Figure 2. AP-1 and AP-2, but not AP-3, complexes are critical for A. nidulans growth.
(A) Colony growth (bottom left inserts) and microscopic morphology (20 hr hyphal cells stained with calcofluor) of isogenic thiAp-ap1σ, ap2σΔ, ap3σΔ, ap2σΔ thiAp-ap1σand ap2σΔ ap3σΔ mutant strains, compared to wild-type (wt). Biological/Technical replicates: 4/25, 3/12, 3/15, 3/10, 2/10, 2/10 for wild-type and mutant strains, respectively. For the definition of the two categories of replicates see Materials and methods. (B) Representative types of morphological phenotypes related to unipolar or multipolar germination (upper panel) and relative quantitative analysis of n = 100 hyphae of wild-type and n = 84, 58, 60, 48 and 31 hyphae of thiAp-ap1σ, ap2σΔ, ap3σΔ, ap2σΔ thiAp-ap1σ and ap2σΔ ap3σΔ, respectively (lower panel). Replicates as in (A). (C) Representative types of septa formation (upper panel) and relative quantitative analysis of n = 32 hyphae of wild-type and n = 32, 23, 32, 32 and 27 hyphae of thiAp-ap1σ, ap2σΔ, ap3σΔ, ap2σΔ thiAp-ap1σ and ap2σΔ ap3σΔ respectively (lower panel). Replicates as in (A). p<0.001 for thiAp-ap1σ, ap2σΔ, ap2σΔ thiAp-ap1σ and ap2σΔ ap3σΔ, compared to wt. See Materials and methods for statistical analysis methods and statistical tests used. (D) Calcofluor deposition at the tip of growing hyphae in AP mutants and wild-type. A standard endocytic mutant, sagAΔ, showing reduced calcofluor staining at the tip is included for comparison. For experimental details see Materials and methods. Replicates as in (A).