codes for a Chromosome Scaffold Protein

C L Holt 1, G S May 1
PMCID: PMC1207018  PMID: 8849887

Abstract

We previously identified a gene, bimD, that functions in chromosome segregation and contains sequences suggesting that it may be a DNA-binding protein. Two conditionally lethal mutations in bimD arrest with aberrant mitotic spindles at restrictive temperature. These spindles have one-third the normal number of microtubules, and the chromosomes never attach to the remaining microtubules. For this reason, we hypothesized that BIMD functioned in chromosome segregation, possibly as a component of the kinetochore. To identify other components that function with bimD, we conducted a screen for extragenic suppressors of the bimD5 and bimD6 mutations. We have isolated seven cold-sensitive extragenic suppressors of bimD6 heat sensitivity that represent three or possibly four separate sud genes. We have cloned one of the suppressor genes by complementation of the cold-sensitive phenotype of the sudA3 mutation. SUDA belongs to the DA-box protein family. DA-box proteins have been shown to function in chromosome structure and segregation. Thus bimD and the sud genes cooperatively function in chromosome segregation in Aspergillus nidulans.

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Selected References

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